Minoan civilization
A Bronze Age civilization centered on Crete, known for palatial centers, maritime networks, distinctive art, and the undeciphered Linear A script.
Knossos: A major Minoan palace complex on Crete, associated with extensive architecture, storage, and administration. Its palace is the civilization’s largest and most famous architectural center.
Minoan palace economy: A system in which palace institutions collected, stored, and redistributed goods in Bronze Age Crete. Storage rooms and administrative records suggest how palace centers managed resources.
Minoan chronology: The archaeological sequence used to date Bronze Age Crete, commonly divided into Early, Middle, and Late Minoan periods. Its periods track the rise, transformation, and decline of Minoan palatial society.
Akrotiri: A Bronze Age settlement on the island of Thera, preserved beneath volcanic ash after the Minoan eruption. Its buildings and paintings illuminate an Aegean world closely connected with Crete.
Linear B: A syllabic script used to write an early form of Greek in Mycenaean administrative records. Its decipherment contrasts with the continuing uncertainty surrounding Linear A.
Phaistos: A Minoan palace site on Crete’s southern coast, occupied from the early Bronze Age into the Late Bronze Age. Its palace shows that Minoan political and administrative centers extended beyond Knossos.
Minoan maritime networks: Seaborne connections linking Crete with islands and coasts around the Bronze Age Mediterranean. These routes carried goods and ideas between Crete and distant communities.
Arthur Evans: A British archaeologist who excavated Knossos and popularized the name “Minoan” for Bronze Age Crete. His excavations shaped modern interpretations of Knossos and the civilization’s identity.
Bull-leaping: A motif in Minoan art depicting figures interacting acrobatically with a bull. It is among the most recognizable images associated with Minoan visual culture.
Michael Ventris: An English architect and linguist who deciphered Linear B with John Chadwick in 1952. The successful decipherment of Linear B sharpened questions about Minoan language.