The End of the Minoan Civilization - Literature review Example

THE END OF THE MINOAN CIVILIZATION ESSAY Subject Your Name Date Introduction The Minoans occupied the Island of Crete and their sea empire was very rich and powerful. Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age civilization which rose in the Crete Island and got rooted at the shore and islands of Aegean Sea around 3000 to 1100 BCE. The name Minoan itself came from the famous British archeologist Sir Arthur Evans who from 1900 to 1906 excavated the palace at Knossos which is believed to be the capital of the empire of the mythical King Minos. The marine empire was vast and had skilled sailors, artisans, civic engineers, merchants and warriors. The Minoans were well educated and even flourished in business, commerce and mining of minerals. They also engaged in human sacrifice and worshiped snake priestess. The subject about the collapse of the Minoan civilization has remained mysterious until 100 year ago (Thissen, 2005). Though Minoan civilization remains controversial subject, it is believed that their civilization was destroyed by natural disasters of tsunamis and Sontorini volcano eruption in addition to the invasion by the Mycenaeans THE FALL OF MINOAN CIVILIZATION What caused the fall of Minoan civilization is one of the most controversial issues in the history of man civilization. Considering that Minoans were enigmatic people educated, warriors and merchants, artists, and experienced sailors with a well-developed and dominant maritime power, it even becomes harder to find exactly what could have led to the downfall of this well developed and structured civilization1. This explains the reason why many people and scientists have come up to explain this, basing on historical, scientific proofs and even myths. The impact of the Santorini (Thera) volcanic eruption on Thera and Crete Volcanic eruptions which took place in this region during Minoan cyclization are one of the major controversial causes of the Minoa civilization downfall ( Frost, 2012). Many experts believe that the eruption of volcanoes was the main cause of the fall of this civilization. However some archeologists like Stuart Dunn though believe that volcanic ash from Santorini shadowed Crete for a few days but under no circumstances destroyed the Minoan civilization. Archeologists and experts took soil samples to determine whether volcanic activities would have directly interfered with the Minoan activities. The archaeologist Hendrik Bruins took soil samples at shores of Crete and examined. Bruins discovered that the soil contained microorganisms and other species that no known phenomenon would explain their existence. Many Volcanologists and archeologists argue or rather suggest that these volcanic eruption had a great impact on cultural history both of the smaller Aegean and of the larger eastern Mediterranean regions. Major earthquake that occurred in Akrotiri town caused extensive damage, but it is believed that the volcanic eruption that followed this earthquake buried it2. Wrecks of buildings that were as a result of this earthquake have been discovered in these regions. Frescoes, which were the associated with the Minoans, were found deeply buried by the volcanic eruptions. Tsunami experts like Kostas Sinolakis believe that the deposition of debris, pumice, wall plasters, cattle bornes and marine species were carried by the tsunami which resulted from Santorini Volcano. Dr Sinolakis used specialized computer software to reconstruct and enact the way this tsunami travelled across the Aegean building. He managed to develop a full picture of its scale and impact. Other explanations put forward to account for the downfall of Minoan society Other than volcanic eruptions, there are other causes that are believed to be the cause of the down fall of Minoan civilization. Some of these causes are directly linked to the damages that were caused by the tsunami and the volcanic activities. The destruction of the ports by the tsunami made it difficult for the Minoans to use their ships. As already mentioned, ships were very vital for the prosperity and existence of the Minoans. The destruction of the ports meant that the defense of these people was greatly afflicted (Doumas ed.). The Minoans therefore became an easy prey to invaders due to their weak defense. Mycenaean invaders are believed to have been the main cause of the Minoans gradual demise. Mycenaean invaders came to the island from the Greek main land. Archeological evidences shows that the Minoan were attacked by different ferocious enemies at different times. Ravaged statues and monuments have been discovered in palaikastro, while in western Crete, closer to chania, tombs of bodies and weapons that were used by the Minoans have been excavated. This therefore means that the Minoans were attacked by a series of enemies after their defense was weakened by failed ship activities. These continued attacks lead to the gradual downfall of the once great Minoan civilization. Atlantis is mainly understood by scholars as a myth that was explained by Plato. Plato refers Atlantis as an alternating