Mainland Near East Aegean Art Title: The Aegean World In the area surrounding the Aegean Sea; 3 different cultures existed from the Bronze Age (3000 BCE) to c. 1000 BCE each centered around a different location each peaked at diff times and characterized by diff traits all physical locations of many well-known, later, Greek myths Aegean Art

Near East Egypt Aegean area relative to Near East, Europe and Egypt Aegean relative to other Europe, Near East and Egypt—ignore the fact that this map shows cultures of 1740—was only good image I could find of the whole region Egypt Aegean area relative to Near East, Europe and Egypt

Cyclades; small islands; 3 Aegean cultures: Cyclades; small islands; peak = Bronze Age, c. 3000 BCE; characterized by marble figures, mostly women and musicians Minoan; Crete; peak = 1900 – 1450 BCE; characterized by elaborate buildings, colorful paintings, work in precious materials Mycenae; Mainland Greece; peak = 1600 – 1100 BCE; characterized by fortified citadels, tombs, gold and bronze work c. 1100 – 900 BCE; period of turmoil in the region caused most of their written record to be lost or forgotten, so little was known about these cultures until the 19th century when a couple archeologists inspired by Homer’s Illiad and Odyssey decided to search for the actual locations of those stories. Cyclades = sickladees Mycenae = myseenee In present-day Turkey, they found what is now believed to be Homer’s Troy (in one of the layers of excavation). Almost all of what we know about these three cultures has been learned from their surviving art and architecture, because of the lost records, and the fact that they have only so recently been studied.

Cyclades; c. 3000-1600 BCE -small islands in the Aegean Sea (approx. 30) -origins of the culture are obscure, but thriving culture by late Neolithic/early Bronze Age -sea faring people; items found on shipwrecks indicate trade with Egypt and Near East -most identified with carved white marble figurines, usually of women (left) and musicians (below) -some male figures found, including musicians and acrobats -small size might be b/c the stone fractured easily -carvings originally painted -harpist is fully developed sculpture-in-the-round, though still simplified form Named Cyclades refers to the circular arrangement of the islands surrounding traditionally sacred island of Delos Known for their skill with bronze using imported ores from Europe and the Near East during the bronze age—bronzes were prized for export By middle and later Bronze Age, the culture of the Cyclades was subsumed by Minoan, and later, Mycenean culture Artist: cyclades Title: Two figures of women; Harp Player Medium: Marble Size: heights 13" (33 cm) and 25" (63.4 cm); Harp Player = 11” tall Date: c. 2500–2200 BCE Source/Museum: Cyclades. / Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens. Courtesy of the N. P. Goulandris Foundation.

Cycladic sculpture, Menil Collection, Houston Cycladic Art; Menil Collection; Houston Figures are very stylized, not just simplified—shapes are not just broken down into essential forms (like ovals for the head), but transferred into other shapes, like the triangle (instead of the oval) for the head 5

Minoan Civilization on Crete; c. 1900 BCE to 1375 -Crete: largest island in the Aegean -Discovered by 19th century British archeologist Sir Arthur Evans; he named it Minoan after the legend of King Minos (whose wife had a half- man, half-monster son with god Poseidon; Minotaur) -Knossos; palace complex -Culture divided into 2 periods: -Old Palace, c. 1900 – 1700 BCE -New Palace, c. 1700 – 1450 BCE

Palace Complex at Knossos; as it would have appeared (reconstructed above) during the New Palace Period Palace was rebuilt from Old Palace Period after it was destroyed by earthquakes and fires Palace site had been occupied since Neolithic times, then built over in Bronze Age Term “palace” implies Kings—common term for 19th century archeologists, but we don’t really know social or political structure of the society, so we don’t know if they had kings, or if they lived here Outside made of mud bricks and rubble covered with dressed stone (1st use of dressed stone in Aegean)—inside wood columns and other interior elements Evidence of workshops in and around the complex and stone lined pits for grain storage; also living quarters Complex itself is on squarish plan with central courtyard. Living quarters had sunlit courtyards and colorful painted murals Minoan Title: Reconstruction of the palace complex, Knossos, Crete; Knossos, aerial photograph of the site

