References:
Minoan Civilization
"Aurochs - Bos Primigenius." The Sixth
Extinction. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.
"Malia Minoan Palace & Archaeological Site, Malia,
Crete Island, Greece." Malia Minoan Palace & Archaeological Site,
Malia, Crete Island, Greece. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. resembles a
modern day parisian, hence the name. .
Crete in the past was an island surrounded by myth and mystery. Rumours and legend told of a sophisticated society that inhabited the island thousands of years ago that was destroyed by geographical disasters. Archaeologists attempted to find traces of this past society, but many years passed before any evidence was found. Sir Arthur Evans was the first to discover the lost society. He uncovered a massive palace at Knossos that he claimed was the home of the mythical king Minos. Pottery that was decorated with bulls and depictions of gods was found scattered around the island. The famous society that had been lost for thousands of years had finally been found and named the 'Minoans'. The myth of Theseus and the minotaur takes place in Crete. The civilization is thought to have been destroyed by the resulting consequences of the volcanic eruption at Santorini, but recent evidence suggests otherwise.
Flinders Petrie, one of Britain's leading Egyptian archaeologist in the 1900s, realized that the Aegean had much potential in terms of undiscovered ruins. Petrie had unearthed pottery fragments in Egypt. These pottery fragments were not of Egyptian origin and they dated three-hundred years before the tomb findings of Heinrich Schliemann. This created the assumption that an undiscovered civilization existed somewhere in the Aegean. The hunt to find the lost civilization that came before the Mycenaeans had just begun.
The Minoan civilization had tried and perfected the act of breeding bulls. The result of the Minoan bull breeding led to the 'Aurochs' bull. The Aurochs bull was a wild cattle that inhabited regions, such as Europe, Asia and North Africa. The bull was massive, six-feet high at the shoulders with horns that could grow 80 centimetres in length. The Aurochs was known for being notoriously foul tempered.
After the first traces of the Minoan civilization were unearthed on Crete several more excavations were undergone. These excavations took place all over the island and led to the discovery of pottery, palaces and many more ruins/objects. Some of these findings allowed people to understand the importance of bulls in the Minoan civilization. Many pieces of art and pottery were depicted with images of bulls, emphasizing the critical role that bulls had in the Minoan society. Minoan pottery depicting bulls soon became known as "kamares ware". Bulls were seen as sacred symbols and represented fertility. Religion was extremely important for the Minoans and many festivals were organized that evolved around 'bull leaping'. Certain individuals would grab onto the horns of a charging bull and leap over the beast before landing safely behind it. These festivals were the main form of entertainment in Crete. The 'bull leapers' were seen as heroic individuals and were praised. This crucial form of religious celebration and the people who took part is highlighted in many forms of Minoan society. Several forms of art and many types of pottery all depict and glamourize bull leaping. Minoan art is reflective of the socity' confidence, several pieces demonstrate that they would try any technique and use any material in order to create their pieces. One famous Minoan art piece, "La Parisienne", features a minion women. The women is considered the perfect Minoan and has a elegant and sophisticated aura around her. A visiting french scholar commented on how the depicted women in the artwork resembles a modern day parisian, hence the name.
After the initial find of the palace at Knossos, many more archaeologists began hunting for more Minoan civilization sites. Through handwork and with time several more locations had been discovered, such as Phaistos and Malia. The palace of Malia was unearthed towards the east of Crete and is the third largest site that has been uncovered up to date. According to myth, the palace was inhabited by the brother of King Minos. The palace excavation yielded two unique finds. After the location of the royal burial centre was unearthed and searched a golden pendant depicting two bees was found. Also, a table was discovered inside the central courtyard, which archaeologists believe was used for sacrifices to the gods.
