Introduction to Minoan Arts and Crafts

As we continue our study of ancient art and ancient cultures, we move on to another ancient civilization, the Minoans!

During the Bronze Age, the Minoans chose to live in fertile valleys near the sea on the island of Crete, which offered opportunity for trade with foreigners and created rapid growth of towns. The mountainous regions near by, provided these early towns with natural resources and pure spring waters, necessities for building prosperous civilizations.

Eventually, the capital of Knossos was built and much of what we know of the Minoan civilization comes for the artwork, artifacts, and architecture found in the ancient ruins of this famous city. Homer even wrote about it in the Iliad:

"Clan after clan poured out from the ship and huts onto the plain...innumerable as the leaves and blossoms in their season...the Athenians...the men of Argos and Tiryns of the Great Walls...troops from the great stronghold of Mycenae, from wealthy Corinth...from

Knossos

...Phaistos..and the other troops that had their homes in Crete of the Hundred Towns

Study the following pictures of Minoan artwork. I want you to look at two things:patterns and similarities with another ancient civilization.What do you think was important to the Minoans?