S7_Minoans & Mycenaeans (Pre-Hellenic)

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Created by
Priscilla Leung

Cards (11)

  • The five Minoan palaces/main cities/palatial centers are: Knossos, Phaistos (From which the Phaistos disk was unearthed), Mallia, (Kato) Zakros, and Kydonia
  • Minoans: lived on the island of Crete.
  • Mycenae: Invented Cyclopean masonry (stonework)
  • Relieving triangle: innovation first used at Mycenae to reduce the stress placed upon the lintel
  • The Lion’s Gate: main entrance to Mycenae; lionesses were an emblem of the Mycenaean kings and a symbol of their power / symbol of the goddess Hera
  • Political offices of Mycenae:
    • wanax: king
    • lawagetas: general
    • koreter: governor
    • prokoreter: vice governor
    • damokoros: record keeper
  • Circle A: A grave for past kings and royals; underlines the respect Mycenaeans showed to their spirit which inspired them and guided them to a blessed future
  • Tholos tombs: "Beehive tombs", tomb of Agamemnon (there's a golden death mask, Schliemann: "I have gazed upon the face of Agamemnon")
  • Phoenicians: invented the first true alphabet and writing system after the Greek Dark Ages. Their alphabet was adopted by the Greeks in 8th century BC; worked together with Greeks to colonize the Mediterranean
  • The sacred symbol of the Minoans was a double ax (related to labyrinth). Bulls were a powerful symbol in Minoan culture, associated with fertility, strength, and possibly, divinity. Bulls were also sacrificed during religious practices, and bull-leaping was a sacred ritual.
  • Minoans were one of the earliest cultures to paint natural landscapes without any humans present in the scene.