1. Minoans

3. Linear A Not related to Greek language Not able to read at present
Knowledge of Minoans based on ruins and vast amount of art found – little known about politics, leadership, religion

4. Minoan Ships High front and low stern Single square sail Rounded hull
Sometimes a small deck cabin

5. Trade Imports: Exports: Copper Gold Ivory Precious gems tin Timber
Olive oil
Wine
Glazed pottery
Stone jars
Woven cloth
Bronze daggers

6. Frescos
Painted on wet plaster so needed to be completely quickly before it dried
Paints created from mineral substances
People drawn in profile
Men always painted red and women always painted white
Frescos covered the interior walls of the wealthy homes

7. Minoan Art
Monkey and landscape

8. Minoan Art

9. Minoan Social Classes Upper Class: nobles, priests / priestesses
Middle Class: artisans, artists, clerks, low ranking officials
Lower Class: farmers, herders, laborers
Serfs / slaves (not allowed to bear arms and cannot take part in gymnastics exercises)

10. Theseus & Minatuar / Labyrinth

11. Palace of Knossos

12. Palace of Knossos

13. Building Materials

14. Storage facility & fire damage

15. Minoan Kings Religious Leader Chief Businessman
Ran kingdom with help of governors and officials
Modest – no monuments or sculptures

16. Minoan Religion No great religious monuments
Minoans had private shrines in homes
They worshiped on mountaintops and at the mouths of caves.
Believed in the afterlife but did not practice mummification
Buried their dead in the ground.

17. The End / Thera

19. What Makes the Minoans special?
Isolated position makes the military unimportant
Because the military is unimportant, women are more equal in society
The are so prosperous and well fed that they have time for recreational sports
The main deity in their polytheistic religion is a goddess and they worship in shrines in their homes not temples
Their palaces are massive and serve not only as the center of government but also granaries and residences for the extended royal family
Frescos are an important home decoration and are of people and nature not war
The king is modest and does not have major sculptures made of his likeness.
They have indoor plumbing
We cannot read their Linear A language so there is still much we do not know.
How their society ends is a bit of a mystery