The Aegean World. Trading partners with the Ancient Egyptians and the Near Eastern cultures.

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2 The Aegean World This period is the time described by the ancient Greek poet Homer in his epic poem the Iliad. Composed around 750 BC, it was unquestionably the first great work of Greek literature. The sea dominated geography of the Aegean contrasts sharply with that of the Near East. Crete and the Aegean Islands at the commercial crossroads of the ancient Mediterranean had a major effect on their prosperity. The sea also provided a natural defense against the frequent and disruptive invasions that checker the histories of land bound civilizations such as those of Mesopotamia Trading partners with the Ancient Egyptians and the Near Eastern cultures.

3 The Aegean World Time: 3000BCE-1100BCE Primarily Farmers and Herders and Seafarers BRONZE! (used for making weapons and tools) popular from BCE Period was named Aegean Bronze Age Early Bronze Age and Neolithic Cultures The Aegean consisted of tombs, fortresses, grave sites, ruined architectual complexes Used local stone to bild and fortify their towns

4 The Aegean World Cycladic Islands

5 The Aegean World Historians, art historians, and archaeologists alike divide the prehistoric Aegean into three geographical areas, each with a distinctive artistic identity. Cycladic Islands (so called because the circle around Delos) Cycladic art Early Middle Late Crete Minoan art Early Middle Late The Greek Mainland Helladic art Early Middle Late (Mycenaean)

6 Cycladic Group of islands in southern Aegean sea Accomplished sailors, fisherman, and traders No writing system very prehistoric Earliest surviving artistic evidence includes metalwork, pottery, and marble sculpture Bronze, copper, and tin

7 Cycladic Agriculture, herding, crafts, and trade White marble was popular on the Cyclades, Naxos and Paros islands, was used by sculptors Chisels and Scrappers were used in sculpting Most of the artwork was of women Votive Figures: Cycladic statues used for worship in the home Simplified and geometric figurines, reduced to basic geometric shapes.

8 Cycladic Female Cycladic Idol BCE Made of marble 5 ft tall Objects of worship Most found lying in graves Mainly female figures, but some male Exhibit divine female power

9 Cycladic Seated Harp Player Marble BC 11 ½ tall Fully developed sculpture in the round Basic geometric essentials Careful attention to the characteristics of harpist. High back chair, tilted head, knees and feet apart for stability, arms raised bracing instrument

10 The Island of Crete (largest of Aegean and Mediterranean islands) The name Minoan comes from the legend of Minos, a king who ruled from Knossos, the ancient capital of Crete. Minoans believed in Demeter, Artemis, Athena (THREE GREEK GODS) Island was economically self sufficient because it produced its own grain, olives, other fruits, cattle and sheep. Due to lack of ores to produce bronze became a wealthy sea power, trading with mainland Greece, Egypt, and the Near East. Myceaneans, conquering people from mainland Greece, arrived in Crete Minoans wrote in an early form of Greek known as Linear B.

11 Minoan buildings were made of rubble and mud brick faced with cut and finished stone also known as dressed stone. Columns and interior structures were made of wood. The Minoans great architectural complexes were known as palaces. Palaces were generally multistoried, flat-roofed, and featured many columns, designed to maximize light and air. Interior walls were coated with plaster and painted with murals. Minoan palaces contain sophisticated plumbing systems with terra cotta pipes that were laid beneath the surface of the ground.

12 Palace of Knossos Traditional residence of King Minos Largest known palace on Crete Considered a labyrinth because of its winding hallways and rooms. Commercial and religious center Had an advanced shipping and receiving system for receiving imported goods The palace complexes had a squarish planand a large central courtyard Because double-ax motifs were used in its architectural decoration, the Knossos palace was referred to as the Labyrinth. The layout of the complex seemed so complicated that the word labyrinth came to mean maze.

