Recent data places the bulk of the ash deposits of the volcano to the East caried by the easterly jet streems of the area, with little effect upon the island of Crete D.
Pyle, "New estimates for the volume of the Minoan Eruption". The biggest blow to this theory came in from studies conducted at the Greenland ice cap. Scientists dated frozen ash from the Thera eruption and concluded that it occurred in BC, some years before the final destruction of the Minoan palaces.
Even so, the tsunamis and earthquakes associated with the Thera eruption could have still caused much physical damage to the Minoan fleet and infrastructure, and it would have affected the climate, the economy, and the politics of the region. However, it is doubtful that it could have caused in itself the end of the Minoan civilization. After all, the Minoan society had exhibited acute reflexes in its past history when it rebounded from other physical disasters to elevate its culture to even higher levels.
So why did it not recover after the destructions of BC? Another factor that might have contributed to the end of Minoan civilization is the invasion and occupation of Crete by the Mycenaeans. Their documented invasion took place around , and in combination with the effects of the Thera eruption present a likely scenario for the final destruction of the Minoan civilization.
In this theory, the Minoan fleet and ports were destroyed by the 50 foot waves and were never rebuilt. Possible climatic changes affected crops for many years, which in turn could have led to economic downfall and social upheaval.
In this background, the foreign invaders from Mycenae provided the conclusion to a splendid culture which flourished for years. One question still remains however. How did the inhabitants of Mycenae escape the effects of the volcanic eruption, when the Minoan civilization was brought to its knees by them?
Considering the topography of the Aegean, and accepting the enormity of the volcanic eruption of Thera, it is hard to understand how the Mycenaeans who were just as vulnerable were able to overcome the destruction, while at the same time they were able to preserve or rebuilt their fleet and to mount an ambitious expedition to conquer the vast island of Crete.
The questions regarding the destruction of the Minoan civilization linger precariously as the historical records do not provide a definitive answer, and it is these persistent questions which have shrouded prehistoric Crete with an aura of seductive enchantment.
Habitation and Chronology of Crete Archaeological evidence testifies to the island's habitation since the 7th millennium BC After the 5th millennium BC we find the first evidence of hand-made ceramic pottery which marks the beginning of the civilization Evans, the famed archaeologist who excavated Knossos, named "Minoan" after the legendary king Minos. Protopalatial Minoan Crete BC The protopalatial era began with social upheaval, external dangers, and migrations from mainland Greece and Asia Minor.
Neopalatial Minoan Crete BC The destroyed palaces were quickly rebuilt on the ruins to form even more spectacular structures. Doric Crete Under Doric dominance, Crete social structure shifted from monarchy to aristocracy, and Archaic culture and art permeates the island.
Some Thoughts on the Demise of Minoan Civilization One of the favorite themes for discussion among scholars is the possible causes for the destruction of the Minoan Civilization.
Thera and the Aegean World III, see bibliography The biggest blow to this theory came in from studies conducted at the Greenland ice cap. Home Index Contact About Bibliography. The majority of the burials are thought to date to the middle of the Minoan period - around 3, years ago.
The analysis focused on mitochondrial DNA mtDNA extracted from the teeth of the skeletons, This type of DNA is stored in the cell's "batteries" and is passed down, more or less unchanged, from mother to child. They then compared the frequencies of distinct mtDNA lineages, known as "haplogroups", in this ancient Minoan set with similar data for other populations, including ancient samples from Europe and Anatolia as well as modern peoples.
The comparison seemed to rule out an origin for the Minoans in North Africa: the ancient Cretans showed little genetic similarity to Libyans, Egyptians or the Sudanese. They were also genetically distant from populations in the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudis, and Yemenis.
The population showed particular genetic affinities with Bronze Age populations from Sardinia and Iberia and Neolithic samples from Scandinavia and France. The extensive written records that do exist and have been deciphered show a highly controlled flow of goods into and out of state storehouses. The standard of living was high. Within the palace complexes… sophisticated plumbing, wonderful frescoes, plaster reliefs and open courtyards.
People had leisure time and devoted a good portion of it to sports, religion and the arts. While we can only guess at their religious beliefs, the remains of their artwork suggest a polytheistic framework featuring various goddesses, including a mother deity. The priesthood was also completely female, although the King may have had some religious functions as well.
In fact the role of women- as religious leaders, entrepreneurs, traders, craftspeople and athletes far exceeded that of most other societies, including the Greeks. This finding seems to suggest that either there were no serious threats to the island or—more likely—that patrolling ships were enough to guard its coastlines.
A maritime force would have also protected the trading routes, harbors, and strategic points, such as Amnisos, the port that served the capital, Knossos. As Minoan culture and trade radiated across the Aegean, communities on the islands of the Cyclades and the Dodecanese near the coast of modern-day Turkey were radically changed through contact with Crete. Cretan fashions became very popular in the eastern Mediterranean. Local island elites first acquired Cretan pottery and textiles as a symbol of prestige.
Perhaps the clearest sign of Minoan influence was the appearance of its writing system in the languages of later cultures. One of the oldest was discovered by Arthur Evans and is now known as Linear A. Despite not yet being deciphered, scholars believe it is the local language of Minoan Crete.
But it must have been an important regional common language of its day, as Linear A has been found inscribed on many of the clay vessels discovered on islands across the Aegean.
The other script, called Linear B, evolved from Linear A. Deciphered in the s, Linear B is recognized as the oldest known Greek dialect. The Minoans also maintained trading relationships with Egypt, Syria, and the Greek mainland.
Their trade routes may have extended as far west as Italy and Sicily. Certain locations had especially close ties with Crete and its sailors. The city of Akrotiri on the island of Thera modern-day Santorini is one of the best preserved of these Minoan settlements. A volcanic eruption around the 16th century B. Its walls boasted stunning murals of brightly colored, stylized images of sparring boxers, climbing monkeys, swimming dolphins, and flying birds.
The quality of the paintings uncovered at Akrotiri suggests that artists either from Crete or influenced by its culture had set up workshops in this city. Other Aegean settlements bearing clear evidence of Minoan influence include the Cycladi islands of Melos and Kea, and islands in the Dodecanese, such as Rhodes.
The settlement of Kastri, on the island of Cythera, south of the Peloponnesian peninsula of the Greek mainland, is another example of Cretan cultural power. Built to exploit the local stocks of murex—a mollusk highly prized for its purple ink used for dyeing cloth—Kastri is purely Minoan in its urban planning.
But even this town was not a colony. There is no evidence that these places were politically subject to Crete, as it is not believed that they paid any kind of tribute beyond the money exchanged when trading goods. Minoan civilization declined by the late 15th century B. One theory is that the volcanic eruption on Thera damaged other cities along Minoan trade routes, which hurt Crete economically.
Taking all the evidence available, the volcano did not directly affect life on Crete—about 70 miles to the south.
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