Chapter 6 The Aegean

The Aegean Cycladic Civilization (c. 3000–11th Century B.C.) Impressive examples of early Bronze Age human figures in marble Female figures more numerous than male Purpose is unknown, but most were found in graves Composed mainly of geometric sections ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Aegean Minoan Civilization (c. 3000–1100 B.C.) The modern Greek island of Crete was the home of the most important Bronze Age culture Mythological home of King Minos and the story of the Minotaur The Palace at Knossos Knossos had been inhabited since early Neolithic times Palace was asymmetrical and meandering Construction was post-and-lintel ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Aegean Minoan Civilization (c. 3000–1100 B.C.) (continued) Minoan Fresco—pigments mixed in with plaster Additional details painted over the buon fresco Religion Little is known about Minoan religious beliefs Recurring religious motifs: Bulls, double axes, trees, columns, outdoor shrines, and goddesses holding snakes Minoan Scripts Linear A—developed about 2000 B.C. Linear B—used mainly for inventory lists and records Pottery Energetic designs and organic forms ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Aegean Discoveries at Thera Affluent ancient trading city with interior baths and toilets Buried by a volcanic eruption 1700–1500 B.C. The Frescoes Adorned both public spaces and private residences Provide clues about life and culture in ancient Thera Ship Fresco Boxing Children Crocus Gatherer ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Aegean Mycenaean Civilization (c. 1600–1100 B.C.) Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann sought to prove certain Greek myths were based on historical events Discovered and excavated both Troy in modern-day Turkey and Mycenae in the Peloponnese, based on tales from The Iliad and several plays about Agamemnon’s family Evidence of Minoan and Mycenaean contact Mycenaean frescos similar to Minoan frescos Minoan-style columns used on the Lion Gate The gold cup is Mycenaean in execution but with iconography that is Minoan ©2011, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.