Evidence
Donkey Rhyton
The discovery of a donkey rhyton at Phaistos indicates that there are few roads in minoan society, and the main form of transport was via donkeys. Donkeys were also used as pack animals to carry large quantities of food and between cities. They could also be used as simple carts.
Bull Rhytons
These bull rhytons do not provide us with secure evidence that the minoans well bull leapers. However it does give us some idea that a leisure time existed where the minions used bulls as a religious symbol or sacrifice. An overall assessment of bull leaping has given archaeologists a relatively small idea about minoan leisure.
Prince of the Lilies and Throne
The discovery of the prince of the lilies fresco and the throne room at Knossos might be interpreted as evidence for the nature of the ruler of Minoans society. Indeed, Evans used this evidence to suggest that Crete has a male King. Recent scholars have questioned whether in fact the evidence can be interpreted this way. The prince of the lilies fresco is now seen as incorrect as it is made up of the fragments from 3 different frescoes. The throne, while indicating a ruler, may have actually been made for a female as the seat is shaped for a female buttock and the fresco often associated with it is often linked to females. Despite the lack of evidence regarding a ruler, it would seem a reasonable conclusion that the ruler of Crete was actually female, especially given the number of females depicted in frescoes which indicate their importance.
Faience house models
The minoan faience house models may be advanced as strong evidence for asymmetrical houses that have agglutinative (added on rooms). These houses could have been joined together in a terrace like style. These faience houses are simple, implying they were the earliest housing style. An overall assumption of the models help archaeologists conclude early minoan houses were made of wooden beams aligned, they were plastered and painted and usually 2-3 stories tall. From these simple models we can see that minoan houses were quite simplistic and over time gradually became complex. The differing architecture is demonstrated in the house Da at Mallia, this house is a much larger complex. All this reflects the owners wealthy status. A villa like this has many rooms, two stories and large storage areas.
Phaistos Disc
There is no evidence , archaeological or written that allows use to understand what was written on the Minoan Phaistos Disc. Only one was ever found (1908) in the Palace of Phaistos on the island of Crete.
It was made by pressing little stamps or signs into wet clay. While we can't be certain about what was written on it, from fragmentary evidence we might conclude it contained some sort of script that was used in Minoan society.
Rekhmire Tomb painting and seal stones
The discovery of the Rekhmire tomb painting in Egypt and seal stones bearing a ship symbol all point towards the minoan society being a Thalassocracy. The minoans traded via ships (perhaps barter) to other colonies. The Rekhmire tomb painting supports this because it shows minoans bringing gifts to the vizier Rekhmire (c. 1370BC). They, the Egyptians have painted this in minoan style which signifies a close connection via trade. Also these seal stones are engraved with a ship symbol, implying the minoans help a high regard for the sea and boats.
Aghia Triadha
The Aghia Triadha Sarcophagus is evidence that the Minoans had religious practices that may have involved bull sacrifice and that they believed in the afterlife. This sarcophagus depicts a bulls blood being drained, than a woman (priestess) putting it under an alter. In the second representation a ritual related to death is presented. From all of this archaeologists can conclude minoans participated in religious sacrifice most with liquid offerings.
Pillar Worship
An aspect of worship associated with the earth is pillar shines. It is possible that pillar worship emerged as a modification of a practice carried out from the time which the minoans lived in caves. Most of the Cretan caves had stalagmites and stalactites, natural limestone formations that resemble pillars and columns. Another reason suggested for pillar worship could be the function of the pillar: it supports a house and during earthquakes anything that makes a house stable is good.
Karphy Goddess
Female goddesses were of central worship. The Karphy goddess has a crown and upraised arms that are similar to representations of goddesses in later times. The figure wears slashes poppies on her crown, suggesting the use of opium. Votive offerings were presented to the gods to worship them.