Pendant of Gold Bees; Minoan, Old Palace; c. 1700-1550 BCE; ~2” high Old Palace artists developed sophisticated ceramics and metalwork Kamares ceramics: thin walls, good color and graceful, stylized painted decoration Metalwork rivaled Near East and Egyptian work Artist: n/a Title: Kamares Ware Jug Medium: Ceramic Size: height 10 ⅝" (27 cm) Date: c. 2000–1900 BCE Source/Museum: Phaistos, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete Title: Pendant of Gold Bees Medium: Gold Size: height approx. 1 13⁄16" (4.6 cm) Date: Old Palace Period, c. 1700–1550 BCE Source/Museum: Chryssolakkos, near Mallia, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete Kamares Ware Jug; Minoan, Old Palace; c. 2000-1900 BCE; ~11” tall

New Palace Period: c. 1700-1450 BCE -Palace at Knossos rebuilt after c. 1650-1625 eruption on Cycladic island of Thera and earthquake destroyed most of it -New Palace period considered “flowering of Minoan art” -Later Greek legends referred to the palace as the “Labyrinth,” which means “house of the double axes.” The double axe motif was used throughout the palace. The palace layout was so complex and confusing that labyrinth eventually came to mean maze, and became part of the Minotaur myth. -Confusing layout possibly designed for defense; also partially the result of successive rebuilding and additions over the centuries Analysis shows that builders originally laid out the complex on a grid plan, but had to adapt to earthquake damage, causing part of the confusing layout. Like old palace tradition, rooms are arranged along a central space, not a long axis like in Egypt Minotaur myth: the minotaur monster lived in the labyrinth and every year demanded human flesh, so King Minos ordered 14 young men from Athens to be sent as a sacrifice yearly. Theseus (son of king Aegeus in Athens) wanted to free his people from this by killing the monster, so a princess from Crete, Ariadne, gave him a sword and thread (to find his way out of the maze) and he defeated the monster. Theseus was supposed to raise a white flag on return to Athens to signify success, but forgot to, and so his dad threw himself into the sea, and that’s how it got the name Aegean.

Characterized by colorful wall murals called Frescos New Palace painting: Characterized by colorful wall murals called Frescos buon fresco; painted on wet plaster fresco secco; painted on dry plaster Preferred colors: red, yellow, black, white, green and blue Flat areas of color and outlined shapes Much inspiration from the natural world and turned natural forms into stylized decorative patterns Artist: new palace Minoan Title: Young Girl Gathering Saffron Crocus Flowers Medium: Detail of wall painting Size: n/a Date: 1630 BCE Source/Museum: Room 3 of House Xeste 3, Akrotiri, Thera / Thera Foundation, Petros M Nomikos, Greece

Unlike anything previously encountered in ancient art—just landscape; no people. Band of blue, yellow and orange over the rocks may reflect actual shadow colors in the area Feels like a celebration of life and nature—very different from the stiff, static work of the Egyptians Artist: Minoan Title: Landscape (Spring Fresco) Medium: Wall painting with areas of modern reconstruction Size: n/a Date: Before 1630 BCE Source/Museum: From Akrotiri, Thera Cyclades / National Archaeological Museum, Athens

Wall painting with areas of modern reconstruction Height approx. 24 ½“ From a room at Knossos with several paintings of bulls as the subject. One of the most famous Minoan images. May represent an initiation or fertility ritual. Artist: new palace Minoan Title: Bull Leaping Medium: Wall painting with areas of modern reconstruction Size: Height approx. 24 ½" (62.3 cm) Date: Late Minoan period, c. 1550–1450 BCE Source/Museum: From the palace complex, Knossos, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete Bull Leaping Wall painting with areas of modern reconstruction Height approx. 24 ½“ Late Minoan period, c. 1550–1450 BCE From the palace complex, Knossos, Crete

Woman with Snakes found at Knossos (New Palace); ~12” high. Faience. Minoan sculpture: Usually small Carved from wood, ivory, precious metals, stone and faience (like Egyptian hippo) Woman with Snakes found at Knossos (New Palace); ~12” high. Faience. Found in a storage pit with other ceremonial objects Typical flounced Minoan skirt Scholars don’t know if this represents a goddess or a human priestess/attendant Artist: Minoan Title: Woman Or Goddess with Snakes Medium: Faience Size: height 11⅝" (29.5 cm) Date: New Palace period, c. 1700–1550 BCE Source/Museum: As restored, from the palace complex, Knossos, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete

