Two Astonishing Cultures from Ancient Greece that Collapsed
By: Charles Stephen
Tags: Greece, Ancient History, History, Culture, Ancient Greece

Minoan Culture — the island nation

As with many early civilizations, it is challenging to learn about the Minoans because only material evidence exists¹. They started creating large urban centers about 2000 B.C. on the island of Crete. From that point on, they spread to other Aegean islands for the next 600 years.

For the most part, they were an island-based civilization, with Knossos as the most well-known of all Minoan centers. Another primary Minoan site was on the island of Thera (which is modern-day Santoríni), where the city of Akrotíri was located.

Inside the ancient Minoan Palace of Knossos (1700 BC) — Image by Public Domain

Minoan palace structures typically had many interconnected rooms clustered around a large, open courtyard located in the center. There were no apparent walls around Minoan cities, very few weapons have been found in these sites, and their art reflects hardly any warfare.

Most scholars believe that the absence of walls and lack of weapons indicates that the Minoans were a peaceful society. Others point out that they were an island nation with a powerful navy and didn’t need those things.

One thing that is not questioned, however, is that the Minoans had an abundance of wealth. All Minoan palaces had many storerooms that contained giant storage jars indicating this fact.

Minoan society

The bull was an important symbol for the Minoans². Bulls have been observed quite often in frescoes and sculptures. Perhaps the most ubiquitous symbol found at Minoan sites is their depiction of bulls’ horns.

A very well-known Minoan fresco shows young men and women gripping bulls’ horns and vaulting across their backs. It is not clear whether this was a religious ritual or a sport.

A famous statue was discovered at Knossos of a bare-breasted woman in glamourous clothes with outstretched arms and holding two snakes. It is believed that she is a goddess or a priestess.

The peaceful nature of the Minoans and the frequent existence of women in their art indicate that females held influential positions in Minoan society. However, as with many Minoan discoveries, there are no texts to confirm this.

The Minoans did develop a writing system that is referred to as Linear A. But so far, their texts have yet to be deciphered.

Minoan collapse

One thing that worked against the Minoans was that the islands on which they lived were quite prone to natural disasters. Massive earthquakes were always shaking Crete, several of which flattened large sections of Knossos. After each of these events passed, the city was rebuilt.

Some time around 1500 B.C., the island of Thera was demolished by a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. The middle of the island exploded and showered the city of Akrotiri, which was located on the coast. The city was completely buried and preserved, much like Pompeii and Herculaneum.

By the time 1200 B.C. rolled around, the Minoan civilization had collapsed. Their population fell and their cities were left abandoned — many were left with signs of violent destruction. Could it have been invaders³, internal friction, or a bevy of natural disasters? Perhaps it was a combination of them.

No one knows for sure.