Map of the Bronze Age Aegean. Courtesy of Colorado College.

The Bronze Age of Greek history lasted from approximately 3000 to 1050 BCE. It was a time of growing Greek dominance in the Aegean and consolidation of societal organization. The two most significant civilizations during this period were the Minoans and the Mycenaeans. Minoan society, which developed on the island of Crete, rose to power just prior to 1600 BCE. The Minoans used their navy to suppress piracy, establish trade networks, and spread their culture across the broader region. Their society was based around palaces serving as administrative centers from which the economy was managed. The palace system showed clear beginnings of social stratification in that the palaces served primarily as residential areas for the ruling elite from which they managed the acquisition and distribution of raw and processed goods. Following the rise of the Mycenaeans in mainland Greece around 1600 BCE, the Minoan civilization declined. Mycenaean society was similar to that of the Minoans in that their civilization was also a palatial system. However, the Mycenaeans had a more advanced administrative system where the palace was the center of manufacturing, distribution, and specialization. Mycenaean civilization collapsed rather abruptly around 1200 BCE with the destruction of most of the palaces.

Minoan culture extended throughout the Mediterranean, especially in Mycenaean civilization. The Mycenaeans emulated many aspects of Minoan life and culture, a process known as Minoanization. Minoan influence on the Mycenaeans can be seen in art through the adoption of Minoan styles, themes, and motifs such as nature and feminism. The similarities between Minoan Linear A and Mycenaean Linear B also show the transfer of ideas from Minoan Crete to the Mycenaean mainland. The theme of our room is the Minoanization of the Mycenaean civilization during the Aegean Bronze Age.

Works Cited

Biers, William R. The Archaeology of Greece: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1996. Print.

Exhibits:

Gold Mycenaean Cushion Seal - Leyna Donaldson

Linear A and B – Jeffrey Giocondi

Mycenaean Megaron – David Fogel

Mycenaean Female Terracotta Figurines – Ian Johnson

Gold and Silver Bull’s Head Rhyton – Dilovan Serindag

Mycenaean Lion Hunt Burial Daggers - Dan Mena