• 11/10 Focus: 11/10 Focus: – The earliest civilizations in Greece

were the Minoans and the Mycenaeans – Both were trading societies but both

disappeared and were replaced by Greek city states

• Important Terms: Important Terms: • Frescos, Dark AgeFrescos, Dark Age

• Do Now:Do Now:– What geographic feature made it

difficult to unite ancient Greece

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MinoanMinoan CivilizationCivilization• Developed on

Crete• 3,000 BC -2,000

BC• Sailed and traded

throughout the Aegean Sea

• Established colonies on islands in the Aegean

MinoanMinoan CivilizationCivilization

• Minoan Life– Archeological

evidence• Named Minoan

civilization after King Minos• Knossos

– Capital city – Minos’s palace

located here

• Lack of defensive walls – indicate they

were not afraid of attack

MinoanMinoan CivilizationCivilization

• Had a written language– Historians have not

been able to decipher

• Frescos • Minoan artwork

painted on walls • Provides much of the

information on Minoan life

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Minoan CivilizationMinoan Civilization• Frescos tell us :– The importance of the

sea in Minoan life– women had high

status –Minoans enjoyed

sporting events and nature

Minoan CollapseMinoan Collapse• Civilization ends

around 1200 BC• Theory– Natural disasters

weakened the Minoan civilization• Large volcanic eruption

on the nearby island of Thera

• Eventually conquered by Mycenaeans

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Mycenaean CivilizationMycenaean Civilization• Indo-Europeans

migrated into Greece

• Begin trading with the Minoans – Adopted Minoan

culture• Architecture• pottery • Frescos

• Become expert sailors and traders– Increased wealth and

power

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Mycenaean CivilizationMycenaean Civilization

• Mycenaean cities were ruled by powerful warrior kings

• Built fortified cities• Warfare was very

common

WarWar• Mycenaean kings

launched a series of wars against Hittites in Anatolia

• The Trojan War– Legendary war

discussed in Greek Mythology and literature (Homer’s Illad and the Odyssey)

– Archeological discovery in western Turkey may be the city of Troy

– City appears to have been destroyed in battle

End of Mycenaean End of Mycenaean CivilizationCivilization

• War, drought, famine, and economic decline brought an end to Mycenaean civilization

• Led to a dark age (1100 BC)– People left cities– People struggled to survive–Written records stop – Frequent attacks from outside invaders

ClosureClosure

• Identify one theory as to why to Minoan civilization collapsed.

• Identify one theory as to why the Mycenaean civilization collapsed.

• What knowledge was lost in Greece for a period of time after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization.

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