AEGEAN CIVILIZATIONS

Principal sites associated with Aegean civilizations. the Stone and Bronze Age civilizations that arose and flourished in the area of the Aegean Sea in the periods, respectively, about 7000-3000 BC and about 3000-1000 BC. The area consists of Crete, the Cyclades and some other islands, and the Greek mainland, including the Peloponnese, central Greece, and Thessaly. The first high civilization on European soil, with stately palaces, fine craftsmanship, and writing, developed on the island of Crete. Later, the peoples of the mainland adapted the Cretan civilization to form their own, much as the Romans adapted the civilization of later Greece. The Bronze Age civilization of Crete has been called Minoan, after the legendary King Minos of Knossos, which was the chief city of the island throughout early times. The Bronze Age of the Cyclades is known as Cycladic, that of the mainland as Helladic, from Hellas, the Greek name for Greece. Early, middle, and late stages have been defined in each of these, with further subdivisions according to recognizable changes in the style of pottery and other products that are associated with each separate culture. The civilization that arose on the mainland under Cretan influence in the 16th century BC is called Mycenaean after Mycenae, which appears to have been one of its most important centres. The term Mycenaean is also sometimes used for the civilizations of the Aegean area as a whole from about 1400 BC onward. the Bronze Age civilizations that flourished from about 3000 BC to about 1000 BC in the area of the Aegean Sea. Some authorities use the term more broadly, to refer also to the Neolithic civilizations that flourished there between about 7000 and 3000 BC. The Aegean area includes the island of Crete, the Cyclades and other islands, and the Greek mainland, including the Peloponnese, central Greece, and Thessaly. In addition, some authorities include Macedonia, Thrace, and the Aegean coast of Anatolia. The Bronze Age civilization of Crete is called the Minoan civilization, after the legendary King Minos of Knossos, the principal city of the island. The first high civilization in Europe, with cities and great palaces, an extended trade network, and a writing system, developed on Crete in the late 3rd and early 2nd millennia BC. The Bronze Age civilizations of the Cyclades and some other islands of the Aegean are called Cycladic. The Bronze Age civilizations of the mainland are called Helladic, from Hellas, the Greek name for Greece. Early, middle, and late stages have been defined for each of these, with further subdivisions according to changes in the style of pottery and other artifacts that are associated with each culture. The civilization that arose on the mainland during the 16th century BC under Cretan influence is usually called Mycenaean, after the city of Mycenae, one of its most important centres; this period is sometimes called the Late Helladic. The term Mycenaean is sometimes used for the civilizations of the Aegean area as a whole from about 1400 to 1100 BC.