Rhyton: vessel for pouring liquid -Minoans carved them from steatite (greenish or brown soap stone) -Almost certainly for ceremonial purposes -May have been covered in gold leaf Harvester Vase; New Palace period; 4 ½” diameter -Shows lively depiction of the figures in space, with open mouths (chanting) Much more exuberant image of people than we have seen anywhere else. Artist: Minoan New Palace Title: Harvester Vase Medium: Steatite Size: diameter 4 ½" (11.3 cm) Date: New Palace Period, c. 1650–1450 BCE Source/Museum: Hagia Triada, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete

Minoan; New Palace period Bull’s-Head Rhyton Steatite with shell rock crystal and red jasper the gilt-wood horns restored height 12" c.1550–1450 BCE Very realistic rendering of the bull—detail and realism not seen since prehistoric cave paintings in Europe Title: Bull’s-Head Rhyton Medium: Steatite with shell rock crystal and red jasper the gilt-wood horns restored Size: height 12" (30.5 cm) Date: c.1550–1450 BCE Source/Museum: Palace complex, Knossos, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete

Decoration is more naturalistic, loose Minoan New Palace Ceramics: tradition of Old Palace Kamares ware continues. Decoration is more naturalistic, loose “Marine style”- depicts sea life Artist: Minoan new palace Title: Octopus Flask Medium: Marine style ceramic Size: height 11" (28 cm) Date: c. 1500–1450 BCE Source/Museum: Palaikastro, Crete / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete Title: Vapheio Cup Medium: Gold Size: height 3 ½" (3.9 cm) Date: c. 1650–1450 BCE Source/Museum: Found near Sparta, Greece / Archaeological Museum, Iraklion, Crete Shows men trying to capture bulls in various ways. Olive trees could mean it’s a sacred grove, indicating it could show a story from some lost heroic tale Minoan New Palace Metalwork: Minoan metalworkers were highly sought after by the Myceneans (culture from mainland, gaining power by 1400 BCE) This cup, found on mainland, either made by Minoans, or by Minoan trained metalworker

Myceneans: -On the mainland (of what became Greece), a Greek-speaking people moved in from the North c. 3000 BCE and displaced the Neolithic culture there -Culture referred to by scholars as Helladic (from the word Hellas, the Greek name for Greece) -Culture existed concurrently with Cycladic and Minoan cultures in the Aegean -By 1450 BCE; Minoan culture in the Aegean is in decline and a Helladic people called Mycenean, (named for mainland city of Mycenae) came to dominate the Aegean -Myceneans rule c. 1600 – 1100 BCE

Also buried their dead in elaborate, vaulted tombs made of cut stone Mycenean architecture differs from Minoan in that they built well fortified citadels for protection Also buried their dead in elaborate, vaulted tombs made of cut stone Site occupied since Neolithic times Walls rebuilt 3x from 1340 – 1200 BCE—each time, stronger and enclosed more space Lion Gate; installed in 1250 BCE wall construction Ruler’s residence is highest pt of the city; residence contained large audience hall: megaron—more direct then complex Minoan structures Artist: Mycenean Title: Citadel at Mycenae (Aerial View); Title: Reconstruction of Citadel At Mycenae Date: Site occupied c. 1600–1200 BCE; walls built C. 1340, 1250, 1200 BCE Source/Museum: Greece

Lion Gate; c. 1250 BCE, Mycenean Opens to “Great Ramp”—formal entranceway into the citadel Similar to Near Eastern entry-ways with lion/animal guardian figures, but significance of these animals is not really known Heads are gone, so we don’t actually know if they are lions—bodies look like it, but could have had different heads—eagle heads (griffins); human heads (sphinxes). Not even clear if the animals were male or female—no genitalia. Heads might have been gold leafed. Lions stand on mycenean alter, which supports a column. Might be the symbol of a palace, or a king or deity—not known; either way, impressive, important entrance to the citadel Artist: Mycenean Title: Lion Gate, Mycenae Date: c. 1250 BCE Source/Museum: Historic photo

