MinoanS & Mycenaeans Lifelong Learning Course
Spring 2014Dr. Douglas Kenning
Minoan / Mycenaean timeline
evidence of food producing economy, simple hut construction, and seafaring in mainland Greece and the Aegean
………
movements of Indo-European peoples into Europe
Sumerian Civilization begins in Mesopotamia
settlements of Vasiliki, Myrtos, Fournou Korifi, & Trypiti eastern Crete
Early Minoan tholos (“beehive”) tombs House of Tiles at Lerna, Greece
Old Kingdom begins in Egypt
Assyrian & Babylonian Civilizations arise in Mesopotamia
settlement of Akrotiri, Thera (Santorini)Grave Circle B at Mycenae Linear A script used1st destruction of Minoan palaces by earthquakepalaces rebuilt grander than before
eruption of Thera (Santorini) volcanoGrave Circle A at Mycenae
7000 BCE
……
4500~2000 BCE
4~3000
3000 BCE
2600 BCE
2000 BCE
1700 BCE
1627 BCE
Neolithic Period(7000-3000 BCE)
Early Bronze Age (3000-2000) Minoan Prepalatial or: EMIA, EMIB (3000-2600), also Early Minoan, Early Cycladic Early Helladic Period
Minoan Prepalatial Period or: EMIIA, EMIIB, MMIII (2600-2000)
Early Middle Cycladic (2000-1600) & Middle Helladic Period or Middle Bronze Age (2000-1550)
Minoan Protopalatial Period or: MMIA, MMIB, MMI IA, MMI IB, MMI IIA, MMI IIB, LMIA Early (1900-1700)
Minoan Neopalatial Periodor: LMIA Advanced, LMIA Final, LMIB Early, LMIB Late, LMII (1700-1400)
legends: early versions of Jason & Argonauts, Heracles & Oedipus
shaft graves & tholos tombs at Mycenae
sudden destruction of Cretan palaces (except Knossos)beginning of Mycenaean dominance of AegeanLinear B script introduced (used ca. 1450-1180)Mycenaeans expand trade & build palaces
Palace of Knossos destroyed
"Sea Peoples" begin raids in the Eastern Mediterranean
high point of Mycenaean civilization
Trojan War (sometime between 1250 & 1180)
destruction of many Mycenaean palacesDoric (Dorian) invasions? (1200-1100)Sea Peoples ? (1200-1100)
destruction of Miletus and resettlement
disturbances across the Aegean regionMycenaeans become wanderers, dispossessed of their
civilizationthey settle on the mainland of Greece & Asia Minor
1600 BCE
1550 BCE
1450 BCE
1400 BCE
1370 BCE
1300 BCE
1250 BCE
1200 BCE
1180 BCE
1100 BCE
1000 BCE
Late Bronze Age or the Greek ‘Heroic Age’ (1600-1100)
Late Helladic Period (1500-1100)
Minoan Postpalatial Period or
LMIIIA1, LMIIIA2, LMIIIB, LMIIIC (1400-1100)
Mycenaean Period(1300-1000)
Sub-Mycenaean Period (1180-1050)
Sub-Minoan Period (1150-950)
“Dark Age” of Greece(1100-700)
Achilles at war