1. The Ancient Aegean World.
There were three main cultures in the Ancient Aegean: The Cycladic, in the Cyclades; the Minoan, on Thera and Crete; and the Helladic, including the Mycenaean, on mainland Greece but also encompassing the regions that had been the center of the two earlier cultures. These people, using metal ores imported from Europe, Arabia, and Anatolia crafted exquisite objects of bronze that were prized for export. This early period is known as the Aegean Bronze Age. The sea provided an important link between the islands and the main land and the world beyond. The Aegeans were seafarers and their ports welcomed ships from other cultures around the Mediterranean. Most difficult problem facing Aegean archaeology is dating the finds. Using a relative dating system based largely on pottery. Using it to assign dates to specific sites and objects is controversial. However, a cataclysmic volcanic explosion on Thera devastated Minoan civilization there and on Crete. Evidence from tree rings from Ireland and California and traces of volcanic ash in ice cores from Greenland put the date of the eruption about BCE. This explosion has helped with the dating of objects.
The Ancient Aegean World.

2. The Cycladic Islands
During the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age, the Cycladic Island people developed a thriving culture. However, they left no written records, so our main source of information comes from their artifacts. From about 6000 BCE, Cycladic artists used a poor quality clay to make a variety of ceramic objects years later they began to produce marble sculpture.

3. Figure of a Woman. c. 2600–2400 BCE. Height 24 3/4”.
The islands of Naxos and Paros, had ample supplies of fine white marble and they used it to create sleek, abstract representations of the human figures. These ranged in height from a few inches to almost 5 feet tall. They were shaped with scrapers made from obsidian and smoothed by polishing stones of emery. These types of sculptures have been found mostly in graves and they are mostly nude female figures. Follow a representational convention- Extended poses of strict symmetry, with arms folded just under gently protruding breasts, almost as if they were clutching their stomachs. Their necks are long, heads tilted back, and faces have no features except for a prominent, elongated nose. All body parts are pared down to the essentials, and some joints and junctures are indicated by incised lines.
Figure of a Woman. c. 2600–2400 BCE. Height 24 3/4”.

4. These figures were laid out with a compass in conformity to three evenly spaced and equally-sized circles. The frst delineated by the upper arch of the head and waist. The second by the sloping shoulders and the line of the knees, and the third beginning with the curving limit of the feet and meeting the bottom of the upper circle at the waist. Originally these would have been painted in blue, red and sometimes green paint. The paint emphasized the surfaces rather than the 3-D shapes. Many patterns have been recovered by controlled lighting and microscopic investigation. The features are often asymmetrical in organization. Wide open eyes appear all over the head and even the thigh. The multiple eyes may aim to draw attention, or even healing powers to a particular area of the body. Eyes on the belly could be associated with pregnancy.
Drawing of Figure of a Woman Showing Evidence of Original Painting and Outlining Design Scheme. c. 2600–2400 BCE. Height 24 3/4”.

5. On some of these figures, angled lines could bear witness to how Cycladic peoples decorated their bodies- scarification, tattoos, or paint- either applied during their lifetimes or for burial purposes. The starting eyes may have been a way of connecting the images to those who owned them. Art historian Gail Hoffman believes that the red vertical lines on the faces of some figures were related to rituals of mourning for the dead. They may have been used in a succession of key moments throughout the owner’s lifetime- puberty, marriage, and death. These faces were continually repainted with symbols associated with each ritual, before they were finally buried with their owners. By the Middle and Late Bronze age, the art of the Cyclades was subsumed by Minoan and, later, Mycenaean culture.
Head with Remains of Painted Decoration. c. 2500–2200 BCE. Height 9 11/16”.

6. Minoan Civilization on Crete
By 3000 BCE, Bronze age people were living on Crete, the largest of the Aegean islands (155 miles long X 36 miles wide) It was economically self-sufficient. With safe harbors and a convenient location, Crete became a wealthy sea power which traded with mainland Greece, Egypt, the Near East, and Anatolia. This is how they were able to acquire the ore necessary for making bronze. Minoan chronology is divided into two main periods: Old Palace Period BCE and the New Palace Period from BCE. The Minoan artistic style is characterized by fluid figures and dynamic movement. The figures all have a pinched waist, S-shaped forms, frontal shoulders and profile bodies. The genders of figures are easily recognizable by the shade of their skin; men were shown with a darker complexion, and women with lighter complexions. The overall mood of Mionan art tends to be cheerful and light, and tends to draw inspiration from nature.

