ANTH 2200 Final: exam prep note 3 CS.doc
Document Summary
Sources: herodotus 3. 122 (p. 222); thucydides 1. 4; archaeological ruins of palaces on crete. Greek mythology: birthplace of zeus; aegeus, minos, pasiphae, the minotaur and the labyrinth, Daedalus and icarus; idea of minos and a thalassocracy"; perhaps called themselves the keftiu". Timespan bronze age civilisation in crete, i. e. minoan civilisation, extends from c. 3000 to 1100 b. c. Knossos, mallia and phaestos dominant; zakros in the east perhaps a joint venture of the others. Three main palaces possibly dominated by one dynasty with king at knossos. 87 letters: 5 vowels combined with 12 consonants. Lb apparently used for recording commodities only, no surviving literature or history, however, extraordinarily useful source social history: diet, commerce, industry, agriculture. Prosperity based on agricultural products (cereals oil, wine, fruit, timber, purple dye) and the ability to export them and import other raw materials (amnisos=port of knossos) Specialist workshops of craftsmen (potters, metalworkers, jewellers) vital to economy.
