computer model of the palace at Knossos.

http://www.lfc.edu/academics/greece/KnosTour.htmll -- A :
quick tour of Minos’ palace at Knossos. Well illustrated; ,
includes a floor plan.
WORLD 
http://www.lfc.edu/academics/greece/BrzMin.html -- A
good summary of Minoan civilization.
ALMANAC
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21123n/e211wn01.html --’
From the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, a site on the palace
=VIDEO=
at Knossos.
http://www.culture.gr/2/21/211/21123a/e211wa07.html --
The Hellenic Ministry of Culture’s page on the ruins at
Phaistos. Contains links to other Minoan sites. LEGACY OF ANCIENT
http://www.greekciv.pdx.edu/others/atlantis/minoans.htm
-- From Portland State University, a site on the Minoans ’ CIVILIZATIONS
designed for middleschoolers.
Other Resources:
FOR STUDENTS:
-p.
THE MINOANS

THE
Baumann, Hans. Lion Gate and Labyrinth. Pantheon
Books, 1967.
Caselli, Giovanni. In Search of Knossos: The Quest for To order this and other

MINOANS
the Minotaur’s Labyrinth. Peter Bedrick Books, 1999. I
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Theseus and the Minotaur. programs call:
Holiday House, 1992. (888) 570-5400
Hutton, Warwick. Theseus and the Minotaur. M.K.
McElderry Books, 1989. Take a journey to a land where history
Robinson, Charles Alexander. The First Book of Ancient
Crete and Mycenae. F. Watts, 1964. and myth are mysteriously
Ventura, Piero. In Search of Ancient Crete. Silver intertwined. The peaceful Minoans
Burdett, 1985.
FOR ADULTS: ruled the sea, controlling trade routes,
Castelden, Rodney. Minoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete. amassing wealth, and creating a land
Routledge, 1993.
Cotterell, Arthur. The Minoan World. Scribner, 1980. of abundance, art, and sport centered
Cottrell, Leonard. The Bull of Minos: The Discoveries of upon a great palace. This stupendous
Schliemann and Evans. Facts on File, 1984.
Farnaux, Alexandre. Knossos: Searching for the structure was so intimidating to those
Legendary Palace of King Minos. Harry N.Abrams, who came later that it gave birth to one
1996.
Higgins, Reynold. Minoan and Mycenaean Art. Thames 1 of antiquity’s strangest legends -- a
and Hudson, 1997. I bewildering maze that held deep in its
Horwitz, Sylvia L. The Find of a Lifetime: Sir Arthur
Evans and the Discovery of Knossos. Viking Press, 1981. , center the human-devouring monster
Myers, J. Wilson, et al. Aerial Atlas of Ancient Crete. known as the Minotaur.
Univ. of California Press, 1992.
Willetts, R.F. Everyday Life in Ancient Crete. Putnam, Choices, Inc.
1969. 369 S. Doheny Drive, PMB 1105
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
1999 Choices, Inc.
4 All rights reserved.
 as their ships controlled the sea lanes between Greece,
Syria, and Egypt. Their crafts workers were experts in Phaistos -- Site of a Minoan palace-city complex on
pottery, ivory, metal, and gemstones; their artists painted Crete.
colorful frescoes; and their architects built great palaces, Important Dates:
such as the one discovered by Evans at Knossos. The c. 6000 BC -- Arrival of immigrants on the island of
Minoan civilization disappeared rather suddenly for reasons Crete
that are still unclear. Some experts believe they may have c. 2500 BC -- Beginning of Minoan culture
been the victims of a gigantic tidal wave that was unleashed c. 2100 BC -- First appearance of large, complex
by the explosion of a volcano on an island nearby. palaces on Crete
Vocabulary: c. 1700 BC -- Crete is devastated by a catastrophic
griffin -- Mythical animal with the head and wings of an earthquake and fire.
eagle and the body of a lion. Depicted in Minoan frescoes. c. 1700 - 1450 BC -- An era known as the “Period of the
Kamares -- Type of Minoan pottery; named after the cave Later Palaces,” a time in which the Minoan palaces were
in which it was discovered. rebuilt.
labyrinth -- a maze; usually one that people can walk c. 1350 BC -- Collapse of Minoan civilization.
through. 1900 -- Arthur Evans discovers the remains of the
Linear Script A -- One of the forms of writing developed palace at Knossos
by the Minoans. It has not yet been deciphered (another 1935 -- Evans leaves Crete at age 84
