Midterm 1 Flashcards
(118 cards)
What material sources are used to recover information and history from Ancient Greeceq
Metals like gold, silver, and bronze. But especially, decorative pottery. Papyrus, wood, cloth, and other softer materials do not hold up well underground
“It is mainly on the basis of _______ that [historians] are able to construct a chronology for prehistoric and early historic Greece that can be translated into actual dates.”
Pots
“The most common medium for writing was _____________”
Papyrus
“The most common medium for writing was _____________”
Papyrus
True or False: Letters and contracts tended to be preserved more than literature
False
Why was papyrus more likely to survive in Egypt and Northern Africa
Sand
What were the Greeks’ primary method of travel
Seas
Put the following eras/ages in order:
- Neolithic Era
- Paleolithic Era
- Bronze Age
- Mesolithic Era
- Paleolithic Era (40,000 - 10,000)
- Mesolithic Era (10,000 - 7,000)
- Neolithic Era (7,000 - 3,000)
- Bronze Age (3,000 - 1,200)
Who was Sir Arthur Evans
Discovered a huge complex at Cnossus on Crete in 1900. It verified the existence of the Minoans, adding thousands of years of history to Greece
Who was Heinrich Schliemann
A German archaeologist who uncovered Troy and Mycenae
What was the House of Tiles
A monumental house in Lerna, a small village that expanded rapidly in the early Bronze Age, with two stories and stone-fortified walls built for high-class individuals (royalty) and/or communal feasts
Describe the Minoan Civilization
A civilization on the island of Crete that organized itself into several small city-states, each with palace centres that controlled the surrounding area
Describe Minoan Palaces
The political and administrative centre of the city-state, the focal point of all economic, state, and religious activities. It had a maze-like structure with a central court, which may have given rise to the legend of the labrynth
Describe Linear A scripts
Used by Minoans on Crete between 1800 and 1450, still undeciphered and unrelated to Greek, it was used mainly for accounting and religious purposes
Describe Linear B scripts
Used by Mycenaeans (not Minoans), language was an early form of Greek, used for accounting
What are shaft graves
Deep, rectangular pits in which bodies were lowered into, typically 2-5 people per shaft grave
What happened between the Minoans and the Mycenaeans between the years 1500-1450
The Mycenaeans took control of Crete, leading to the Mycenaeans adopting the Minoans’ culture and religion for subsequent generations
Explain the differences between Minoan and Mycenaean architecture
Mycenaean architecture was similar with a few key differences:
- smaller
- less well-built
- located on a commanding hill
- fortified by high, thick walls
- replaced Minoan courtyard with ‘megaron’
What is a megaron
A large, rectangular hall with a smaller anteroom, a portico in the front, and an opening onto a courtyard. It was the ceremonial centre of the palace, but would serve as the Chieftain’s house during later years when Mycenaean palaces were destroyed/abandoned
What is a tholos
An impressive Mycenaean tomb, they were large, stone, beehive-shaped tombs carved into a hillside
Place the following classes in order of the Mycenaean hierarchy:
- Lords
- Craftsmen
- Leader of the Army
- Slaves
- Knights
- King
- King
- Leader of the Army
- Lords
- Knights
- Craftsmen
- Slaves
Describe Mycenaean religion
An adoption of the Minoan religion, in that they worshipped primarily female deities, with one in particular referred to as “mother goddess” that controlled fertility of plants and animals. There were still the Greek gods, like Zeus, Poseidon, etc. that were acknowledged but not depicted in art/architecture as frequently
Describe Mycenaean religion
An adoption of the Minoan religion, in that they worshipped primarily female deities, with one in particular referred to as “mother goddess” that controlled fertility of plants and animals. There were still the Greek gods, like Zeus, Poseidon, etc. that were acknowledged but not depicted in art/architecture as frequently
What is a wanax
A Mycenaean king and warrior who controlled the accounting of the common peoples’ possessions for the purpose of maintenance and sacrifices to the Mycenaean gods