Tholos Tombs
Are free standing tombs that are circular, they predate the mycenaean tholos tombs. The differences between the two types are that Minoan tombs were not built into hill sides like Mycenaean and the minoan masonary was not finely finished, nor the tomb structure
Transport and how it relates to trade
There is a lack of information regarding minoan civilization. But we can draw conclusions from archaeological evidence. On Crete we find evidence about forms of transport that relate to trade.
The types of transport used by the Minoans didn't merely rely on paved roads. The main road in Knossos was called the "Royal Road". This is one of the few that was suitanle for wheeled traffic. Other roads were too steep and un even, to support wheeled traffic. Not to say minoans didn't use wheeled transport. It is suggested minoans used donkeys to pull whelled carts. The aghia Triadha sarcophagus depicts such two wheeled chariots. It is also supported by eveidenve for linear B tablets; various commodite lits including chariots.
The lack of paved roas suggests the majority of roads were dirt and traffic used on them was pedestrians and donkeys. We found evidence of donkey transport in forms of rhytons and they carried storage jars over land.
Another important form of transport employed by the minoans was boats. Thucydides referred to the Minos king establishing a great navy. Archaeological evidence to support the use of ships are seal stones that show various types of ships; some minoan, other minoan trading partners. Minoan trading colonies are depicted in Minoan style frescoes in their colonies.
On an island society the use of ships was essential to trade. their was no coinage so they had to barter.
It also appears ships were used in trade with other civilizations in the Mediterrian. Considerable evidence to suggest trade Egypt occurs from Rekhmire's tomb paintings. Also the Minoans have Egyptian gold, ivory and perfume bottles, while the Egyptians have minoan copper and pottery. More concrete evidence is found in the tomb of the Egyptian Vizier Rekhmire that shows minoans bringing gifts. Also there is other evidence minoans traded with other colonies. Copper found in Crete shows Anatolian origins while bronze weapons in minoan style found in the near east.
Based on this evidence Minoans used a number of transports including foot, donkey, chariot and ships. In relations to trade, was the use of ships. These allowed minoans to trade all around the Mediterrian. Minoans also has widespread influence over other civilizations.
Sir Arthur Evans
Discovered palace of Knossos 1890. He reconstructed evidence such as frescoes; Prince of the lilies and Toreador fresco.
Health
People from Bronze age Crete generally seemed to live longer than the Greeks. Males in the prepalatial period lived usually to forty-five, this indicates good nutrition and non-strenuous labour involved with work. However for most women the life span was immensely shorter, with few living beyond thirty. Men must have outlived women from better living standards .
Peoples health improved after the palaces were built, and women's life span increased two fold. Strangely with men, there was a sharp decline in lifespan after mycenaean invasion. Paul Halstead suggested that this may be due to social status change in women after Mycenaean arrival. It also could have resulted from a change to poorer diet.
This was shown through dental caries and loss of teeth before death. Bone analysis of Minoan skeletons is what has determined their life span. Ossuaries are bone houses or storerooms, where hundreds of skeletons were mixed and stored. The evidence of ossuaries has helped archaeologists piece together relevant information relating to Minoan health and their death rate. X-rays of the bones found in ossuaries has also been done. This show that the Minoans had regular surgery for diseases.
Clothes
The Clothing worn during the Minoan periods was very fitted. A garments worn by both sexes, was the skirt. Women also wore apron-like garments that extended to mid-thigh in the front and back over their skirts. Men and women also wore T-shaped tunics with varying sleeve and skirt lengths.
Most of what we know about Minoan clothing came from its depiction's in frescos, paintings, statuettes, pots, and relief sculpture. In most of these, Minoan women are often seen as graceful figures, face and breasts aristocratically pale from the dark palaces, and usually donned in their finest robes for special occasions.
Housing and furniture
Houses were rectangular in shape, enclosing a courtyard. These houses were planned asymmetrically, usually agglutinative (added rooms). In earlier times these houses were joined together sideways to give the town terrace style houses. Eventually Minoan houses became two- three stories decorated with timber beams, with plasters walls and painted interiors for added beauty.
