The Ancient Minoans and Mycenaeans . Many similarities and differences exist between palace complexes in the Minoan and Mycenaean state; however, this brief essay will argue that differences, as seen in art and architecture, signal that the Mycenaeans – while they did borrow from the Minoans – were a distinctively different culture. The Aegean World: Minoans, Mycenaeans and Trojans: c. 1750–1100 BC In the beginning, there was Troy and the Trojan War, made famous in European history by the two epic poems ascribed to Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey.According to these poems, the Trojan War began when Helen, wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta, was abducted by Paris, a prince of Troy. The Minoans did not speak Greek but had extensive contact with Egypt and the Near East, particularly the Phoenicians who were also maritime people, and they passed this culture to the Mycenaeans. The Minoans built a large civilization that flourished from 2600 BC to 1400 BC. b. neither had large cities or grand palaces. The Mycenaeans were more inland and had more farming where as the Minoans lived near the ocean and were traders. Minoans and Mycenaeans Minoans The Minoan civilization rose around 2800 B. C. on the island of Crete. The Minoans and Mycenaeans were the first advanced, literate civilizations to appear in Europe. In fact, large number of weapons were found in the Minoan royal tombs, which may indicate the Mycenean influence. When the olive groves and vineyards produced more than was needed, the Minoans traded the surplus for goods they could not make or grow on Crete. The Bronze Age of ancient Greece, which lasted from about 3000 to 1200 BCE, is the historical backdrop for much of Greek mythology as well as the Homeric epics The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Minoans, also known as Cretans, grew wheat, barley, grapes, and olives. Minoans built their tholoi above ground, with small doors and round tomb chambers. They created a powerful civilization based on a strong navy… The Minoans and the Mycenaeans were two of the early civilizations that developed in Greece. The Mycenaeans seem to have inherited parts of their civilization from the Minoans. The Mycenaeans. The Mycenaean civilization transpired during the late Bronze Age or the late Helladic period around 1600 B.C. This “Third Palace Period” was a time when Crete enjoyed its greatest overseas influence. Instead of waging wars against their host, "they adapted to Minoan culture and bureaucracy." The history of the Minoans show that their artwork was very different from the Mycenaeans. The Minoans and Mycenaeans used the same script, the so-called Linear-A script developed by the Minoans. they were people who were indigenous and , of course, after the “modern greeks ” came they just mixed with them. The Mycenaeans also acquired writing (Linear B) from the Minoans (Linear A), but spoke a different language. a. neither was ruled by a central authority. They were the Mycenaeans. The Minoans were based on Crete, located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, about 160 kilometers (99 miles) south of the Greek mainland. See this page about ancient history of Crete. This LH II tholos tomb presented two gold cups; known as the Vaphio cups. A newly formed elite class of Minoans/Mycenaeans now ruled the island from virtually unscathed Knossos, with an increasing mainland influence detectable in Minoan art and religion. The minoans gained a great advandage from their proximity to near east and especialy egypt and they were greatly influenced especialy by egypt but that doesn t give a reason to wonder about who they were. This is evident in their modification of Minoan culture, religion, art, economic system, and bureaucracy around the period of 1420–1375 BC The Mycenaeans appear to have been greatly influenced by the Minoans of Crete in their worship of earth goddesses and sky gods, which, in time, become the classical pantheon of ancient Greece. Following this point about sailing, thy both spent some time sailing in the water, with sailing being there strongest a most popular sport at the time. Archaeological excavations confirmed that Minoans buried all members of their settlements in these tombs. The Mycenaean civilization (c. 1700-1100 BCE) flourished in the Late Bronze Age, reaching its peak from the 15th to the 13th century BCE when it extended its influence not only throughout the Peloponnese in Greece but also across the Aegean, in particular, on Crete and the Cycladic islands. The Mycenaeans only adapted it to the needs of the Mycenaean language. The Minoans and the Mycenaeans were two different cultures that existed in Bronze Age Greece. d. both built cities fortified with strong defenses Mycenaean tholoi, on the other hand, were much larger and subterranean. The Greeks trace their culture back to two earlier cultures known as the Minoans and the Mycenaeans. ... 1 decade ago. The communal status of Minoan tholoi explains the simplicity in the architectural style and the lack of decorations. It is extremely crucial to remember that ‘Minoan’ and ‘Mycenaean’ are just labels of convenience. The best example for the contrast of artistic styles of the Minoans and Mycenaeans is displayed through the two gold cups found at the Mycenaean Vaphio tomb. and, being a mainland culture, began building compact citadels and fortresses protected by massive walls … The Minoans' grain supply is believed to have come from farms on the shore of the Black Sea. What is geographic difference between the Mycenaeans and Minoans? On the other hand, the Mycenaeans were more war and military oriented than the Minoans, as seen by their victory over the Minoans and their material culture, which will be looked at later. When Mycenaeans (to be more correct: Achaeans or Danaeans) arrived in Greece circa 2,000 BCE, the Minoan were already a thriving civilization. A society that once ruled the Late Bronze Age of Greece, they promptly vanished from history and slowly faded into legend. The Mycenaeans were a dominating culture and soon expanded from the mainland of Greece into the Greek isles, overcoming the Minoans of Crete by 1400 b.c.e. Mycenaean was an ancestral Greek language, while no one as yet knows just what Minoans spoke. While the Minoans didn't rely at all on defenses because of their naval power, the Mycenaeans fortified their cities, and spent large amounts of money constructing fortifications. Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations: The Minoan civilization was based on the island of Crete and flourished between 2000 to 1450 BCE. It … The Minoans were known for their free-flowing artistic decoration and showed a preference for marine and plant life. The Minoans and the Mycenaeans were not a unified, singular Greek society. The Comparison and Contrast between Minoan and Mycenaean Cultures . A Comparison of Minoan and Mycenaean Palaces. Start studying The Minoans and Mycenaeans ----Mr. Pease. Many scholars believe that ancient trading empires were in constant danger from uneconomic trade, that is, food and staples were improperly valued relative to luxuries, because accounting was undeveloped. Likewise, how were the Minoans and Mycenaeans similar quizlet? They were constantly on the defensive, but they also went abroad trading or raiding. A person that lives and works on another persons land. 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