MINOAN (2,600B.C. – 1,100B.C.

) & MYCEANEAN AGES

GEORAPHICAL – POTENTIAL

CRETE IS A MOUNTANIOUS ISLAND

WITH NATURAL HARBOURS

LOCATED INBETWEEN TURKEY, EGYPT

AND GREECE

CONFORTABLE CLIMATE AND

NATURALLY FERTILE SOIL

ISO LATED FROM MAINLAND SO

TERMED AS ASIA MINOR

TRADE
NONE OF THE EARLIEST CULTURES OF AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION WERE SEAFARING.
CRETE WAS SPARED THE POWER STRUGGLE THAT TROUBLED THE OTHER CIVILIZATIONS

BEING AN ISLAND THE RESOURCES AT THE ISLAND WERE LIMITED AND THE DUE TO NEVERENDING
POPULATION SURGES IT BECAME NECESSARY FOR THE CRETANS TO IMPROVISE.

THALASSOCRACY – (MARITIME TRADING ECONOMY) WAS THUS FEATURED THROUGH THE INCEPTION

GEORAPHICAL LOCATION AND THE ABOVE FACTORS – LED MIGRATION TO OTHER ISLANDS AND MINLAND
ACROSS AGEAN SEA. IN SO DOING THE GROWING CIVILIZATION SPREAD ITS MINOAN CULTURE AND
RELIGION. THUS ALSO KNOWN AS AGEAN PALACE CIVILIZATION.

CRETE BECAME CENTRAL EXPORTER OF WINE, JEWELRY, HIGHLY CRAFTED WORKS. IMPORTER OF RAW
MATERIALS AND FOOD ITEMS.

AVAILIBALITY OF TRADE AND ITS EXPOSURE TO 3 MAIN CIVILIZATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD MADE CRETE A
WEALTHY STATE – LEADING TO AN EXPLOSION IN ARTS – FRESCOS AND CERAMICS, CLOTJIMG LINE ETC.
MINOANS IN EGYPT THALASOCRASSY DEPICTED PAINTING SAFFRON GATHERERS OCROSS THE FEILD

RELIGION – SOCIO POLITICAL SCENARIO

MINOANS SACRED SYMBOLS INCLUDE BULL, DOUBLE AXE, PILLAR, SNAKE, SUN AND TREE

THERE ARE NUMBER OF RELICS THOSE DEPICT GODS AND GODESSESS HENCE SO WE KNOW THAT
CREATANS WERE POLYTHEISTIC. THE MOST KNOWN GODESSESS IS THE SNAKE GODESSESS.

IT WAS A FIRT LEISURE SOCIETY IN EXISTENCE, SPORTS, WERE MUCH STRESSED ON. AND THE MOST
POPULAR SPORTS WERE BOXING, BULL JUMPING. AND WOMEN PARTICIPATED EQUALLY IN ALL.

CONCENTRATION OF WEALTH PLAYED A KARGER ROLE IN THE STRUCTURE OF SOCIETY

MUILTIROOM CONSTRUCTIONS WERE DISCOVERED IN POOR AREAS OF THE TOWN, REVEALING SOCIAL
EQUALITY AND EVEN DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.

THERE WERE BEAUROCRATIC MONARCHIES IN PLACE.

THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOMINATED BY PREISTS AND MONARCHS RAN THE RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS AD
TRADING ECONOMY.

MINOANS HAD A WRITTEN LANGUAGE KNOWN AS LINEAR A, IT IS BELIEVED TO BE AN EARLY FORM OF

PICYOGRAMS REMINISCENT OF EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS.

THE MINOAN ART IS GENERALLY IN THE FORM OF FRESCOES AND CERAMICS.

CERAMICS WERE CHARACTERIZED BY LINEAR PATTERNS OF SPIRALS, TRIANGLES, CURVED LINES, CROSSES,
FISHBONE MOTIFS, AS FISH, SQUID, BIRDS, AND LILIES WERE COMMON.

ARCHITECTURE

THE MINOAN CITIES WERE

CONNECTED WITH STONE-PAVED
ROADS, FORMED FROM BLOCKS
CUT WITH BRONZE SAWS. STREETS
WERE DRAINED AND WATER,
SEWER FACILITIES WERE AVAILABLE
TO THE UPPER CLASS THROUGH
CLAYPIPES.

BUILDINGS OFTEN HAD FLAT TILED

ROOFS, PLATER, WOOD, FLAGSTONE
FLOORS AND MOSTLY STOOD TWO
TO THREE STORIES HIGH.
LOWER WALLS WERE CONSTRICTED
OF STONE AND RUBBLE, UPPER
WALLS WERE MUDBRICK AND
CEILING TIMBERS HELD UP THE
ROOFS.
THE MATERIALS USED IN CONSTRUCTION VARIED, COULD INCLUDE SANDSTONE, GYPSUM, LIME. ASHLOR
MASONRY WAS ALSO QUITE FOUND IN THE AREA BELT ALONG WITH MEGALITHIC BLOCK.

