Minoan civilization rose around 2800 B. C. on Crete (kret), an island in the Mediterranean Sea. The Minoans, who were also known as Cretans, grew wheat, barley, grapes, and olives. When the olive groves and vineyards produced more than was needed, the Minoans traded the surplus for goods they could not grow or make on Crete.
Since there were many forests on Crete, the Minoans learned to work with wood and became good carpenters. They also learned to work with metal. They used their metalworking and carpentry skills to build ships and began to earn a living from trade instead of farming.
When pirates threatened them, the Minoans changed the way they built their ships so the ships could go faster. They made them slimmer, with two or three masts instead of one. The Minoans also put a deck over the heads of rowers to protect them.
Minoan Jar
¦y Reading Check
UjM What was bull leaping?
Student Web Activity
Visit the Human Heritage Web site at humanheritaae. alencoe. com and click on Chapter 9— Student Web Activities to find out more about the Minoans.
They placed a wooden beam in the prow, or front part of the ship. This was used to smash a hole in enemy ships to sink them.
Over time, the Minoans drove off the pirates. By about 2000 B. C., Crete was the world's first important seafaring civilization. Minoan merchant ships traveled far to trade pottery, leather and bronze armor, and metal jewelry.
The People The Minoans were a small people with bronzed skin and long dark hair. Men wore striped loincloths, long robes embroidered with flowers, or trousers that bagged at the knees. Women wore full skirts and short-sleeved jackets that laced in front. The Minoans had small waists and wore tight belts to show them off. They also wore jewelry, such as gold and silver earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings.
The Minoans spent their time in a variety of ways. Men farmed and fished. They raised cattle, long-horned sheep, and goats. They also served in the navy and the royal guard. Women performed household duties, attended sporting events, and went hunting in chariots.
The people of Crete loved sports. They built what was probably the world's first arena. It stood in the open air. Stone steps formed grandstands, where about 500 people could sit and watch the action. The king and the royal party had their own special box seats.
Boxing matches were held in the arena. Bull leaping, a form of bullfighting, was also held there. A young man and woman "fought" the bull together. The man would grab the bull's horns. As the bull raised its head to toss him, the man would do a somersault, landing on his feet on the bull's back. He would then do a back flip. Standing behind the bull, the woman would catch her partner as he landed. Many experts believe bull leaping was a religious ceremony as well as a sport.
Cities and Palaces The Minoans built many cities, which were different from those of other ancient civilizations in two ways. At the heart of each Minoan city stood a palace rather than a temple. Also, Minoan cities did not have walls around them. Instead, people depended on the sea and navy for protection.
One of the largest cities of Crete was Knossos (kuh nahs' uhs). It covered about 28 acres, or 11.2 hectares. About one-fifth of the area was taken up by a five-story palace that served as a government building, temple, factory, and warehouse. Its walls were built of stone and sun-dried brick framed with wooden beams. The Minoans decorated the inside walls with brightly colored frescoes (fres' kias), or watercolor paintings made on damp plaster. The palace had bathrooms with bathtubs and flush toilets. It also had hot and cold running water and portable fireboxes to heat rooms.
The palace had several entrances. Passageways and rooms formed a labyrinth (lab' uh rinth), or a network of paths through which it is difficult to find one's way. Because labyrinth means "double ax," the palace was called the "House of the Double Ax." The palace was also called by that name because it was filled with pictures, carvings, and bronze models of a double ax.
Sea captains, merchants, and shipbuilders lived in houses around the palace. Past their houses stood those of artisans who made beautiful cups and vases and designed delicate jewelry.
Houses were built side by side around courtyards. Most were two stories high. Lower walls were made of stone, and the upper walls were made of sun-dried brick. The inside walls were painted with scenes from daily life. Each house also had its own well and drains.
Many early Minoan houses had no entrance from the street. A person went in or out through the roof and lowered a ladder over the side of the house. Later, wooden doors and windows made of oiled and tinted parchment (parch' muhnt), or thin animal skin, were added.
|n Reading Check
Whaf is a labyrinth?
¦y Reading Check
How did Minoans use parchment in building their homes?
BULL LEAPING This painting from Knossos shows Minoans bull leaping. In the center, a man leaps over the bull's back. Another man grips the bull's horns so that it will lift its head and toss him. The woman behind the bull prepares to catch the leapers. What other sporting event was held in a Minoan arena?
CHAPTER 9 BEGINNINGS (153)
Rulers and Religion The rulers of Crete were priest-kings. They made the laws and represented the gods on Earth. The priest-kings would climb to the top of Mount Juktas (yUk' tuhs) to look for a sign from heaven that would tell them the will of the gods. Then, they would tell their people what the gods wanted them to do.
Reading Check
Why did the Minoans build shrines?
The Minoans had many gods. The main god was the Great Goddess, Mother Earth. She made plants grow and brought children into the world. To honor her, the Minoans built shrines, or sacred places to worship, in palaces, on housetops, on hilltops, and in caves. The people believed that hilltops led to heaven, and caves led to the underworld.
Sacred horns made of clay and covered with stucco rested against the back wall of each shrine. A hole between the horns held a bronze double ax. Around the horns were clay models of animals. People left offerings of human hair, fruit, flowers, jewels, and gold at the shrines.
The Minoans believed that certain things were sacred. The lily was their sacred flower. The king wore a plumed crown of lilies and a lily necklace. The double ax was sacred. It stood for the power of Mother Earth and the authority of the king. The dove was sacred because it flew to the heavens.
MINOAN RELIGION This Minoan fresco shows a religious ceremony. As a musician plays the harp, two women and a man carry offerings to a shrine. The double axes with birds sitting on them (left) are symbols of the Great Goddess. What did Minoans believe about the Great Goddess?
The Fall of the Minoans No one is certain why Minoan civilization came to an end. What is certain is that about 1400 B. C., control of the sea and of Crete passed to the Mycenaeans.
Legend explains the fall of the Minoans with the story of Theseus (thee' see uhs) and the Minotaur (min' uh tauhr). A young Greek prince named Theseus was brought to Knossos. He was to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, a huge monster the king kept in the palace labyrinth. The Minotaur had the body of a man and the head of a bull and lived on human flesh. Theseus was put into the labyrinth. He fought the monster with a magical sword and killed it. When the Minotaur died, the power of the Minoans died too.
SECTION 2
World History