Most furniture from the Minoan period has not survived, but from Homers (odyssey) it is believed that beds were very elaborate. An example of a bed was found at Thera. It had a wooden frame, laced with animal skin. Other pieces of furniture found were vessels; made from pottery. Evidence of furniture like these suggest most bed/tables would have been made out of wood, and therefore decomposed. Also pottery jars or pithoi were important for storing goods.
The palace of Knossos is an example of housing, that has complete disregard for architectural symmetry and regularity. The palace is enormous and intricate with multilevel, irregular rooms, movable doorways and a maze of doorways. From studying this site plan, archaeologists can determine the structural design and building techniques used on the palace of Knossos.
Occupation
Within Minoan Society there were many different jobs to be done. Inside the palace, the distinguished wealthy class lived. These people usually appeared on seal stones, and are mostly men. Although certain women held a high rank in Minoan society. Common upper class jobs were filled by scribes. Scribes were the most educated, and knowledgeable about information relating to Minoan industries. There were metalsmiths, who made spears, daggers, arrowheads and ceremonial labrys
Some lower class jobs, involved using natural resources like; farming, fishing and labourers. Farmers were connected to an important agriculture and animal- husbandry economy, they always relied on herding and farming as a means of survival. Items produced from these farms were listed in Tablets containing Linear A and B. Fisherman worked throughout Minoan times, this was supported by the vast discoveries of pottery that possessed sea creature paintings.
There were also Artisans and artists, who were highly skilled Cretan workers. They ranged from faience workers and masons who cut stone blocks to a particularly skilled class of artisans who engraved stone seals.
Seals had many different purposes. This piece of evidence relates well to occupation because this seal depicts a certain type of occupation; ceramics. Within minoan society pottery was very important, large storage jars (pithoi) were made to house quantities of food.
Food
Great numbers of magazines were found in the west wing, as well as giant pithoi and royal pottery stores. The huge storage capacity suggests that the palaces controlled farmland in the surrounding areas. These storage areas also infer that surplus foods was produced around Knossos.
The Minoan diet was full of variety, including; bread, vegetables, seafood, milk, wine and beer. They also enjoyed stews, which usually consisted of meat, vegetables and grapes. While bone evidence or drawings of chickens are not present in Minoan art an alternative line of evidence suggests their use as food. Pottery decoration also suggests cephalopods such as octopus and squid were eaten.
Leisure
The palaces were centres for celebration where an audience assembles in the courts to see live music and dancing. Leisure time was spent enjoying activities in Theatral Areas. These were places that housed public gatherings and religious activities. Theatral Areas are distinguished by two sets of right angle steps where crowds sat. The fresco Dancing in the threatral area shows men and women who form the audience. It is not known whether or not dramatisation was performed here. Alternatively the scene could represent religious dancing.
As a form of relaxation, some Minions enjoyed board games, rather than theatrical entertainment. Games resembling chess and backgammon have been identified at both Knossos and Phaistos.
Bull leaping was held there, it was a ritual event done to honour the mother goddess. There would be three leapers, one male and two females (as depicted in the fresco). The male would throw himself over the top of the bulls horns, onto its mid-back. This was more a spectators sport, and seemed quite popular from its many representations in frescos, seals and bronze statues.
Lifestyle
The Minoans were a fun-loving culture, who enjoyed life and drank much wine. Their society was hierarchical, but class divisions were hard to identify. King, then came the middle class, who lived very comfortable lives. Their houses were filled with furniture, cooking utensils, heaters and lamps which were items of everyday living. The working class were labourers, farmers and herders they people were controlled by local rulers. There was also the slaver class, who strangely enjoyed many of the privileges of free people.
General Minoan social conditions were stable and peaceful. There were no walls surrounding the palaces, which indicated no threat of attack. All these classes relied on one another, for overall prosperity.