script found on Crete, Linear B, was deciphered in the Things To Think About:
1950’s; it turned out to be the oldest known form of Greek.) • What does the archaeological evidence tell us about
Minotaur -- legendary monster, half-man and half-bull, the status of women in Minoan society? How do their
After studying the map and reading about the Minoans, read said to be confined in the labyrinth at Knossos. hair styles compare to what might be seen today?
the sections on vocabulary and important people, places, and Mount Iouctas -- Mountain near Knossos and source of • Investigate the career of Sir Arthur Evans. How did he
dates to provide a focus while viewing the program. After the city’s fresh water. become interested in Crete and what obstacles did he
viewing the program, review the sections listed and consider Parisienne, La -- Name given to a woman depicted on a have to overcome to conduct his excavations?
theThings To Think About. Research topics further using the Minoan fresco; so-called because of her resemblance to a • Research the history and types of labyrinths and
Internet and other resources provided. Parisian woman of the 19th century. mazes. Try drawing one of your own.
Phaistos disk -- Minoan disk containing undeciphered • The archaeological evidence suggests that music
The Minoans in Their Time: characters created by an ancient form of writing. played a significant role in Minoan culture. Based on
One of the most powerful myths handed down by the pithoi -- Large decorated jars used by the Minoans for what you know about the Minoans, what do you think
ancient Greeks tells of the fabled King Minos, who storage. their songs were about ? Just for fun, try creating a
ordered the construction of a vast, mazelike building Zeus -- Mythological king of the Greek gods and "Top Ten" list of possible Minoan song titles.
called the labyrinth. Within this structure, he imprisoned goddesses; said to have been born and raised on Crete. • Why was the island of Crete subject to earthquakes
the monster known as the Minotaur, a creature with the Important People: and volcanic disaster? Find a map of earthquake zones
head of a bull and the body of a man that was fed on Evans, Sir Arthur -- British archaeologist who spent and locate Crete on it.
human sacrifice. For centuries this tale remained no nearly 40 years conducting excavations in Crete. • Two animals represented in Minoan art are the
more than legend. And then in the 1890s an Minos -- Legendary king of Crete and ruler of the dolphin and the bull. What symbolic importance
archaeologist named Arthur Evans began uncovering, on Minoans. did the Minoans give these creatures?
the island of Crete, the remains of a civilization that Important Places: • Did the Minoans emphasize or downplay military
flourished between 2500 and 1350 BC. To Evans’ Aegean Sea -- Arm of the Mediterranean Sea off southeast power? What factors would have affected their policy?
surprise, he found the ruins of a great palace with Europe between Greece and Turkey. Internet Resources:
hundreds of interconnected rooms and hallways -- a Crete -- At the southern limit of the Aegean Sea, the largest http://www.wsu.edu:8080/%7Edee/MINOA/MINOA
building so complex that it could easily have impressed of the Greek islands. NS.HTM -- From Washington State University, a site
visitors as having been as bewildering as a maze. Not Hagia Triada -- Minoan city and archaeological site where rich in information on the Minoans, with sections on
only that, the sacred animal of the people who lived there a coffin depicting Minoan religious processions was such topics as women, visual culture, bull-jumping, and
was a bull! Evans called these people “Minoans,” after discovered. more.
the legendary monarch, and today, thanks to the studies Knossos -- Ancient city on Crete; important archaeological http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/ Palace_
of Evans and others, we know a great deal about them. site and legendary capital of King Minos and location of at_Knossos.html -- Photographs, plans and 3D
For centuries, the Minoans had a thriving maritime trade the labyrinth.
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