PLAN OF PALACE OF KNOSSOS

MINOAN PALACES.
THEY PROVIDED FORUM FOR GATHERING AND CELEBRATIONS, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME OFFRED
STORAGE FOR CROPS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ARTISTS.

THEY WERE BUILT OVER TIME TO OCCUPY LOW HILL STRATEGIC PLACES AROUND THE ISLAND IN A
MANNER SO COMPLEX THAT THEY RESEMBLED LABRYINTHS TO OUTSIDE VISITOR.

THEY HAD EXPANDED DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, IRRIGATIONS, CABALS TO PROVIDE FRESH WATER,
THEY WERE LACED WITH IMPRESIVE INTERIORS AND HAD EXYERIOR STAIRCASES AS AN ELEMENT , LIGHT
WELLS, MASSIVE COLUMNS, OUTDOOR GATHERING PLACES AND THEATRE CONCEPTS.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MINOAN PALACE WAS BEGUN AROUND 2000 B.B. AND WAS AROUND 1900
B.C. TOWARDS ITS FINAL FORM.

THE RISE OF MYCEANEAN – EMPIRE

THE MYCENAEAN CIVILIZATION FLOURISHED DURING

THE PERIOD – 1600 BC. ROUGHLY.
IT PERISHED WITH THE CILLAPSE OF BRONZE AGE
CIVILIZATION IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN.

THE MAJOR MYCENAEAN CITIES WERE MYCENAE,

TIRYNS, PYLOS, ATHENS, THEBES, ORCHOMENUS AND
LOLKOS.

SOCIAL CLASS STRUCTURE

THE KING – WANAX

LEADER OF THE ARMY – LAWAGET
RELIGIOUS OFFICIALS – TELESTAS
MILITARY CAVALRY CLASS – EQUETAS
WORKERS – QUASIREU
SLAVES – SLAVES
THE LAND – DYNAMICS- TRADING EMERGENCE AND RISE OF THE MYCEANEANS

HITTITES EMERGING

MYCEANEANS
EMERGING

CRETE ISLAND MINOANS

TRADE TRIANGLE –
MEDITERRANEAN SEA

EGYPTIAN EMPIRE
HITTITES EMERGING
THE STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE USED BY MYCENAEANS IN THEIR CITIES DEVELOPED
DURING THE EARLY AGES AND QUITE WAS INFLUENCED BY THE MINOAN
CIVILIZATION

THE PLAN ANS LAYOUT OF THE BRONZE AGE CITIES ON THE MAINLAND RESEMBLE
THE “PALACES” OF CRETE IN MANY WAYS
ARCHITECTURE OF SOUTHERN GREECE FROM 17 TH TO 13TH CENTURY B.C.
EXEMPLIFIED IN THE EARLIEST PHASE BY SHAFT GRAVES CUT INTO SLOPING ROCK,
SIDE WALLED STONE MASONRY AND TIMBER ROOF.

IN THE MIDDLE PERIOD BY MONUMENTAL BEEHIVE TOMBS CONSTRUCTED BY

SUPERIMPOSED LAYERS OF ENORMOUS STOBE BLOCKS PROGRESSIVELY PROJECTING
TO CREATE A PARABOLIC VAULT, WITH A STONE FACED INCLINED ACCESS PASSAGE
LEADING TO THE ENTRANCE COMPOSED OF UPWARD SLANTING JAMBS AND HEAVY
STONE LINTEL SUPPORTING A CHARACTERISTIC MYCENAEAN RELIEF TRIANGLE.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LATE PERIOD ARCHITECTURE – FORTIFIED PALACES HAVING CYCLOPEAN
WALLS, UNDERGROUND PASSAGES, WITH CORBELLED VAULTS, POSTERN GATES AND CISTERNS,

ONE OR MORE UNCONNECTED COLUMNAR HALLS WITH PORCHES FACING INDIVIDUAL COURTS AND LONG
CORRIDORS LIKING AUXILIARY AND STORAGE ROOMS.

FORTIFICATIONS

THE PRICIPAL MYCEANEAN TOWNS WERE WELL FORTIFIED AGAINST LARGE HILLS AS UN MYCENAEOR THE
COSTAL PLAIN OF PYLOS.

THERE WERE ISOLATED FORTS THAT SERVED TO MILITARY & THALASSOCRYTIC CONTROLS
MYCENAEAN WALLS WERE OFTEN MADE I THE MANNERISM – “CYCLOPEAN”
(CONSTRUCTION OF LARGE UNWORKED BOULDERS UP TO 8 MTRS. 26 ‘THICK LOOSELY FITTED WITHOUT
THE CLAY MORTAR.)

