Essay on Ancient Crete - 1632 Words

Ancient Crete First Inhabitants ?Humans are believed to have arrived on the island now known as Crete sometime between 6500-6000 BCE, and the early Neolithic inhabitants may have arrived from Asia Minor.? While these early inhabitants were primitive, they had already adapted some stages of productivity such as possessing domestic animals (?Minoan,? Dilos).? Modern archeological findings date handmade ceramic pottery, which was frequently decorated with incised geometric motifs and made to imitate vessels made of straw, wood, or hide, to this early time period (Koutsoupakis).? Minoan Civilization ?Around 3000 BCE, Crete became the home of the early Minoan civilization, a Bronze Age culture, named after the legendary ruler†¦show more content†¦Pottery styles and decorations evolved during this time as Minoans used particular firing techniques and shaped pottery into designs such as ?teapot? shapes and tall, beaked pitchers.? Toward 1900 BCE, the end of this period, known as the Pre-Palace Period, the first polychrome pottery was made (?Minoan,? Dilos). The First Palace Period: 1900-1700 BCE ?The next historical period, known as the First Palace Period, has been so named because the Minoans began to build large palaces.? Modern excavations indicate there were palaces in Knossos, Phaestos, Malia, and Zakros, though archeologists believe there must have been others (?Minoan,? Dilos).? Excavations of these palaces have revealed several common characteristics: each contained a large public courtyard and provisions for storing large quantities of grain.? The palaces were believed to be administrative centers for large local populations; for example, recent estimates suggest Knossos had between 15,000 and 50,000 people (?The Missing Minoans?).? Palace excavations also reveal fine decorative pottery, perhaps the most decorative in the world, which was probably made at palace workshops (Koutsoupakis).? The pottery, known as Kamares ware and named after the cave where the pottery was first discovered, utilized polychrome and full movement in its designs.? Made in a variety of sha pes, andShow MoreRelatedCauses Of Minoan Civilization993 Words   |  4 Pagescivilization is the first advanced civilization of the prehistoric Aegean region that was developed on a small island of Crete, where Sir Arthur Evans an English archaeologist named the civilization after a Cretan king called Minos. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify Minoan major civilization and the cause of its demise. Mystery of Minoan Crete Civilization Crete was the first inhabitant during the Neolithic period known as the â€Å"New Stone Age†. It was of the believe that the earliestRead MoreEssay on The Palace of Knossos995 Words   |  4 PagesArchaeology gives the modern world a window into the past. One of Greece’s major dig sites is the palace of Knossos. 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