CLAS 160D2 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Knossos, Floor Plan, Infant Mortality
31 Aug 2016
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Neolithic period- when people first started farming. Neolithic figurines exaggerated reproductive features, mostly women. Nude figurines with large hips, breasts, etc. Incredibly high infant mortality, so extra prayers for women. Bronze age: (all writing is basically tax records, economy, all we know about them) Tholos tomb- showed ritual activity for multiple burials in each tomb and for a few families, very important to be buried with ancestors. Palaces began to emerge, knossos, phaistos, mallia, zachros. Minoan culture spread and had much influence on surrounding areas. Arthur evans excavated the site of knossos. Floor plan of the palace is very maze-like, so story of minotaur has some stance. Bulls were very popular in paintings of this time, story of minotaur influenced culture--paintings found in egypt, minoan culture spread. Theory is bull leaping happened in the middle of the palace. Spyridon marinatos excavated the site of akrotiri- bronze age town. Had great trench at troy to discover things, looked at layers.
