Prehistoric

Aegean Art
Cycladic, Minoan, and Mycenaean
 Trench 800, Building B

Chryssi Island looking North to Crete

Late Bronze Age pithos

Pottery sherds Ivory dagger handle

Cycladic Islands (Early
Cycladic Art, 30002000 BCE)

Group of tiny islands

Great sources of marble (still
quarried today)
Known for their Cycladic
Figurines

View of Santorini, Cycladic Island

Fig. 4-2. Figurine of a Woman, Cycladic, from Syros,
Greece, ca. 25002300 BCE. Marble, h. 16, National
Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-3. Male Harp Player, Cycladic, from Keros, Greece,
ca. 26002300 BCE. Marble, h. 9, National Archaeological
Museum, Athens.
 Seated Harp Player, Cycladic, from Greece, ca. 28002700
BCE. Marble, h. 11.5, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York City. [information taken from metmuseum.org]

Fig. 4-3. Male Harp Player, Cycladic, from Keros, Greece,

ca. 26002300 BCE. Marble, h. 9, National Archaeological
Museum, Athens.
 Seated Harp Player, Cycladic, from Greece, ca. 28002700
BCE. Marble, h. 11.5, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York City. [information taken from metmuseum.org]

Fig. 4-3. Male Harp Player, Cycladic, from Keros, Greece,

ca. 26002300 BCE. Marble, h. 9, National Archaeological
Museum, Athens.
The Minoans (Middle and
Late Minoan Art, 17001200 BCE)

Lived on Crete
Traded with Egypt and
Mesopotamia
Minoan Hieroglyphs and Linear
A have not been translated
Many aspects of civilization left
unclear:
Government
Economy
View of East Crete
Religion
Fig. 4-5. Plan of Knossos, from Crete, Greece, ca. 1700
1400 BCE.
South Entrance of Knossos, from Crete, Greece, as Second Level looking East, from Knossos, Crete, Greece,
reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans. as reconstructed by Sir Arthur Evans.
Fig. 4-4. Aerial view of Knossos, from Crete, Greece, ca.
17001370 BCE.
Fig. 4-12. Marine Style octopus jar, from Palaikastro,
Crete, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. Clay, h. 11, Herakleion
Archaeological Museum.
Fig. 4-13. Snake Goddess, from Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca.
1600 BCE. Faience, h. 1 1.5, Herakleion Archaeological
Museum.
Fig. 4-8. Bull Leapers, from Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. Fresco,
h. 28, Herakleion Archaeological Museum.
Detail of Bull Leapers, from Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE.
Fresco, Herakleion Archaeological Museum.
Fig. 4-8. Bull Leapers, from Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. Fresco,
h. 28, Herakleion Archaeological Museum.
 Thera
Cycladic island (Santorini)
Active volcano, erupted ca.
1525 BCE
Minoan settlement of Akrotiri

View of Thera, looking south, Greece.

West House, from Akrotiri, Thera, as preserved by volcanic ash.
Fig. 4-9. Spring Fresco, from Akrotiri, Thera, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE.
Fresco, h. 76, National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-10. Crocus Gatherers, from Akrotiri, Thera, Greece, ca.
1500 BCE. Fresco, h. 8 0.125, National Archaeological
Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-10. Crocus Gatherers, from Akrotiri, Thera, Crocus Gatherers, from Akrotiri, Thera, Greece,
Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. Fresco, h. 8 0.125, National ca. 1500 BCE. Fresco, h. 8 0.125, National
Archaeological Museum, Athens. Archaeological Museum, Athens.
The Mycenaeans
(Late Helladic Art, 16001200 BCE)

Lived on the Mainland

Named after major city of
Mycenae
Occupied Crete
Known from the Iliad
Warrior culture
Adapted Minoan art and
culture View from the citadel at Mycenae
Aerial view of the citadel, Tiryns, Greece, ca. 14001200 BCE.

See also Fig. 4-16.