Linear B tablets give evidence of Minoan religion, and how it affected their daily life. Some of this religious worship included; ritual symbols such as the bulls horns or the labrys (double axes), cult objects, tombs, statuettes, shrines, sanctuaries and frescos.
The frescos of Knossos actually draw a distinct picture of Minoan daily life, within the palaces. They show Minoans passing in long processions holding themselves proudly, carrying vases, bowls and funnels to their beloved sovereign.
Another important part of Minoan lifestyle is trade. The Minoans traded with Egypt, the Cyclades, Palestine, Asia minor and mainland Greece. From Egypt there was trade in stoneware, ivory, metals and gems. In Egypt there is evidence of an fresco-like tomb painting which portrays the Minoans bringing gifts to the Pharaoh. The fact that this Egyptian painting shows the Minoans, drawn in Egyptian style, but quite clearly depicting Minoans suggests that they traded overseas, and that their own lifestyle was influenced by other cultures.
Destruction of Minoan society
Crete lies in a volcanic area, the eruption could have occurred in about 1500BC. Create would have been covered in poisonous gasses and it would have created a tidal wave followed by earthquakes.
But the eruption may have only weakened minoan society. Evidence of houses being built over volcano material meant that the Minoans still existed prosperously after the Thera eruption. However Volcano and earthquakes did play a role in the destruction.
Colin Renfew argues that Minoans went into natural decline. They were overpopulated on Crete and depleted all resources. Over population can cause a break down in society and social violence could have broke out.
The may have contributed to a civil was. Evans felt that their would be social unrest after earthquakes.
Mycenaean take over is suggested by Wace and Matz from evidence of Linear B tablets, burial methods (shaft graves) frescoes and pottery. More pottery was mycenaean.
Overall the end of late minoan period earthquakes sparked fear in the Cretans, the social system collapsed due to lack of religious support. Threat of invasion increased and the beginning of a civil war. Minoans lost faith and were separated, mycenaean took control.
Donkey Rhyton
The discovery of a donkey rhyton at Phaistos indicates that there are few roads in minoan society, and the main form of transport was via donkeys. Donkeys were also used as pack animals to carry large quantities of food and between cities. They could also be used as simple carts.
Bull Rhytons
These bull rhytons do not provide us with secure evidence that the minoans well bull leapers. However it does give us some idea that a leisure time existed where the minions used bulls as a religious symbol or sacrifice. An overall assessment of bull leaping has given archaeologists a relatively small idea about minoan leisure.
Prince of the Lilies and Throne
The discovery of the prince of the lilies fresco and the throne room at Knossos might be interpreted as evidence for the nature of the ruler of Minoans society. Indeed, Evans used this evidence to suggest that Crete has a male King. Recent scholars have questioned whether in fact the evidence can be interpreted this way. The prince of the lilies fresco is now seen as incorrect as it is made up of the fragments from 3 different frescoes. The throne, while indicating a ruler, may have actually been made for a female as the seat is shaped for a female buttock and the fresco often associated with it is often linked to females. Despite the lack of evidence regarding a ruler, it would seem a reasonable conclusion that the ruler of Crete was actually female, especially given the number of females depicted in frescoes which indicate their importance.
Faience house models
The minoan faience house models may be advanced as strong evidence for asymmetrical houses that have agglutinative (added on rooms). These houses could have been joined together in a terrace like style. These faience houses are simple, implying they were the earliest housing style. An overall assumption of the models help archaeologists conclude early minoan houses were made of wooden beams aligned, they were plastered and painted and usually 2-3 stories tall. From these simple models we can see that minoan houses were quite simplistic and over time gradually became complex. The differing architecture is demonstrated in the house Da at Mallia, this house is a much larger complex. All this reflects the owners wealthy status. A villa like this has many rooms, two stories and large storage areas.
