Lecture4 minoansmycenaensedited
- 1. Lecture 4: Minoans and Mycenaeans: The International Bronze Age
- 2. International Bronze Age 1500-1100 BCE Overview: International trading networks - Copper + tin Diplomatic + cultural exchange 5 Zones of Power New Kingdom of Egypt Hittite Empire of Anatolia Assyrian and Babylonian Empires Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece Small Kingdoms along coast of Syria-Canaan
- 3. Hittite Kingdom: Overview 1650 BCE: Hittites in Anatolia Territorial Expansion Monarch: chief priest of all gods (“land of a thousand gods”) Cultural Achievements: Transmission of ancient Mesopotamian ideas to Greeks Awareness of history
- 4. Kassite Babylon: Overview 1400 BCE: Kassites conquer S. Mesopotamia. Cultural Achievements: Highly centralized administration Monarchy: generous land grants, extensive system of temples, public building, + canals Center of literature + learning 1200’s BCE: Assyria conquers Babylon under Tukulti-Nurta I (1244-1208 BCE)
- 5. Minoan Crete: Overview 2600 BCE: Emergence of Minoan Civilization Trade with Egypt + Eastern Mediterranean 1700-1400 BCE: Height of Minoan Civilization Sources of knowledge: from art + architecture, not texts
- 6. Chronology Prepalatial Minoan Crete (2300-1900 BCE) 2. Protopalatial Minoan Crete (1900-1700 BCE) Neopalatial Minoan Crete (1700-1400 BCE)
- 7. Prepalatial Minoan Crete 2300-1900 BCE Farmsteads + small villages Early urbanization: building complexes of Myrtos + Mochlos Trade networks, 2000 BCE Foreign trade + urbanization = shift from decentralized culture to social + ruling classes Major architectural structure: circular tholos tombs
- 8. Protopalatial Minoan Crete (1900-1700 BCE) 4 Major palaces: Knossos, Phaistos, Mallia, Zakros New political system: king + bureaucracy Social hierarchy: nobles, peasants, slaves Trade continues Paved road network End of tholos tombs
- 9. Neopalatial Minoan Crete (1700-1400 BCE) Height of Minoan civilization: Palace-centered, economic prosperity Villas in rural landscape, modeled after large palaces Militaristic lifestyle emerges: weapons in royal tombs. Mycenaean threat?
- 10. Minoan Palaces General Characteristics Economic activity, political power + religious rituals Rooms of varying sizes + functions: residential quarters, workshops, storerooms Maze of rooms, no apparent design Absence of city walls + fortifications: security?
- 11. Political Structure and Social Class Elite Royal nobility: luxury King: control over palaces + allocation/use of surrounding land Villas outside palace: lower tier of elite families Free Peasant Class Small, sparsely furnished houses around palaces Accepting as exploited subjects – King as representative of land + people to gods. Large economic gap between elite + non-elite
- 12. Slaves Mostly war captives: widespread with urbanization Most belonged to palaces Women Occupations mostly unknown. Weavers: employed by palaces as professionals or slaves Minoan iconography: women participating in + attending social events
- 13. Palace of Knossos 2000 BCE 1899: English archaeologist Arthur Evans. “ Minoan”: mythical king of Crete, Minos (Homer)
- 14. 3 acres, courtyard center, 100’s of rooms. Housed 25,000 people. Residences for elite, administrative headquarters, shrines for religious worship, warehouses for storing crops Cretan craftsmen: precious jewelry, ceremonial vessels, pottery, tools Colorful paintings of plant/animal life + scenes of human activity (often rituals) 3000-4000 tablets, Linear B script
- 15. Minoan Religion Principal recipient of worship: a goddess Fertility functions Religious symbols in art: snakes, birds, bulls, stylized bullhorns, axes with double heads Processions, music + dance, gifts + sacrifices Slaughtering of animals on outdoor altars Kings: lacked temple complexes of Near East. Palaces as religious centers.
- 16. Cultural Achievements 1. Architecture: elaborate palace constructions 2. Trade: great wealth 3. Engineering, in particular water + sanitation. 4. Road network connecting major palaces + towns 5. Art: aesthetic pleasure 6. Leisure and recreation: boxing, backgammon, bull-jumping 7. Ancient writing: Linear A tablets, earliest form of Minoan script. 1900 BCE - economic records in palaces.
