It appears that Knossos and the other major centers of Minoan civilization experienced some kind of disaster in about 1450 b. c. As with Teotihuacan in the New World, archaeologists are unsure exactly how Minoan civilization suddenly came to an end, though a number of explanations have been put forward.
Perhaps a tidal wave, the result of a volcanic eruption or earthquake, struck the island and sank part of it. This may in turn have provided the source for the legend of Atlantis, a once-great civilization supposedly submerged beneath the
Atlantic Ocean. The legend received a major boost when no less a thinker than the philosopher Plato wrote about it. In fact “Atlantis” was probably a part of Crete in the Mediterranean. (The lost civilization of the Sahara is like a real-life Atlantis— only it was in the desert, not the ocean.)
In the A. D. 1960s, archaeologists began finding evidence that a great volcano struck the island of Thera (THAIR-uh), between Crete and the Greek mainland, some time around 1500 b. c. Again like Teotihuacan, the natural disaster may have been coupled with political upheaval—perhaps a popular revolt spurred on by the government's inability to deal with the problems, such as homelessness and disruption of normal activities, created by the disaster. It is also quite possible that the earthquake provided an opportunity for invasion by a group who would usher in the next phase of Greek history: the Mycenaeans (mie-suh-NEE-uhnz).
The Mycenaean Age (c.1650-c.1100b. c.)
The Mycenaeans probably came from the Black Sea area starting in about 2800 b. c. Undoubtedly they were part of the Indo-European invasion: their language was an early form of Greek, itself an Indo-European tongue. By 2000 b. c., they had conquered the native peoples of Greece and had settled in the Peloponnese. A warlike people, the Mycenaeans built a Bronze Age civilization that flourished throughout the region beginning in about 1650 b. c.
The Mycenaeans, who had lived in the shadow of the Minoans for a long time, adopted aspects of Minoan civilization. Their language was probably unrelated to that of the Minoans; however, in its written form, they adapted it to the Minoan script, which has been dubbed “Linear B.” Linear B was deciphered in a. d. 1952 by an amateur (that is, someone not professionally trained in a field of study) linguist; similarly, an amateur archaeologist would discover the ruins both of Mycenae (mie-SEE-nee), the Mycenaeans' principal city, and of their ancient rival Troy.
Among the findings of amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann (HINE-rik SH'LEE-mahn) were the Shaft Graves, a series of tunnels where Mycenaean royalty had been buried.
The shafts contained enormous wealth in gold jewelry, ornaments, and other objects. Fortunately for the world, this treasure was discovered by a serious historian and not by grave robbers such as those who spoiled the treasures of Egypt and China.
Trojan Horse.
Archive Photos. Reproduced by permission.
Based on Schliemann's findings, it appears that the Mycenaeans also imitated the Minoans in the building of great palaces. Mycenae was centered around a fortress called an acropolis (uh-KRAHP-uh-lis), located on a high spot overlooking the town. This type of elevated fortress would become an important feature of Greek cities in the future. to Schliemann, scholars have some idea of the Mycenaean original.
The Mycenaean acropolis had a huge main gate and, as with Minoan palaces, had a long series of hallways and passages that ultimately led to the great hall or megaron (MEHG-uh-rahn).
There the king sat on his throne and oversaw the business of the kingdom. Along the walls were frescoes (FRES-kohz), paintings applied directly to a wall, showing various scenes.
Also like the Minoans, the Mycenaeans worshiped an earth goddess, but they combined this with worship of sky gods, which formed the basis for the later Olympian religion. The Mycenaeans differed too from the Minoans in their attitude toward foreign affairs. They were at least as interested in waging war as they were in conducting trade. Whereas the Minoans had spread prosperity throughout the region, the Mycenaeans were harsh people who attacked weak cities and formed alliances with strong ones. They did, however, attack at least one strong city: Troy.
World History