Earliest burials in shaft graves; 20-25 ft deep Mycenean Tombs: Became most sophisticated architectural structures of the entire Aegean period Earliest burials in shaft graves; 20-25 ft deep Wealthy dead were laid out with jewelry and other riches Mask of Agamemnon found in a shaft grave Shaft grave Above ground tombs were looted before the 19th c; but some shaft tombs were not. 19th c archeologists found 30 lbs of gold objects in the shaft graves of royals on Mycenae. ($500,000 today) Mask originally thought to be the mask of Agamemnon b/c 19th c thought Mycenae was his home, but this mask was not his and has nothing to do w/ the trojan war. In Greek myth, Agamembon was the king thought to have led the Myceneans against the Trojans in the Trojan war Mask is very different from others found at the site, and some think Schliemann (archeologist) added features like the mustache to make it seem more heroic by his culture’s standards Artist: Mycenean Title: “Mask of Agamemnon” Medium: Gold Size: height approx. 12"(35 cm) Date: c. 1600–1550 BCE Source/Museum: Funerary mask, from the royal tombs, Grave Circle A, Mycenae, Greece / National Archaeological Museum, Athens

Other fine metalwork found in shaft graves: Dagger Blade (above) Golden Lion’s Head Rhyton (right) Dagger made by cutting out shapes of copper, silver & gold and inlaid them into the bronze blade; fine detail added with niello (lead, silver, copper and sulphur alloy rubbed into engraved details). Shows a lion attacking a deer. Artist: Mycenean Title: Dagger Blade with Lion Hunt Medium: Bronze inlaid with gold, silver, and niello Size: length 9⅜" (23.8 cm) Date: c. 1550–1500 BCE Source/Museum: Shaft Grave IV, Grave Circle A, Mycenae, Greece / Archaeological Museum, Athens Title: Golden Lion’s Head Rhyton Date: sixteenth century BCE Source/Museum: Shaft grave IV, south of Lion gate, Mycenae, / National Archaeological Museum, Athens

More than 100 such tombs have been found By 1600 BCE, on the mainland, rulers began to be buried in above-ground burial places called tholos tombs, or beehive tombs, because of their rounded, conical shape More than 100 such tombs have been found Treasury of Atreus; c. 1300-1200 BCE Treasury of Atreus; c. 1300-1200 BCE; remarkable engineering feat b/c of size of corbelled arch roof inside; height of 43’ and diameter of 47’ the next European structure to out do it was the Pantheon in Rome built in the 1st cent, CE—1300 years later Artist: Mycenean Title: Cutaway Drawing of Tholos, One of most grand tholos tombs Original entrance 34’ high with 16’ door, faced with bronzed plaques

Two Women with A Child; Ivory; height 2¾“; c. 1400–1200 BCE Mycenean sculpture heavily influenced by Minoans—either copied their style or hired Minoan artists to make the work. This carved grouping (3” high) shows traditional Minoan skirts and natural observation (think snake woman sculpture). Don’t know what the scene represents Evidence of Minoan artistic influence on Mycenae Title: Two Women with A Child Medium: Ivory Size: height 2¾" (7.5 cm) Date: c. 1400–1200 BCE Source/Museum: Found in the palace at Mycenae, Greece, / National Archaeological Museum, Athens Two Women with A Child; Ivory; height 2¾“; c. 1400–1200 BCE

Warrior Vase; Ceramic; height 16“; c. 1300–1100 BCE Myceneans continued the fine ceramic work of the Minoans—decoration on this late vase shows less emotion than Minoan examples (Harvester Vase) and more regularity; marching soldiers, but characteristically Aegean features Between 1100 – 900 BCE; period of turmoil overtakes the Aegean, but a new Helladic culture (the Greeks) is forming and it will look back on the Aegean cultures as the source for many legends and myths. Title: Warrior Vase Medium: Ceramic Size: height 16"(41 cm) Date: c. 1300–1100 BCE Warrior Vase; Ceramic; height 16“; c. 1300–1100 BCE

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