The Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean cultures flourished in the Aegean region between 3000-1100 BC. The Cycladic culture arose on the Aegean islands, known for their marble figurines. Minoan culture developed on Crete, famous for its palace at Knossos with frescoes of bull leaping. Mycenaean culture emerged in Greece, constructing megaron-style palaces and the Lion Gate at Mycenae. All three cultures influenced later Greek art and architecture through styles like frescoes before declining around 1100 BC.

1. ANCIENT AEGEAN

2. Where are the Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean cultures geographically
located?
What are the main styles of art of each?
What cultures did they influence in later years?
What happened to each of these cultures?

3. TERMINOLOGY:
Buon Fresco
Knossos
Megaron
Corbelling
Courses
Tholos
Repoussse'

4. Cycladic: 3000-1600 BC on islands in the Aegean Sea
Minoan: 2000-1200 BC on the island of Crete
Mycenaean: 1400-1100 BC on peninsula of Greece

6. Figurine of a woman, from Syros (Cyclades),
Greece, ca. 2500-2300 BCE. Marble, approx. 1’6” high.

8. Male lyre player, from Keros (Cyclades),
Greece, ca. 2700-2500 BCE. Marble, approx. 9” high.

9. Ruins of Palace of Minos, Knossos, Island of Crete, Greece ca. 1700-1400 BCE.

11. Stairwell in the residential quarter of the palace at Knossos
(Crete), Greece, ca. 1700-1400 BCE.

18. ***Minoan woman or goddess (La Parisienne), from the palace at Knossos
(Crete), Greece, ca. 1450-1400 BCE. Fragment of a fresco. Approx. 10” high.

20. Toreador Fresco -Bull-leaping, from the palace at Knossos
(Crete), Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. BUON Fresco, approx. 2’8” high, including border.

24. Landscape with swallows (Spring Fresco),
Akrotiri, Thera (Cyclades), Greece, ca. 1650 BCE. Fresco, approx. 7’6” high
Now exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum Athens

25. Ship Fresco (left section- and right section), from Akrotiri, Thera, c. 1650–1500 B.C.,

26. Boxing Children ,
from Akrotiri, Thera,
c. 1650–1500 B.C

27. Crocus Gatherers Akrotiri, fresco 1650-1625 B.C.E

29. Minoan Spouted jar, c. 1800 B.C.

30. Octopus jar, from Palaikastro,
(Crete), Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. Approx. 11” high.

31. Kamares-ware, jar,
from Phaistos
(Crete),Greece,
ca. 1800-1700 BCE.
Approx. 1’8” high.

33. Snake Goddess, from the palace at Knossos
(Crete), Greece, ca.1600 BCE. Faience, approx. 1” 1 ½” high.

34. ***Young god(?),
from Palaikastro
(Crete), Greece, ca. 1500-1475 BCE.
Ivory, gold, serpentine and rock crystal,
original height approx. 1’ 7 ½”

35. Reconstruction drawing of the Mycenaean MEGARON

36. Aerial view of the citadel at Tiryns, Greece, ca. 1400-1200 BCE.

37. Corbelled gallery
in the walls of the citadel,
Tiryns, Greece,
ca. 1400-1200 BCE

38. Three methods of spanning a
passageway:
post and lintel,
corbelled arch,
arch.

39. Plan of the palace
and southern
part of the CITADEL,
Tiryns, Greece,
ca. 1400-1200 BCE

40. Megaron, Palace of Nestor, Reconstruction Drawing 1300 BCE

41. Lion Gate, Mycenae, Greece, ca.
1300-1250 BCE. Limestone,
relief panel approx. 9’6” high.

44. Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1300-1250 BCE

49. Vault of the THOLOS of the
Treasury of Atreus,
Mycenae, Greece, ca.
1300-1250 BCE. Approx. 43’ high.

52. Inlaid dagger blade with lion hunt, from Grave Circle A,
Mycenae Greece, ca. 1600-1500 BCE. Bronze,
inlaid with gold, silver and niello, approx. 9” long.

54. “Mask of Agamemnon,” from Mycenae, Funerary mask, from the Grave Circle A,
ca. 1600-1500 BCE. REPOUSSE: hammered gold, approx. 1’ high

55. Minoan and Mycenaean cups from Vapheio, near Sparta, 16th century B.C.

58. WRITING
Linear A: hieroglyphic language that is un-translated.
Linear B: translated language related to Greek.