ring of sea and land with a palace at the center. He uses a series a of dialogues to express his ideas. According to the dialogue, there is a very powerful empire located in the island in the Atlantic Ocean. The capital of Atlantis is known for marvelous use engineering and archetectural skills. Atlantis does not only become a prosperous nation, but rather a very powerful empire that rules the entire island. As the empire becomes even more developed, it decides to attach and conquer Greece. The Greek military were so powerful and overpowered the Atlantis. Other than being defeated by the Greek military, Atlantis is attached by other external misfortunes. The empire was hit by severe earthquakes and floods. Plato believes that the Atlantis Island which was a great, peaceful and prosperous nation, its misfortunes are as a result of punishment by the god of the sea. The fall of Atlantis can be compare to that Minoan civilization in that both fell as a result of attaches by their enemies. The two empires are prosperous and peaceful, but they later attached by their enemies who reduce the strength and finally destroy them. Natural disasters such as floods and tsunami are among the other factors that lead to downfall of the Minoan and Atlantis civilizations. What cultural and commercial connections were in place between Minoans and Mycenaeans at the time of the collapse? The Minoans and Mycenaeans cultures had a number of similarities and connections. For instance, both groups were warriors, though the Mycenaeans were noticeably inferior to the Minoans. The Mycenaeans copied most of their art from the Minoans. The writing system Linear A that was associated with the Minoans was also copied by their counterparts Mycenaeans. The two empires had relevant connections in metal work which formed the basis of their economy. Other than Mycenaeans and Minoans having a strong relationship in their cultures, the two groups traded together (Doumas ed.). The Minoans were better traders of metal and gold3; as a result of this they had the opportunity of selling weapons and other metal items to the Mycenaeans who were warriors. The Mycenaeans later conquered the Minoans after they had lost the control of the sea. Does Plato’s account of the lost civilisation of Atlantis have any tenable connection with the end of Minoan civilization? According to Plato, there was an island in the middle of Atlantic Ocean that was inhabited by a very noble and powerful race. They had rich natural resources and used to trade with Africa and Europe. The island was the home for Poseidon, the sea god. For very long, the society led a simple and righteous life. They became greedy and started to fight for power. Their god was angered by their immorality; he punished them with violent earthquakes, explosions and floods. In a one day and night, the island of Atlantis was swallowed up by the sea (Lost civilizations (n.d). According to research, it was discovered that the Minoan civilization was brought to end by: Eruption of the Santorini Volcano – Santorini volcano erupted about 3500 years ago. The volcano’s sudden and violent eruption shook up and destroyed the Minoan civilization. The volcanic ash hit the Cretan shores severely. Scientists and archaeologists have enough evidence to show that the Minoan civilization was harshly destroyed by the Santorini Volcano eruption (Aegean Prehistoric Archaeology (n.d) Tsunamis – an archaeologist called Hendrik Bruins discovered sea micro-organisms of different types at places that no facts could clarify their existence. Some of the tiny sea organisms found were foraminifera and coralline algae which are normally found on seabed4. Marine species pumice and seashells were also found many kilometers away from the coastline. It was then concluded that they could only be deposited there by a tsunami (Minoan Civilization, n.d). The Santorini Volcano triggered the tidal wave which hit the shoes of Crete and wiped out crop plantations, ships, businesses and. Ports and infrastructure were damaged by the tsunami and were never built again. As a result, this led to the resulted to the end of the Minoan civilization. Attack by the Mycenaean people - as a result of volcano eruption and tsunami, the number of Minoans was greatly cut down. The ships and businesses which they relied on were shattered. Consequently, the few Minoans who survived became a cheap prey for the Mycenaean invaders who came from the mainland of Greek. Weapons which belonged to the Mycenaean enemies were found on Crete (Minoan Civilization (n.d). Plato’s theory strengthens archaeological findings in the island of Crete. He talks about millions of Atlantis people who instantly fell to their fiery demise on Crete from Titanic eruptions and floods. According to evidence, it was found that the Minoan civilization was brought to end by eruption of a volcano, tsunamis and invasion by enemies. Santorini volcano eruption can be said to be what Plato called earthquakes and tsunamis the floods. Therefore, there is a tenable connection between Plato’s account on Atlantis and the destruction of the Minoans civilization. The Minoan