S7_Minoans & Mycenaeans (Pre-Hellenic)

• 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.