Phaistos Disc
There is no evidence , archaeological or written that allows use to understand what was written on the Minoan Phaistos Disc. Only one was ever found (1908) in the Palace of Phaistos on the island of Crete.
It was made by pressing little stamps or signs into wet clay. While we can't be certain about what was written on it, from fragmentary evidence we might conclude it contained some sort of script that was used in Minoan society.
Rekhmire Tomb painting and seal stones
The discovery of the Rekhmire tomb painting in Egypt and seal stones bearing a ship symbol all point towards the minoan society being a Thalassocracy. The minoans traded via ships (perhaps barter) to other colonies. The Rekhmire tomb painting supports this because it shows minoans bringing gifts to the vizier Rekhmire (c. 1370BC). They, the Egyptians have painted this in minoan style which signifies a close connection via trade. Also these seal stones are engraved with a ship symbol, implying the minoans help a high regard for the sea and boats.
Aghia Triadha
The Aghia Triadha Sarcophagus is evidence that the Minoans had religious practices that may have involved bull sacrifice and that they believed in the afterlife. This sarcophagus depicts a bulls blood being drained, than a woman (priestess) putting it under an alter. In the second representation a ritual related to death is presented. From all of this archaeologists can conclude minoans participated in religious sacrifice most with liquid offerings.
Pillar Worship
An aspect of worship associated with the earth is pillar shines. It is possible that pillar worship emerged as a modification of a practice carried out from the time which the minoans lived in caves. Most of the Cretan caves had stalagmites and stalactites, natural limestone formations that resemble pillars and columns. Another reason suggested for pillar worship could be the function of the pillar: it supports a house and during earthquakes anything that makes a house stable is good.
Karphy Goddess
Female goddesses were of central worship. The Karphy goddess has a crown and upraised arms that are similar to representations of goddesses in later times. The figure wears slashes poppies on her crown, suggesting the use of opium. Votive offerings were presented to the gods to worship them.
Tholos Tombs
Are free standing tombs that are circular, they predate the mycenaean tholos tombs. The differences between the two types are that Minoan tombs were not built into hill sides like Mycenaean and the minoan masonary was not finely finished, nor the tomb structure
Transport and how it relates to trade
There is a lack of information regarding minoan civilization. But we can draw conclusions from archaeological evidence. On Crete we find evidence about forms of transport that relate to trade.
The types of transport used by the Minoans didn't merely rely on paved roads. The main road in Knossos was called the "Royal Road". This is one of the few that was suitanle for wheeled traffic. Other roads were too steep and un even, to support wheeled traffic. Not to say minoans didn't use wheeled transport. It is suggested minoans used donkeys to pull whelled carts. The aghia Triadha sarcophagus depicts such two wheeled chariots. It is also supported by eveidenve for linear B tablets; various commodite lits including chariots.
The lack of paved roas suggests the majority of roads were dirt and traffic used on them was pedestrians and donkeys. We found evidence of donkey transport in forms of rhytons and they carried storage jars over land.
Another important form of transport employed by the minoans was boats. Thucydides referred to the Minos king establishing a great navy. Archaeological evidence to support the use of ships are seal stones that show various types of ships; some minoan, other minoan trading partners. Minoan trading colonies are depicted in Minoan style frescoes in their colonies.
On an island society the use of ships was essential to trade. their was no coinage so they had to barter.
It also appears ships were used in trade with other civilizations in the Mediterrian. Considerable evidence to suggest trade Egypt occurs from Rekhmire's tomb paintings. Also the Minoans have Egyptian gold, ivory and perfume bottles, while the Egyptians have minoan copper and pottery. More concrete evidence is found in the tomb of the Egyptian Vizier Rekhmire that shows minoans bringing gifts. Also there is other evidence minoans traded with other colonies. Copper found in Crete shows Anatolian origins while bronze weapons in minoan style found in the near east.
Based on this evidence Minoans used a number of transports including foot, donkey, chariot and ships. In relations to trade, was the use of ships. These allowed minoans to trade all around the Mediterrian. Minoans also has widespread influence over other civilizations.
