THE BEECHMONT CREST GUIDE TO ANCIENT GREECE
Minoan Crete
Minoan Crete was the first civilization in the Aegean region. Based on the island of Crete, this culture first appeared around 2800 B.C., during the Bronze Age.
As ancient as Minoan Crete civilization is, it is a relatively recent entry in the history books of the modern world. The modern world didn’t know about Minoan Crete until the turn of the twentieth century, when the archaeologist Arthur Evans excavated Minoan Crete ruins at Knossos (near the present-day city of Iraklion) Evans named his discovery after the legendary king Minos.
Evans discovered that the inhabitants of Minoan Crete had been quite busy. He found a network of palaces at Knossos, which were equipped with baths, storerooms, and winding passages. The walls were decorated with frescoes. The storerooms were filled with clay jars that once contained wheat and wine.
There is evidence to indicate that the Minoans were merchants on an international scale. Ancient Egyptian artifacts have been found at Knossos; and Minoan items have been discovered at archaeological sites of the ancient Egyptians.
When they weren’t building palaces or trading around the Mediterranean, the Minoan Cretans enjoyed an unusual sport: bull leaping. Both male and female athletes practiced the sport. The primary participant, the jumper, leapt over an onrushing bull; then a second athlete caught him or her on the other side.
Minoan culture peaked between 2000 and 1450 B.C. Then in 1450 the civilization abruptly came to a halt. The Minoans were the victims of a major catastrophe.
The exact fate of the Minoans has been the source of much speculation. The most exotic hypothesis involves a tsunami. Some historians believe that Minoan civilization was wiped out by a tidal wave that resulted from a volcanic eruption on the nearby island of Thera.
But this theory is not the majority view. Most historians believe that the Minoans were wiped out by another group of people who lived in the area in 1450 B.C.: the Mycenaeans.