Aegean Civilization

Mallory Rupp

HIST 101

4/11/16

Aegean Civilization Exam: Question A

        The civilization on the island of Crete began in about 2000 BC and is credited with being the first European civilization.  Crete civilization began with the Minoans and lead to the Mycenaeans, who would invade after the Minoan civilization faced an environmental disaster.  Much of what we know about these civilizations was found by Sir Arthur Evans, a British archeologist, who led expeditions on Crete in the early twentieth century.  The civilization on Crete was advanced; they had large palaces and left behind beautiful artworks.

        The largest palace on the island was the palace and Knossos.  Knossos covered six and a half acres and was six stories high.  When the palace was excavated and afterward reconstructed, they found it was advanced enough to have a primitive air conditioning system.  Cool water came down from the mountains and ran through the palace effectively cooling it.   The palace included large storage chambers able to store the materials the people would use for the barter economy that the civilization ran on.  The most famous king of the Minoan civilization was King Minos, whom the civilization was named after.  He is part of the Greek myth of the Minotaur and the labyrinth.  The palace at Knossos is believed to be what the labyrinth was based on due to its layout.

        The Minoan Civilization was a strong commercial power in the Mediterranean.  They had a powerful naval presence and used their ships to export the goods they created.  The Minoans created olive oil, pottery, and grains.  Their trade network extended throughout the Mediterranean as far westward as Spain. The presence of huge barrels and the storage chambers within the palace help us to know what and how much the Minoans were trading.

        The palaces leave behind many frescos that show the people of Crete.  The men would wear loincloths with wide belts around their waists.  They were shown to be thin and muscular in these pictures, and would typically be shirtless.  Women wore robes that were open in the front showing off their breasts, with long layered skirts.  The women usually had long hair styled in elaborate updos.