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