Sir Arthur Evans
Discovered palace of Knossos 1890. He reconstructed evidence such as frescoes; Prince of the lilies and Toreador fresco.
Health
People from Bronze age Crete generally seemed to live longer than the Greeks. Males in the prepalatial period lived usually to forty-five, this indicates good nutrition and non-strenuous labour involved with work. However for most women the life span was immensely shorter, with few living beyond thirty. Men must have outlived women from better living standards .
Peoples health improved after the palaces were built, and women's life span increased two fold. Strangely with men, there was a sharp decline in lifespan after mycenaean invasion. Paul Halstead suggested that this may be due to social status change in women after Mycenaean arrival. It also could have resulted from a change to poorer diet.
This was shown through dental caries and loss of teeth before death. Bone analysis of Minoan skeletons is what has determined their life span. Ossuaries are bone houses or storerooms, where hundreds of skeletons were mixed and stored. The evidence of ossuaries has helped archaeologists piece together relevant information relating to Minoan health and their death rate. X-rays of the bones found in ossuaries has also been done. This show that the Minoans had regular surgery for diseases.
Clothes
The Clothing worn during the Minoan periods was very fitted. A garments worn by both sexes, was the skirt. Women also wore apron-like garments that extended to mid-thigh in the front and back over their skirts. Men and women also wore T-shaped tunics with varying sleeve and skirt lengths.
Most of what we know about Minoan clothing came from its depiction's in frescos, paintings, statuettes, pots, and relief sculpture. In most of these, Minoan women are often seen as graceful figures, face and breasts aristocratically pale from the dark palaces, and usually donned in their finest robes for special occasions.
Housing and furniture
Houses were rectangular in shape, enclosing a courtyard. These houses were planned asymmetrically, usually agglutinative (added rooms). In earlier times these houses were joined together sideways to give the town terrace style houses. Eventually Minoan houses became two- three stories decorated with timber beams, with plasters walls and painted interiors for added beauty.
Most furniture from the Minoan period has not survived, but from Homers (odyssey) it is believed that beds were very elaborate. An example of a bed was found at Thera. It had a wooden frame, laced with animal skin. Other pieces of furniture found were vessels; made from pottery. Evidence of furniture like these suggest most bed/tables would have been made out of wood, and therefore decomposed. Also pottery jars or pithoi were important for storing goods.
The palace of Knossos is an example of housing, that has complete disregard for architectural symmetry and regularity. The palace is enormous and intricate with multilevel, irregular rooms, movable doorways and a maze of doorways. From studying this site plan, archaeologists can determine the structural design and building techniques used on the palace of Knossos.
Occupation
Within Minoan Society there were many different jobs to be done. Inside the palace, the distinguished wealthy class lived. These people usually appeared on seal stones, and are mostly men. Although certain women held a high rank in Minoan society. Common upper class jobs were filled by scribes. Scribes were the most educated, and knowledgeable about information relating to Minoan industries. There were metalsmiths, who made spears, daggers, arrowheads and ceremonial labrys
Some lower class jobs, involved using natural resources like; farming, fishing and labourers. Farmers were connected to an important agriculture and animal- husbandry economy, they always relied on herding and farming as a means of survival. Items produced from these farms were listed in Tablets containing Linear A and B. Fisherman worked throughout Minoan times, this was supported by the vast discoveries of pottery that possessed sea creature paintings.
There were also Artisans and artists, who were highly skilled Cretan workers. They ranged from faience workers and masons who cut stone blocks to a particularly skilled class of artisans who engraved stone seals.
Seals had many different purposes. This piece of evidence relates well to occupation because this seal depicts a certain type of occupation; ceramics. Within minoan society pottery was very important, large storage jars (pithoi) were made to house quantities of food.