- 17. Decline of Minoan Crete 1400 BCE: Destruction of Minoan Crete 2 theories: Foreign invaders A natural disaster: tidal wave linked to eruption of volcano on Thera 1000 BCE: All Cretan towns and palaces (except Knossos) destroyed
- 18. Mycenaean Age 1600-1100 BCE Economic power shifts to mainland Greece Grand cities: Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Thebes, Athens Extensive trade across Mediterranean Influence of Minoan Crete: Palace-centered economy Development of Linear B script, related to Linear A script.
- 19. Mycenaean Culture Linear B Tablets More than 5000 inscriptions found. What do they reveal about Mycenaean culture? Political Structure Wanax (“lord” or “master”), military commander, administrative officials, charioteers, mayors of villages Palace: center of religious organization. King: economic + political control of sanctuaries Farmers: rural areas, decent living conditions
- 20. Slavery: a central institution. Mostly in palace, some domestic slaves 2. Economy Records of economic matters Reveal occupations: goldsmith, shipwright, mason, baker, cook, woodcutter, messenger, armorers, shepherd, doctor, potter, carpenter, etc. * No literary record of Mycenaean values or beliefs *
- 21. Shaft Graves and Tombs “ Shaft graves”: bodies lowered into deep rectangular pits cut into soft bedrock Increasing wealth of shaft graves + emergence of tholos tombs: growing power Only most elite could afford tholoi What can these burial sites tell us about Mycenaean culture?
- 22. 1. Wealth and Power of Kings Drinking vessels, jewelry, etc: luxurious life of rulers Superior nutrition 2. Militaristic society Graves of warriors: armor, weapons, chariots. Prestige of military Kings: commanders-in-chief Well-fortified city walls Art: military themes International piracy
- 23. Mycenaean Religion Overlap with Minoans (gifts, sacrifices, religious symbols, fertility goddess) Fusion of Aegean fertility religions (Minoan Crete) + Indo-European sky/weather gods Differences: Cretan place of worship: caves + sanctuaries on mountains. Mycenae: No shrines outside city centers Cretan palaces: more shrines + elaborate designs. Mycenae: Megaron complex center for religious ceremony
- 24. Mycenaean Palaces 1400-1200 BCE Architecture + decoration influenced by Minoans Major differences: On commanding hills fortified by thick walls Megaron: ceremonial center of palaces
- 25. Decline of Mycenae 1150 BCE Economy destroyed: warfare between Mycenaean Kingdoms Widespread migration: population declines by 75% Cultural prosperity disappears + drought, famine, + invasion rise
- 26. City of Ugarit City-state of Syria + Canaan Population of 6000-8000 + 25,000 farmers in 150 villages in countryside Fertile plain + rich natural resources Center of international trade 13 th C BCE: Overpowered by Hittite Empire
- 27. City of Troy Northwestern Anatolian coast Prospered: international bronze age Layers of occupation + construction 950 BCE: Final destruction of Troy Possible cause: enemy raids City of Troy: immortalized in Homer’s Iliad
- 28. 1100-550 BCE: Rise of Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian Empires Neo-Assyrian Empire: Overview Territorial expansion, reorganization of army, building projects Mobile battering rams, siege towers, cavalry unit King Asshurbanipal (668-627 BCE) built library (around 10,000 texts) Conquering: reputation for cruelty Internal revolts, collapse in 605 BCE
- 29. Neo-Babylonian Empire: Overview Strong economy: conquests of terror Restored roads/canals + expanded irrigation system Center of international trade Architectural achievements: Ishtar Gate, temple of Marduk Discoveries in astronomy King Nabonidus (555-539 BCE): worshipped moon goddess Sin. Fall of empire, 539 BCE
- 30. “ Dark Age”: 1100-950 BCE Diplomatic, cultural, + economic networks destroyed Invasions, migrations, collapse of governments Possible Causes: Invasion of “Sea Peoples” Habiru : peasants forced into crime
- 31. Lecture 4: What do you need to know? Where were the 5 zones of power during International Bronze Age? How is period characterized? Cultural contributions of Hittites, Neo-Babylonian, and Neo-Assyrian Empires General characteristics of Minoan religion and social structure; cultural achievements of Minoans Know the differences between Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations (in palaces, religion) – and what they indicate Possible causes for decline of Minoans and Mycenaeans What is Dark Age? Possible causes?