13 Reconstruction of the Palace complex, Knossos Palace of Knossos Ruins of the Palace complex, Knossos

14 The Old Palace and Second Palace Periods ( BCE) Rhyton: Vessels used for pouring liquids during sacred ceremonies Gold Leaf: sheets of hammered gold. Used to cover artwork. Depictions of bulls appear quite often in Minoan art. Murals could be painted on either buon fresco(still-wet plaster) or fresco a secco(dry one)

15 The Old Palace and Second Palace Periods ( BCE) Pendant of gold bees: Artists created gold jewelry and pendants. Gold was brought in through trade and commerce. Artists utilized sophisticated design and quality to create pieces like the example to the right. As with most art work of the period, focused on simplified geometric shapes and patterns that signify the insects actual appearance. Kamares Ware: During the Middle Minoan period Created pottery of sophisticated shapes using the newly introduced potter s wheels. The vessels are named for the cave on the slope of Mount Ida where they were first discovered, and have been found in quantity at other sites. Kamares ware This example shows leaping has a distinctive and fish and perhaps a fish net polychromatic style. surrounded by a host of Creamy white and curvilinear abstract patterns reddish brown including wave and spirals, decoration is set evoking the life of the sea and against a rich black compliment the form of the background. vessel.

16 The Old Palace and Second Palace Periods Bull s Head rhyton: Rhyton: basically a fancy pitcher used during sacred ceremonies. Bull was used quite often in Minoan art. This particular rhyton creates a portrait type detail of the animal. Liquid was poured out from the mouth. Snake Goddess In contrast to Mesopotamia and Egypt, no temples or monumental statues of gods, kings, or monsters have been found faience (glazed earthenware) statuette from the palace at Knossos. One of several similar figures are believed to represent mortal attendants rather than deity. Exposed breasts suggest a fertility image, which is often seen as divine. Holding the snakes and a leopard sitting on her head implied power over the animal world also seems appropriate for a deity.

17 Frescoes Painters worked on large scale. Covered walls of rooms palaces and homes with views of nature, geometric borders, human activity. Tell stories & For decoration Buon fresco wet surface Fresco a secco dry surface Elegant drawing, linear contours, bright colors. Generally used profile of face.

18 Mainland Greece and the Mycenaean Civilization Focused on architecture, sculpture, metalwork, and ceramics Dominated the Aegean after the volcanic eruption at Thera Conquered Crete and took over Palace of Knossos Palace was built on a hilltop and called megaron

19 Mainland Greece and the Mycenaean Civilization Mycenaean power developed on the mainland in the days of the new palaces on Crete. The destruction of the Cretan palaces left the mainland culture supreme. Mycenae was but one of several large citadels. The best preserved of these citadels are the fortified palaces at Mycenae and at Tiryns. Tiryns is marveled for the towering fortifications and some considered the walls of Tiryns as spectacular as the pyramids of Egypt. Greeks of the historical age believed mere humans could not have constructed it and instead attributed the construction of the great Mycenaean citadels to the mythical Cyclops, a race of one-eyed giants. Historians still refer to the huge roughly cut stone blocks forming the massive fortification walls a Cyclopean Masonry.

20 Mainland Greece and the Mycenaean Civilization Tiryns is marveled for the towering fortifications and some considered the walls of Tiryns as spectacular as the pyramids of Egypt. Greeks of the historical age believed mere humans could not have constructed it and instead attributed the construction of the great Mycenaean citadels to the mythical Cyclops, a race of one-eyed giants. Historians still refer to the huge roughly cut stone blocks forming the massive fortification walls a Cyclopean Masonry.

21 Mainland Greece and the Mycenaean Civilization Citadel at Mycenae Home of Homer and the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. Mycenae was constructed on a hilltop on the slopes of Euboea Mountain. The walls stretched the entire perimeter of the citadel except on the Southeastern edge, where a ravine forms a natural barrier. Another example of Cyclopean Masonry. The triangular rock with the two lions above the main gate represents the ruling family of Mycenae. The city of Mycenae was the center of a large and powerful Mycenaean Greek civilization Another great structure found in Mycenae is the Treasury of Atreus

22 Terra Cotta Incized Sculpture in-the-round Dressed stone Repousse Rhytons Gold-leaf Buon fresco Fresco a secco Citadel Cyclonean construction Chevrons Corbel vault Casemates Megaron