Greek civilization and cultural development are the basis and foundation of all Western civilization. One of the most striking points of this culture so influential is perhaps their mythology, known from Japanese animated television series, blockbuster movies like Troy until 2004, through countless literary inspirations, art paintings etc.But Greece is not only remembered for their mythology, but also by their philosophers, bequeathed to posterity the basis of contemporary knowledge, both of philosophy, the mother science as the disciplines derived from the various areas occupied these great thinkers .They also emphasize the Sophists, versed in eloquence; Spartans, noble warriors educated from childhood; the Trojan War; such famous structures like the Acropolis, this until today. Finally, we can make a long list of why Greece is truly immortal. Telling her story, from the beginning, starting with the Helladic Stage, is what will take care now.
The roots of Greek
In addition to crawling through archeology, Greek can help us get to the origins of their civilization. This comes from the protoeuropea which, between 4000 to 2500 BC, evolve to result in multiple dialects, ie the various Indo-European languages.
However, this is not entirely clear and there is much controversy about the origins and branches of these languages.
All types from different Greek dialects of Indo-European, who were brought during the fourth millennium BC, led by many semi-nomadic peoples from Asia. A big influence constitute the Urals, who dispersed into Europe; While it is true that among this people and the Middle East was a great touch and obviously there is similarity in few words, that's all; are not considered, from an academic point of view, the Sumerian and Semitic and Indo-European.
The migratory waves populated Europe and Balkan territories were no exception. While exact dates are not set, it is estimated that between 3500 and 3000 BC, the first Indo-Europeans settled and colonized the Balkan Peninsula from north to south; therefore settled on the current Greece and parts of Anatolia, between 2500 to 2000 BC, in recognition of a long period of adaptation to the ground. Thus began gradually developed Neolithic and sedentary cultures that, over time, develop agriculture and livestock, teamwork, lumbering, fishing, an incipient trade, among other typical activities in pursuit of form a society.
Gradually the tribes based on the patriarchal family, based on the social organization of these primitive Greeks knew not only copper, but bronze were developed; space soon became kings and religious leaders, as well as an assembly of warriors, and at that time there was talk of sacrifices, libations and honors Dyeus fact that can be found, plus Archaeology by the oral poetry, transmitted through generations. In this population of Greece continental and peninsular call Cycladic Civilization is added, which is the result of the occupation of the many islands that exist in the Cyclades archipelago. As we know, Crete and other Mediterranean islands would subsequently occupied by Greeks.
The Minoan culture and Arthur Evans
The name of Greece seems to come from the Latin word graecus imposed by the Romans. They preferred to be called Hellenic native or Hellenes, who formed the Helena culture, from turn of Hellas referring to a region of Greece. So far we have clarified how the Greeks came to the region and surrounding islands. Now depart from the Paleolithic, between 3200-3000 BC, where we can find evidence that some tribes inhabited the current Balkan Peninsula, specifically Central Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades archipelago and finally, the island of Crete.
Although in the Aegean there are dozens of islands, Crete is one of the largest, opening the four cardinal points to many other cultures of that time: the Middle East to the east, the peninsula a little further west, Greece north and Egypt to the south; additionally, Crete has long served as a bridge in the Mediterranean for trade between East and West. This middle ground led to the development of a great culture, receiving a major influence in Egypt and Mesopotamia, which helped him develop thanks to recent cultural and technological advances, and so devise his own style, which would later give rise to that culture Hellenic pillar of Western civilization.
We can affirm that Crete is the origin of European civilization. While the first group who came to this island date back several thousand years ago, and initially made up of small villages from the region of modern Turkey, of all these stresses Knossos, archaeologists established as the capital of the island. However it would not be until about 2600 BC when the Bronze Age comes to Crete and the island became an important center of civilization, the first important step in the history Egea: the Minoan culture.