7. Until 1900, Minoan civilization remained a mystery
Until 1900, Minoan civilization remained a mystery. Only when Sir Arthur Evans began uncovering the ruins of the architectural complex at Knossos did historians begin to learn more. It was originally occupied during the Neolithic period, then built over with a succession of Bronze Age structures.
Reconstruction of the “Palace” Complex, Knossos, Crete. Site occupied 2000–1375 BCE; complex begun in “Old Palace” period (c.1900–1700 BCE); complex rebuilt after earthquakes and fires during “New Palace” period (c. 1700–1450 BCE); final destruction c BCE.

8. Girl Gathering Saffron Crocus Flowers. Before 1630 BCE.
Image taken from a house in Akrotiri, a city famous for the saffron harvested for its crocuses. Valued in the Bronze Age mainly for the day in textile production, but it had medicinal properties: alleviated menstrual cramps. This use may be referenced in the image because the image was found in a room use for coming of age ceremonies of young women at the onset of menses. The girl’s head is shaved and she has a long looped ponytail both are attributes of childhood. The light blue of her scalp shows that her hair is beginning to grow out and she is entering adolescence. The house where this picture was found vanished 3600 years ago when the volcano that formed Thera erupted, spewing pumice that sealed every crevice of Akritori. The town was rediscovered in 1967 and rates as among the most significant discoveries of the second half of the 20th century.
Girl Gathering Saffron Crocus Flowers. Before 1630 BCE.

9. During the Old Palace period, Minoans developed elegant new types of ceramics, partly spurred on by the invention of the potter’s wheel early in the 2nd millenium. This is Kamares ware, named after the cave on Mount Ida overlooking the complex of Phaistos where is it was first discovered. Hallmarks of this sought after ceramic type were its extreme thinness, use of color, and graceful, stylized, painted decoration. This piece has a globular body and a beaked pouring spout. It’s created from brown, red, and creamy white pigments on a black body. The bold curving forms, modeled after plant life, seem to swell with the bulging contours of the jug.
Kamares Ware Jug. “Old Palace” period, c. 2000–1900 BCE. Height 10 5/8”.

10. This fresco (buon fresco-wet, fresco secco-dry) was found on the wall of the Palace at Knossos and is emblematic of Minoan art. The subject shows the ritual of bull-leaping, and is bordered by abstract motifs. The shades of skin of the figures indicate that the two figures on the outer edges are females, and the figure on top of the bull is a male. The position of the bull’s feet and the way it seems to float in the air are the result of the artist’s attempts to illustrate the movement of the animal. Minoan artists preferred profile or full-faced views, and they turned natural forms into decorative patterns through stylizaton. This may represent an initiation or fertility ritual
Bull Leaping. Late Minoan period, c. 1550–1450 BCE. Height approx. 24 1/2”.

11. Surviving Minoan sculpture consists of small, finely executed work made from different materials. Female figures holding serpents are among the most characteristic of images and may be associated with water’s regenerative power, and protection of the home. This is a faience (colorfully glazed fine ceramic) figurine was found with other ceremonial objects in a pit in one of Knossos’s storerooms. She is bare breasted and her arms are extended, holding a snake in each hand. Her figure is dressed in the fitted, open bodice with an apron over a typically Minoan flounced skirt. A belt cinches her waist. The red, blue, and green patterning reflects the weavers preference for bright colors, patterns, and fancy borders. Lifelike elements combine with formal stylization to create a daunting figure.
Woman or Goddess with Snakes. “New Palace” period, c. 1700–1550 BCE. Height 11 5/8” as restored.

12. Octopus Flask. “New Palace” period, c. 1500–1450 BCE. Height 11”.
New Palace period- Some of the most dynamic ceramics were created in the marine style because of the accurate depictions of sea life on the surfaces. Sea creatures are floating around the tentacles of an octopus. The pottery skin seems to almost dissolve. The focus is on the energy of the natural forms. The animals are presented in a stylistic design that uses the surface of the bulging pot in a harmonic manner.
Octopus Flask. “New Palace” period, c. 1500–1450 BCE. Height 11”.

13. Vapheio Cup. c. 1650–1450 BCE. Height 4 1/2”.
Found near Sparta, Greece. The metal work skills of Minoan craftsmen made them highly sought after on the Mainland. This is a gold cup found in a large tomb in Vapheio, on the Greek Mainland. The designs are executed in repousee- metal pushed up from the back of a sheet. Handles were attached with rivets. In the scene men are shown trying to capture a bull in various ways. Here a scantily clad man has roped the bull’s hind leg. The figure dominates the landscape and the bulge from the surface with a muscular vitality that belies its tiny size. The olive trees could indicate the scene takes place in a sacred grove.
Vapheio Cup. c. 1650–1450 BCE. Height 4 1/2”.

