1. Minoa
and the story of Theseus and the Minotaur

2. Arthur Evans loved mythology.

3. Especially the story of
Theseus and the Minotaur.
Theseus and the Minotaur.

4. And from the story, he thought he
could prove that King Minos was
from

5. Crete

6. So he went to Crete, and he and
archaeologists found the remains of
an ancient city
an ancient city

7. a large city, in fact ancient Crete had
many cities...

8. as well as ancient palaces

9. With many rooms!
So many rooms one might get lost!
So many rooms one might get lost!

10. The palace walls were decorated
with colorful paintings

12. Depicting a peaceful people

13. Whose lives depended on the sea

14. for trade

15. They traveled to the mainland for
food
They could not grow all the food they would need for

16. But they did have tin!
An essential ingredient that traders during the Bronze

17. In their cities, we see the use of
gold and bronze to make many
things, including the labrys, or
double headed axe.

18. We believe they had kings, who
also acted as priests,

19. Who wore a bull mask during
ceremonies

20. They had religion.
...goddesses were important...such as the snake

21. ...the Mistress of the Animals

22. ... and the goddess who looked after the crops

23. They believed in an afterlife
...and buried their dead with food and a few possessions

24. in chests like these.
(notice anything on this one?)

25. We know they had a written
language.
Creatively called “Linear A”

26. But we can’t really read it.

27. Although some scholars believe the
Cretan word for king is “Minos”
Cretan word for king is “Minos”

28. They had some system of indoor
plumbing

29. And they had depictions of bulls
everywhere!

30. Horns by their palaces

31. And depictions of bull leaping

32. On walls, on rings, and in statues

33. Was it a sport? A religious
ceremony?
(Or just the workings of an over-active imagination?

34. Arthur Evans, became Sir Arthur
Evans, and named the civilization he
found Minoa

35. for the story of King Minos.

36. So... why did the Minoan civilization
end?

37. Was due to the start of the Iron
Age?
... you don’t need tin to make iron!

38. Was it a volcanic eruption?
(We know there was one around 2000 BC)

39. On the island of Thera

40. That spewed ash,
causing famine

41. Or the volcanic eruption
may have caused a tsunami
may have caused a tsunami

42. We know the eruption may have
caused the end of the Xia
dynasty....in China!

43. If these did not end the Minoan
civilization
It weakened them, allowing the more war-like

44. Ending the Minoan culture

45. Your turn: Which parts of Minoan
culture could point to some truth in
the story?