THE GRAVE – TOMB STRUCTURE – DURING THE BRONZE AGE

THERE ARE TWO SETS ARE GRAVES THOSE ARE FOUND AT MYCENAE
THE GRAVES IN EACH WERE ENCLOSED WITHIN CIRCULAR WALL

THE SECOND SET OF GRAVES INSIDE THE CITADEL WALLS SURPASSED THE OLDER ONES, THEY CONTAIN
LUXURY ARTICLE GOLD MASKS, BURIAL SUIT OF GOLD WRAPPED AROUND KNIVES, DAGGERS, AND
HUNDREDS OF ORNAMENTS.
THE FIRST STYLE OF TOMB POPULAR ON THE MAINLAND WAS THE SHAFT GRAVE.
THE GRAVE CIRCLE A AND GRAVE CIRCLE B BOTH WERE COMMUNAL GRAVES, THE FIRST HELD 19 AND THE
SECOND HELD 24 SKELETONS.

THE MAIN CHARACTER – BEEHIVE SHAPE CREATED BY CORBEL VAULTING

THE ENTRANCE TO THE TOMBS ARE THROUGH DROMOS – ENTRANCE PASSAGE

DIMENSIONS
AT THE TREASURY OF ATREUS, THIS DROMOS IS OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS 6M X 26 M LONG,
THE DOME – THOLOS – 14.6 M IN DIA AND 13,5 M TO THE TOP OF THE DOME.

THE STONE WORK OF THE INTERIOR IS VERY REFINED FOR THE PERIOD, WITH A PLASTERD SURFACE OF
LIME STONE.

CROBEL VAULTING
MYCENAEAN CONSTRUCTIONS UTILIZED STONE BLOCKS OF AN ENORMOUS SIZE.
THIS TECHNIQUE CAN BE USED TO SPAN ARCHED CORRIDORS AND CIRCULAR DOMES IN BUILDING AND IS
USED TO LIGHTEN THE WEIGHT ABOVE THE DOOR WAYS.

THE CORBEL VAULT IS CREATED BY ARRANGING COURSES OF STONES WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE COURSE
PROJECTING SLIGHTLY MORE INTO SPACE, UNTIL A SINGLE STONE CAN BE PLACED OVER THE THE TOP OF
THE TRIANGULAR ARCH.

LION GATE

THE LION GATE OF MYCENAE WAS THE ENTRANCE TO THE CITY. ATOP THE GATE, TWO LIONS RAMPANT
ARE CARVED IN STONE RELIEF. SIMILAR BAS- RELIEFS OF TWO LIONS RAMPANT FACING EACH OTHER ARE
FOUND IN A NUMBER OF PLACES IN PHRYGIA IN ASIA MINOR.

THE GATE WAS ABOUT 10 FEET WIDE AND 10 FEET HIGH; THE CARVED STONE WITH THE LIONS IS ABOUT
THREE FEET HIGH. IT FORMS WHAT IS CALLED A "RELIEVING TRIANGLE", BECAUSE THE CARVED SLAB
WEIGHS MUCH LESS THAN THE STONES TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT; THIS REDUCED PRESSURE ON THE LINTEL
BLOCK BELOW IT.

THAT BLOCK WEIGHS TWO TONS OR SO. THE DOOR WAS MADE UP OF TWO WOODEN LEAVES OPENING
INWARD.
THE LIONS ORIGINALLY HAD HEADS MADE OF METAL, BUT THEY HAVE LONG SINCE DISAPPEARED. THE
COLUMN THE TWO LIONS STAND BESIDE PERHAPS REPRESENTED THE GOD OF THE ROYAL HOUSE; THE
LIONS SERVED TO GUARD THE ENTRANCE.

THE MEGARON

IT WAS A RECTANGULAR HALL, FRONTED BY AN OPEN TWO COLUMNED

PORCH, OPEN HALL VENTED THROUGH AN OCULUSIN THE ABOVE ROOF-
SURROUNDED BY FOUR COLUMNS.
USED FOR POETRY FEASTS, WORSHIP, SACRIFICE, COUNCILS ETC.
ORIGINALLY COLOURFULL 0 INSIRED BY MINOAN ART AND FREESCO

ROOFTOP WAS TILED WITH CERAMIC AND TERACOTTA TILES.

THE MEGARON CREATES THE NOTION OF SPECIAL APPROACH AND AXIS
AND THUS IS CONSIDERD TO BE A PREDESSOR OF ALL ORDERS IN
ARCHITECTIRAL HISTORY

THE CORE OF MYCENAEAN PALACE – WAS THE MEGARON

THE MEGARON WAS A 2 1/2 ROOM SHOW PLACE DESIGNED

IT ALWAYS HAS A COURTYARD – WITH A PORCH LEADING TO AN ANTERROOM

WHICH PRECEEDS THE FOUR PILLARED ROOM WITH A CENTRAL HEARTH.

MYCENAEAN PALACES

THEY ARE SPRAWLING BUILDINGS LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE FORTIFIED CITADEL
THEY WERE ALWAYS BUILD AROUND GREAT HALLS CALLED MEGARON – DIGNIFIED VERSION OF OPEN
SPACE IN CRETE.
FEW BEST EX WERE MYCENAE, TIRYNS AND PYLOS.