Food
Great numbers of magazines were found in the west wing, as well as giant pithoi and royal pottery stores. The huge storage capacity suggests that the palaces controlled farmland in the surrounding areas. These storage areas also infer that surplus foods was produced around Knossos.
The Minoan diet was full of variety, including; bread, vegetables, seafood, milk, wine and beer. They also enjoyed stews, which usually consisted of meat, vegetables and grapes. While bone evidence or drawings of chickens are not present in Minoan art an alternative line of evidence suggests their use as food. Pottery decoration also suggests cephalopods such as octopus and squid were eaten.
Leisure
The palaces were centres for celebration where an audience assembles in the courts to see live music and dancing. Leisure time was spent enjoying activities in Theatral Areas. These were places that housed public gatherings and religious activities. Theatral Areas are distinguished by two sets of right angle steps where crowds sat. The fresco Dancing in the threatral area shows men and women who form the audience. It is not known whether or not dramatisation was performed here. Alternatively the scene could represent religious dancing.
As a form of relaxation, some Minions enjoyed board games, rather than theatrical entertainment. Games resembling chess and backgammon have been identified at both Knossos and Phaistos.
Bull leaping was held there, it was a ritual event done to honour the mother goddess. There would be three leapers, one male and two females (as depicted in the fresco). The male would throw himself over the top of the bulls horns, onto its mid-back. This was more a spectators sport, and seemed quite popular from its many representations in frescos, seals and bronze statues.
Lifestyle
The Minoans were a fun-loving culture, who enjoyed life and drank much wine. Their society was hierarchical, but class divisions were hard to identify. King, then came the middle class, who lived very comfortable lives. Their houses were filled with furniture, cooking utensils, heaters and lamps which were items of everyday living. The working class were labourers, farmers and herders they people were controlled by local rulers. There was also the slaver class, who strangely enjoyed many of the privileges of free people.
General Minoan social conditions were stable and peaceful. There were no walls surrounding the palaces, which indicated no threat of attack. All these classes relied on one another, for overall prosperity.
Linear B tablets give evidence of Minoan religion, and how it affected their daily life. Some of this religious worship included; ritual symbols such as the bulls horns or the labrys (double axes), cult objects, tombs, statuettes, shrines, sanctuaries and frescos.
The frescos of Knossos actually draw a distinct picture of Minoan daily life, within the palaces. They show Minoans passing in long processions holding themselves proudly, carrying vases, bowls and funnels to their beloved sovereign.
Another important part of Minoan lifestyle is trade. The Minoans traded with Egypt, the Cyclades, Palestine, Asia minor and mainland Greece. From Egypt there was trade in stoneware, ivory, metals and gems. In Egypt there is evidence of an fresco-like tomb painting which portrays the Minoans bringing gifts to the Pharaoh. The fact that this Egyptian painting shows the Minoans, drawn in Egyptian style, but quite clearly depicting Minoans suggests that they traded overseas, and that their own lifestyle was influenced by other cultures.
Destruction of Minoan society
Crete lies in a volcanic area, the eruption could have occurred in about 1500BC. Create would have been covered in poisonous gasses and it would have created a tidal wave followed by earthquakes.
But the eruption may have only weakened minoan society. Evidence of houses being built over volcano material meant that the Minoans still existed prosperously after the Thera eruption. However Volcano and earthquakes did play a role in the destruction.
Colin Renfew argues that Minoans went into natural decline. They were overpopulated on Crete and depleted all resources. Over population can cause a break down in society and social violence could have broke out.
The may have contributed to a civil was. Evans felt that their would be social unrest after earthquakes.
Mycenaean take over is suggested by Wace and Matz from evidence of Linear B tablets, burial methods (shaft graves) frescoes and pottery. More pottery was mycenaean.
Overall the end of late minoan period earthquakes sparked fear in the Cretans, the social system collapsed due to lack of religious support. Threat of invasion increased and the beginning of a civil war. Minoans lost faith and were separated, mycenaean took control.