Fig. 4-15. Plan of the palace and southern part of

citadel, Tiryns, Greece, ca. 14001200 BCE.
Lion Gate, from Mycenae, Greece, ca. 13001250 BCE.
Limestone, h. 96.

See also Fig. 4-19.

Exterior of Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1300
1250 BCE.

See also Fig. 4-20.

Interior of Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1300
1250 BCE.

See also Fig. 4-21.

Fig. 4-22. Gold funerary mask, Mask of Agamemnon, from
Mycenae, Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Beaten gold, h. 1.
National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-22. Gold funerary mask, Mask of Agamemnon, from Gold funerary masks, from Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1600
Mycenae, Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Beaten gold, h. 1. 1500 BCE. Beaten gold, h. 1. National Archaeological
National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-22. Gold funerary mask, Mask of Agamemnon, from Gold funerary masks, from Mycenae, Greece, ca. 1600
Mycenae, Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Beaten gold, h. 1. 1500 BCE. Beaten gold, h. 1. National Archaeological
National Archaeological Museum, Athens. Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-23. Inlaid dagger blade with lion hunt, from Grave Circle
A at Mycenae, Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Bronze, gold, silver,
niello, L. 9. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

Fig. 4-24. Hunter capturing a bull, drinking cup, Vapheio Cup,

from Vapheio (near Sparta), Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Gold,
h. 3.5. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-26. Female Head, from Mycenae, Greece, ca. 13001250
BCE. Painted plaster, h. 6.5. National Archaeological Museum,
Athens.
The End of the Prehistoric Aegean
Widespread destruction of civilizations
1177 BCE
????
Fig. 4-14. Harvester Vase, from Hagia Triada, Crete, Greece, ca.
1500 BCE. Steatite, originally with gold leaf, max. d. 5,
Herakleion Archaeological Museum.
Figurine of a Woman, Cycladic, from
Keros, Greece, ca. 26002500 BCE.
Marble, h. 15, Art Institute of Chicago.

Fig. 4-2. Figurine of a Woman, Cycladic, from Syros,

Greece, ca. 25002300 BCE. Marble, h. 16, National
Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Cross-section drawing of the Treasury of Atreus, Mycenae,
Greece.
Fig. 4-7. Minoan Woman or Goddess (La Parisienne), from
Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE. Fresco, h. 10, Herakleion
Archaeological Museum.
Mycenaean Lady, from Mycenae, Greece, ca. 13001250
BCE.
Vessel of a Hedgehog. Cycladic, from Syros, Greece, ca. 2500
2300 BCE. Clay, National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
 Detail of Bull Leapers, from Knossos,
Crete, Greece, ca. 1500 BCE.

Fig. 4-24. Hunter capturing a bull, drinking cup, Vapheio Cup,

from Vapheio (near Sparta), Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Gold,
h. 3.5. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-24. Hunter capturing a bull, drinking cup, Vapheio Cup,
from Vapheio (near Sparta), Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE. Gold,
h. 3.5. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Fig. 4-9A. Flotilla Fresco, from Akrotiri, Thera, Greece, ca. 16501625
BCE. Fresco, h. 1 5, Herakleion Archaeological Museum.
Fig. 4-17. Corbel-vaulted gallery in the circuit wall of
the citadel, Tiryns, Greece, ca. 14001200 BCE.
Snake Goddess, from Crete, Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE or early
20th century (Scientific testing has proven inconclusive.). Ivory
and gold, h. 16.1, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
[information taken from mfa.org]
Fig. 4-13. Snake Goddess, from Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca.
1600 BCE. Faience, h. 1 1.5, Herakleion Archaeological
Museum.
Snake Goddess, from Crete, Greece, ca. 16001500 BCE or early
20th century (Scientific testing has proven inconclusive.). Ivory
and gold, h. 16.1, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
[information taken from mfa.org]
Fig. 4-13. Snake Goddess, from Knossos, Crete, Greece, ca.
1600 BCE. Faience, h. 1 1.5, Herakleion Archaeological
Museum.