Topic Four: Bronze Age Civilizations
I. Canaan
A. By 2300 B.C. have a culture of walled cities
1. in the North -> Byblos, Ebla, Aleppo, Ugarit
2. in the South -> Gaza, Jericho, Megiddo, Lagash
B. 2300 to 2100 B.C. ravaged by drought
1. roughly same time as the 1st Intermediate Period in Egypt
C. At the end of drought start to rebuild their city-states
1. faster in the north than south
2. also have evidence that Amorites are in the area, tent dwelling pastoralists
D. around 1800 B.C. the cities begin massive fortification enhancements
1. invasions from mysterious “sea-peoples”
2. they are the same as the Hyksos and again, 2nd Intermediate Period
3. Jericho’s famous walls
E. Ugarit Tablets
1. cuneiform, but in several languages
2. various documents
3. shows a diverse, urban, mobile population
II. Indo-Europeans
A. Indo-European is a language group, not a people, most commonly spoken
1. Philologists think it originated around the Black Sea/Ukraine/Crimea area
2. around 2900 B.C. had moved into Anatolia (modern day Turkey)
3. by 2500 B.C. are moving into Greece (they are moving everywhere actually)
B. The Hittites
1. arrive in Anatolia around 1700 B.C.
2. Indo-European speaking group that conquers the peoples living in central Anatolia
3. King Hattusilis I builds the fortress city of Hattusas, the only real city of the Hittites
4. Hattusas was abandoned around 1200 B.C. and never resettled, 10k clay tablets found
5. Hittites conquer central Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and into Canaan
6. major wars with the Egyptians, but also marry into the Egyptian royal family
7. the Hittites have an advantage, iron weapons
8. they write in cuneiform
9. important advancement is international law
10. by 1250, signing peace treaties with the Egyptians because of the Assyrians
III. The Minoans 1800 to 1400 B.C.
A. Heinrich Schleimann and the Trojan War
B. Arthur Evans and Knossos
1. Finds a civilization on Crete in 1900
2. looking for traces of Mycenaen culture there, but finds a different civilization
3. names it Minoan after the myth of Minos
C. Bronze Age Palace Civilization
1. based on trade
2. Knossos is a palace complex, not a palace
a. indoor plumbing, toilets with wooden seats, running water, apartments and houses,
storage areas, public areas, very like a maze (legend of the labyrinth)
3. Minoan goods found in Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Asia Minor and vice versa
4. exported pottery, sculpture, wine, olives, oil, jewelry
5. imported raw goods
6. all energy into trade
7. navy travels all over the Mediterranean
8. also have colonies throughout the Aegean
9. no walls around their cities, road system, also some farming
D. Language is called Linear A, still not deciphered
1. seem to be business accounts and records
E. King seems to be more of a CEO, not a military or religious leader
F. Polytheistic Religion
1. almost all goddesses
2. hands and feet of lions
3. religion seems to be secondary in their lives, not very important
4. no large temples, or worship centers
G. Culture
1. high technology, have multistory houses/buildings
2. small population, large amount of wealth, even “poor” have multi-room houses
3. high form of art, frescoes, sculpture, jewelry
4. art is for beauty, shows that society is cultured and wealthy, no war, no death
5. no slaves
6. very easy with the human body, very athletic, grace over strength, leisure society
7. women have very high status in society, chief god is a goddess
8. Minoans are known in the Mediterranean world
H. The End
1. ca. 1400 B.C. Knossos sacked and burned
2. other Minoan cities also raided
3. gradual decline of Minoan civilization starts with the eruption of the Thera volcano
4. date is still debated but most probably between 1600 to 1500 B.C.
5. Minoans conquered by the Mycenaens
IV. The Mycenaens
A. Early Helladic Period ca. 3000 to 2000 B.C.
1. Greece home to non Indo-European speaking peoples
2. used metal, were agriculturalists, and that’s about all we know
3. about 2000 B.C. were invaded by people who were “Greek”
B. Middle Helladic Period ca 2000 to 1550 B.C.
1. conquest by “Greek” invaders, Indo-European speaking people
2. militaristic society, led by a “wanax” or warchief
3. contact with the Minoans leads to civilization and urban sites
4. adopt Minoan Linear A to their own language, which we call Linear B
C. Late Helladic Period or the Mycenaen Period ca 1550 to 1150 B.C.
1. Mycenaen civilization is wealthy, urban centers grow
2. adopt much of their culture from the Minoans BUT
3. they are monarchial and patriarchal
4. their king is a warlord and the Mycenaens are warriors as well as traders
5. Mycenaen cities are fortresses with thick walls
6. art centers around warfare and hunting
7. each city has it’s own wanax, who is buried in a tholos tomb
8. wanax controls distribution of wealth, land, goods, etc.
9. like the Minoans, ranged all over the Mediterranean
10. will eventually conquer the Minoans
11. most famous example of Mycenaen aggression is their war with Troy
a. wealthy trading city on the coast of Asia Minor
b. completely destroyed ca. 1250 (Troy VII)
D. Religion
1. polytheistic and patriarchal
2. sky-father named Dyeus (common to all Indo-Europeans)
3. goddesses are appropriated from the Minoans
4. will make offerings and sacrifices to their gods
5. will eventually become the pantheon of classical Greek deities
E. The End
1. very soon after the Asia Minor war, the Mycenaen cities are abandoned…why?
2. a group called the Dorians, who also spoke Greek, invaded
3. the Dorians did not live in cities, but small villages
4. also part of the economic and cultural collapse of the 13th Century Crisis
5. the next four and a half centuries are called the Greek Dark Ages