Minoan and Mycenaean Cultures

These two early cultures were situated very near each other geographically, on the Mediterranean, and they shared similarities of climate. Because of the mixing of the two cultures, at least during parts of their history, their arts and cultures blended, and both of the cultures generated wealth, at least for some of the people. Both of the cultures developed a writing system, although the degree of sophistication of the system differed somewhat. Enormous quantities of Mycenaean and Minoan pottery have been found throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, and the artistic designs on the pottery is one way of learning about these early civilizations (Feldman 4).

Both of the cultures had a royal class, and both cultures developed sophisticated architecture, one of the principal ways of expending their wealth (Graham 9). Not a lot is known about the religions of the Minoans and Mycenaean cultures, except from the images left on their art. Greek mythology as we know it today came from the Mycenaean culture, but material evidence does not reveal very much about the spiritual lives of the Minoans (Graham 18). Both of the cultures developed beautiful art,

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had roads, although it does not seem that the horses were ridden, as they were small (Chadwick 164). Some information about the chariots comes from inventories found in palace ruins. Information about weapons is somewhat subject to interpretation, drawn from pictures and symbols, which seem to convey that the warriors had what today would be called swords or daggers, although palace records do not indicate these weapons in large numbers (Chadwick 172). Some scholars have come to the conclusion that each person in the Mycenaean army was responsible for his own weaponry. The cities developed by the Mycenaeans have been called the warlord cities because of the method of their development (Hooker 1). Power was important to this culture. The Mycenaean culture took over the Minoan culture, assimilating many of its features, and the Minoan culture seemed to have no defense. The Mycenaean society was primarily geared towards battle and invasion. Their cities were built with fortresses, and the Mycenaean art is about warfare and hunting. The Minoan art is more concerned with the delicacies of everyday life (Hooker 2). As were the Minoans, the Mycenaean people were very interested in goods and trade, bartering raw goods such as
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Approximate Word count = 1862
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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