14. Landscape (“Spring Fresco”). Before 1630 BCE.
Another room in Akrotiri, the artist has created a landscape of hills, rocks, and flowers. This is the first pure landscape encountered in ancient art. The viewer is surrounded by orange, rose and blue rocky hillocks sprouting deep red lillies. Swallows swoop above and around the flowers. The artist is able to unify the rhythmic flow of the undulating landscape, stylized patterning is imposed on the natural forms, and the use of birght colors alternating with darker, neutral tones, (maybe representing areas of shadow). May seem fanciful to the casual observer but sailors can attest to the accuracy.
Landscape (“Spring Fresco”). Before 1630 BCE.

15. Citadel at Mycenae. C. 1340, 1250, 1200 BCE.
Late greek writers called this walled complex the home of Agamenon, leader of the Greek army that conquered the great city of Troy. The site was occupied from the Neolithic period to about 1050 BCE. Walls were rebuilt 3 times. Each time stronger and enclosing more space. The second wall was pierced by two gates, the huge “Lions Gate” on the west side and a smaller, secondary rear gate on the NE side. The final walls were extended to protect the water supply. They were 25 feet thick and 30 feet high. The masonry is known as cyclopean, because they thought only the Cyclops would move such massive stones. The Lion gate was provided with guardian figures, standing above the door instead of the door jambs. From the gate, the Great Ramp led up the hillside, past the grave circle, to the courtyard for the building occupying the highest spot (possibly the residence of the ruler). From the courtyard, you entered a porch, a vestibule, and the megaron which seems to be the intended destination. A typical megaron had a central hearth surrounded by four large columns that supported the ceiling. The roof above the hearth was probably raised to admit light and air and permit smoke to escape.
Citadel at Mycenae. C. 1340, 1250, 1200 BCE.

16. Reconstruction of the Citadel at Mycenae at Its Most Developed State.

17. “Mask of Agamemnon”. c. 1600–1550 BCE. Height approx. 12".

18. Pylos Palace: Plan of the Megaron. c. 1300–1200 BCE.

19. Not sure what animals they are, but assumed to be lions
Not sure what animals they are, but assumed to be lions. They were a metaphor for power and their feet rest on Mycenaean altars. A mysterious column is in the center. The column and capital support a lintel, which in turn supports the butt ends of logs forming raters of the horizontal roof.
Lion Gate, Mycenae, as it appears today. c BCE. Height of sculpture approx. 9’ 6".

20. Cutaway Drawing of Tholos, the So-Called Treasury of Atreus.
By about 1600 BCE, members of the elite began building elaborate above-ground burial places known as Tholos Tombs. More than 100 have been found. This is probably the most impressive- Walled passageway through the mound covering the tomb about 114 feet long and 20 feet wide, open to the sky. The entrance was 34 feet high with a door 16.5 feet high faced with bronze plaques. On either side were columns carved from green serpentine porphyry- found near Sparta, incised with decoration. The section above the lintel had smaller engaged columns on each side, and the relieving triangle was disguised behind a red and green engraved marble panel. The main chamber was 47.5 feet in diameter and 43 feet high. Roofed with a corbel vault built up in regular courses, layers of ashlar- precisely cut blocks of stone smoothly leaning inward and calculated to meet in a single capstone at the peak. It was covered with earth and became a conical hill.
Cutaway Drawing of Tholos, the So-Called Treasury of Atreus.

21. Exterior View of Tholos, the So-Called Treasury of Atreus. c
Exterior View of Tholos, the So-Called Treasury of Atreus. c. 1300–1200 BCE.

22. Corbel Vault, Interior of Tholos, the So-Called Treasury of Atreus
Corbel Vault, Interior of Tholos, the So-Called Treasury of Atreus. Height approx. 43’, diameter 47’ 6”.

23. Warrior Krater. c. 1300–1100 BCE. Height 16”.
Bowl used for mixing wine and water- used in feasts and grave markers. Decoration was highly sylized, like the scene of the marching men on the Warrior Krater, here a woman at the far left bids farewell to a group of helmeted men marching off to the right with lances and large shields. Regular rhythm of tramping feet of disciplined warriors. Emotion only shown by the gesture of an arm to the head- a symbol of mourning.
Warrior Krater. c. 1300–1100 BCE. Height 16”.