Aegean Sea
Civilizations - Foundation
of Greek Civilization |
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Click
here to view a map of ancient Aegean Sea civilizations |
6000-2900 BC |
Neolithic Period |
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Neolithic Cultures |
2900-2000 BC |
Early Cycladic Period |
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Named after a small island group (Cyclades) situated in
the center of the Aegean Sea, which developed a unique
and distinctive civilization that flourished from around
3200-2000 BC |
2000-1400 BC |
Minoan Age |
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Bronze Age civilization, centering on the
island of Crete. It was named after the legendary king Minos
who made his capital at Knossos
It is
divided into three periods:
- Early Minoan period (c.3000-2200
BC)
- Middle Minoan period (c.2200-1500 BC)
- Late Minoan
period (c.1500-1000 BC)
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2000 BC |
Minoans develop a hieroglyphic writing system |
1700-1650 BC |
Writing systems of Linear "A" and Linear "B" are developed
by the Minoans |
1628 BC |
Volcano at Thera leaves a crater 8 miles wide and 1 mile
deep, destroying Minoan civilization and giving rise to
the legend of Atlantis
Ruins Minoan
vase Fresco |
1600-1100 BC |
Mycenaean Period |
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Period of high cultural achievement, forming
the backdrop and basis for subsequent myths of the heroes.
It was named for the kingdom of Mycenae and the archaeological
site where fabulous works in gold were unearthed.
- Agamemnon (a central character of Homer's Iliad) was
perhaps the most well-known Mycenaean king.
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1185-1200 BC |
Trojan War |
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Click here to visit the Freewalt.com Trojan War page
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1200 BC |
Dorian Invasion and the "Sea People" |
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Dorians were an Indo-European group of people
who brought iron tools to the region
- Removes remnants of the Minoan civilization left after
the destruction of the volcano at Thera
- Contributes to the decline of the Mycenaean civilization
- Causes nomadic movements of the Greeks
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Invasion of the Sea Peoples destroys Mycenaean
civilization.
Greece enters a 400 year "Dark Age"; writing
was forgotten; cities abandoned. Linear "B" would
not be read again until modern times. Linear "A"
has still not been deciphered.
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