trading connections and the ‘thalassocracy’ The Minoans were mercantile people who had rich natural resources especially metals i.e. ceramics, copper, tin, gold and silver. Most parts of Crete were covered with forests in the Bronze Age but they burned the forests as they tried to melt metals. Minoans used tin which they alloyed with copper to make bronze. The vast deposits of metal made the empire very wealthy and busy as Mycenaeans and other persons from the mainland would buy their precious metals5. There were valuable gold statutes of their gods and masks at the central hills. This made the Crete Island to be the hub for commerce and trade (Kuniholm,1996) . The island was very fertile with extensive plains and harvests were very abundant. Besides, the land had all sorts of cattle, fruits, nuts, herbs and animals like elephants. Elephant tusks created a lucrative business for the Minoans. The Minoans had excellent ships and artistic works like pottery, paintings and attractive designs (Aegean Prehistoric Archaeology, n.d). Crete had highly skilled artisans and smart engineers who were the first to built paved roads. Also, craftsmen made excellent jewels and metal vessels. They ruled the sea since they were not threatened by external forces from elsewhere. Safety and affluence of the Minoans depended on their superior ships. They had keels which could sail against wind directions. The Minoans and Mycenaeans traded together. They both used bronze for tools and gold for the nobles. The Mycenaeans dealt in military tools and war machinery while the Minoans were very good in trading. Minoans were more sophisticated and rich than all the surrounding communities6. Their skills were superior and unmatched. The Minoans well established connections, affluence and ‘thalassocracy’ (Sea Empire) made them an attractive target for the Mycenaeans and other invaders from the mainland. Both societies existed in almost the same time era and lived on the Crete Island. Cultural and commercial activities of the Minoans and Mycenaeans Both the Minoan and the Mycenaean people traded and reigned in the sea. Sailing in waters was part of their lifestyles. They had related religion and pottery. They worshiped female gods and had many idols. This is evidenced by statutes of female deities in the Minoan society. Men and women of Minoan participated in sports like bull leaping. Their religious practices were not very different; they both worshiped ideals and offered sacrifices in the same way. At the central hill of Crete, there was a temple for the Minoans that housed a very huge gold idol of the Poseidon god riding a wheeled chariot. The Layout of their palaces was comparable even though Minoans’ palaces looked more like administrative centers. The Minoans were more artsy than the Mycenaeans who were warriors and specialized in weaponry. The two societies used metals. The Minoans were the first group to develop a writing system that was called linear A. The Mycenaeans copied a lot from the Minoans but their art remained inferior; they copied the writing art too (Rutter, J. (n.d). Conclusion The Minoan civilization was destroyed all of a sudden and vanished forever leaving behind tokens of its opulence and power. Natural disasters especially the volcano eruption claimed the sophisticated society of Minoans. The whole town was covered by volcanic ash. The destruction of the Minoan civilization is one of its kinds that will be remembered for ages to come. References Cadogan, G (1983) “Early and Middle Minoan Chronology,” AJA 87(1983) 507-518. Doumas (ed.), Thera and the Aegean World II.1-2 (London 1978, 1980), University of the Aegean press, London. Explocreate (2012) minoan-civilization-destruction Retrieved November 27, 2012 from www.explorecrete.com/.../minoan-civilization-destruction.html dartmouth (2012) prehistory/Aegean. Retrieved November 27, 2012 from (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prehistory/aegean/?page_id=769 ) dartmouth (2012) Aegean Prehistoric Archaeology (n.d). Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prehistory/aegean/?page_id=775 Frost, K. T. (2012) “The Critias and Minoan Crete,” JHS 33(1909) 189-206), Oxford press, Oxford. Kuniholm, P. I. (1996) “The Prehistoric Aegean: Dendrochronological Progress as of 1995,” Acta Archaeologica 67(1996) 327-335. Lost civilizations (n.d) Atlantis: The Story of Atlantis Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/Topics/atlantis/story.html Marvin, Myrna C,., James R. , Margaret C. Jacob and Theodore H. (2012) Western Civilization: Ideas, Politics, and Society. Newyork: Cengage Learning Minoan Civilization (n.d). Archaeology, Mythology and History of Crete: Minoan Civilization. Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://www.explorecrete.com/archaeology/minoan-civilization-destruction.html Rutter, J. (n.d) Aegean Prehistoric Archaeology. Retrieved November 27, 2012 from http://www.dartmouth.edu/~prehistory/aegean/?page_id=769 Thissen, L (2005) “Coming to Grips with the Aegean in Prehistory: An Outline of the Temporal Framework, 10,000 – 5,500 cal BC,” in C. Lichter (ed.), (Istanbul) 29-40 Read More