Essay - Minoan Civilization Minoan Versus Mycenaean Civilizations One of the First...

Minoan Civilization

Minoan versus Mycenaean *****s

One of the first great ancient civilizations that we have any record of is ***** of the Minoan, an ***** Cretan Islamic culture, named for the legendary King Minus and usually divided art*****tically ***** architecturally into three periods that include ***** whole of the Bronze Age: Early Minoan (c.3000 B.C.-2200 B.C.), Middle ***** (c.2200 B.C.-1500 B.C.), and Late Minoan (c.1500 B.C.-1000 B.C.). Early Minoan civilization "saw the slow rise of the culture from a Neolithic st*****te with the importation ***** metals, the tentative use of bronze, and the appearance of a hieroglyphic writing, known as Linear A.

The pictorial forms ***** writing known as Linear A largely disappeared after an earthquake ended the ***** period of Mino***** civilization. Linear A w***** replaced by script ***** in the form of Linear B, first discovered by archeologists at Knossos. ***** B is non-pictographic. Many think th***** th*****, along with the shifts in artistic representation at Crete, argues ***** presence of Mycenaean Greeks on the island ***** this time.

Mycenaean, or early Greek ma*****land civilization, as opposed to island Cretan ***** is also divided into three *****, that of Early Helladic (c.2800-2000 B.C.), Middle ***** (c.2000-1500 B.C.), and Late Helladic (c.1500-1100 B.C.) periods, thus "***** chronology roughly parallels that of the contemporary

Minoan civilization. (Minoan Civilization," The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 2003)

Except for Linear B, "mercantile contact with ***** advanced and strongly influenced ***** early aspects of Mycenaean culture," and although the Mycenaean peoples "had certain innovations of their own, they drew much of their cultural inspiration from the Minoans." Mycenaean civilization was not without features of interest, however. Its cities "were noted ***** ***** heavy, complex fortifications and the massive, cyclopean quality ***** their masonry, while Minoan cities were totally unfortified." (***** Greece," ***** Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, *****) This may be because Crete, an *****, required less fortification from invaders. *****ut this ***** me*****t that ***** Minoan ***** was more permeated by outside forces. Mycenaean palaces were built around great, enclosed halls called "megara" rather than around an open space as in Crete. Unlike the Cret*****s, the Mycenaean warriors "were bearded ***** wore armor ***** battle." ("***** Greece," The Columbia ***** Encyclopedia, 2003)

***** a literary perspective, "the works of Homer have been radically reevaluated since ***** archaeological discoveries ***** Mycenaean *****. He is now considered to give admirable glimpses of the culture of the late Mycenaean civilization." ("Mycenaean Greece," The ***** Electronic Encyclopedia, 2003) ********** Hellen*****tic culture, ***** more than early Mycenaean Greek *****, was ***** a more fertile *****nd creative blend of different traditions, though it ***** generated by military and colonial might, in the ***** of the wide-spann*****g conquests of ********** ***** Great. (Artlex, 2004) Hellenistic art, unlike the stylized works of both early Minoan and Mycenaean *****, was far more naturalistic and emotional, reflecting ***** ***** personal ***** expressive use of ***** in ********** periods of Greek civilization, as opposed to art's ritualized and religious deployment. ("Hellenistic Art," *****)

***** Cited

*****lex.