Between 2600 and 2000 BC, during the Minoan Prepalatial stage, a commercial approach to the island with the neighboring countries occurs. As expected, the location of Crete in a privileged area of the Mediterranean necessarily makes a port and therefore its development is increasing rapidly; population increases and national identity arises. Thus, between 2000 and 1700 BC comes the period of ancient palaces; so called because in this era cities boast large buildings, the most important of the palace of Knossos; among other buildings also have the palace of Phaistos, very striking building.
Both were erected around 2000 BC, and later destroyed in 1700 BC, it is believed, by an earthquake and fire respectively and after its reconstruction from 1500 to 1400 BC, would be completely destroyed again. During his time boom, opulence and size of the temples were a true reflection of the great economic progress that these people obtained through trade. Besides this activity, the Cretans were great farmers of wheat, grapes, olive, among other products, and achieved an important development based on a massive livestock.
As mentioned above, it is believed that the stoppage of Crete as a great nation was first given because of a major earthquake, during the year 1700 BC; Others State was a Hittite invasion, as well as various events and natural disasters. However, the Cretans were recovered, thus starting his third stage, the Modern Palacios, between 1700-1400 BC
If we should heed Thucydides during the third stage the Minoan civilization became a talasocracia usually looking for their ancestors, and especially by the legend of King Minos, this researcher of antiquity assumed as myth, must have some truth, and that the fact of seeking young for sacrifice to Athens, could only mean one thing : a powerful kingdom. But it would take several centuries to re-learn this powerful culture.
Twenty years after the death of HeinrichSchliemmann (1822-1890), the discoverer of Troy, and of whom more later, there was a revolution of archaeological research. The man on duty was Sir Arthur Evans, who began digging on the northern coast of Crete, in the settlement near the ancient Knossos. Like any ambitious adventurer, seeking to make history by finding the royal palace. Evans was not a newbie and already had a record with some success around; He, like Thucydides, expressed great interest by King Minos and wanted to know if this legend, which we will discuss shortly, was real. Although he knew anything more than the Mycenaean era by then thanks to Schliemmann to Evans was like a trunk ready to be dusted.
Evans was not discouraged and research, which fell about five more than the Schliemmann centuries, earned him the symbolic title of Lord Minos of Crete. His efforts earned him the Knossos and then find some other motivated archaeologists continued their investigations, finding more temples and buildings. Evans also corresponds to the division of old and recent Minoan, medium, that would come to replace the divisions mentioned above: Prepalatial, ancient palaces and modern palaces. This is because Evans divisions were based rather than temples in ceramics and arts.
The ceramic has a special place in the separation of temporal stages, because it was the place where the Cretans drew with great skill and using a mixture of colors, products that apparently were much in demand, judging by the findings of a few copies in Egypt. Towards the end of the Middle Minoan are naturalistic drawings that represent high art and experience, inspired by animals and plants.
As we know, some years later these people would be hit by disasters. Despite reconstruction, the decline was evident and the glory of King Minos was buried for centuries until, thanks to Evans and his hard work, they gradually revealing the walls and paintings on the walls that time had achieved hide, especially at Knossos. There a large drainage system, which reflects the lateness of the building and how fundamental hygiene was also found. Jugs, fabrics and other more naturalistic art pieces were also found.
Of all reflected in some seals and ornaments animals, anthropomorphic beings can appreciate headed goat and deer. The Hagia Triada sarcophagus evidence that bull's blood was seen as a vital force that could invoke the deceased or a god through sacrifice. While it was not an object of worship fully, it was clear that cornúpetas beings were an important part of Cretan life. Moreover, excavations have also released the splendid palace of King Minos; according to legends, with labyrinthine corridors and small rooms, halls, corridors, among others. So the question is, was he or mythical Minos real? This question will likely continue into the unknown until more responses arising from the research.
Finally, before moving on to talk a bit about the legend around this town, we can say that a lot of them and their ways known from fresh bequeathed us, where daily life is expressed, from dances, sacrifices and various processions and other rituals to customs. His writing is initially hieroglyphic type, but evolves to a phonetic type called Linear syllabic
expressed in some tablets; however, this finding is due to recent research and writing has not yet been deciphered. Later, this base would be taken by the Mycenaean Linear partly evolve the system B, but that's another story.
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