unique style
Since they were carefully studied, the uniqueness of Aegean civilization has never been doubted. It was once suspected that the unearthed objects belonged to Egyptian or Phoenician civilization, but as more and more evidence was found, this statement was proved to be incorrect. Aegean civilization has developed three distinct characteristics.
art
Aegean art is different from other prehistoric times and regions in artistic style. Indeed, it borrowed from other contemporary art, especially in its later period, but this kind of reference was branded with a distinctive and original feature through the hands of Aegean craftsmen, that is, realistic style. From this point of view, they are indeed pioneers of Greek art. The mural art, pottery themes, reliefs, independent sculptures and metal reliefs in Crete provide examples, which can further deepen the impression of gold ornaments and paintings that have been excavated in Greece (such as Mycenae, Vaphio, Tirin, etc.). ).
build
There are two kinds of palaces in the Aegean region:
One (perhaps earlier) form is that all rooms are arranged around a central square courtyard, which is connected by intricate passages, and this larger square enters from the long side and is vertically divided by many columns. In the second type, the main room is in the so-called "megaron" form. It exists independently, separated from the rest by corridors, and can be entered from a hall on the short side. It has a central fireplace surrounded by columns, which may lead directly to the sky; There is no central courtyard, and the other rooms are combined into different independent plates.
The formation of this dual structure may have geographical reasons. Although many Egyptian, Babylonian and Hittite palaces have been excavated, there are no surviving remains in other parts of the Aegean Sea showing these structures.
grave
A dome or "hive" shaped tomb (tholos? ), the most famous example is Mycenae. The coffin of Ranax in Crete is unparalleled outside the Aegean Sea.
History of Aegean civilization
Due to the lack of written records, we can only sort out the general historical process mainly from memorial buildings and archaeological excavations. Of course, the interpretation of written materials has also increased a lot recently.
Origin and persistence
The Aegean civilization that has existed for at least 3000 years, to what extent can it be sustainable? Archaeological excavations provide a lot of evidence to answer this question. The roots of Aegean civilization can be traced back to the long primitive Neolithic Age, which represents a stratum nearly 6 meters thick in Knossos, which contains fragments of stone tools and hand-polished utensils, showing the continuous technological development from bottom to top.
This Minoan civilization layer may be earlier than the minimum age of Hissarlik. Its ending sign is the introduction of white-filled sawtooth decoration on pottery, and the discovery of theme replicas with monochrome pigments. After the end of this stage, it was followed by the beginning of the Bronze Age and the first stage of Minoan civilization. Therefore, careful observation of stratification can determine the other eight stages, and each stage marks an important progress in pottery style. These stages occupied the whole bronze age, and the end of the latter marked the introduction of iron, a more advanced material, and also announced the end of the Aegean era.
About 1000 years ago, iron was used in the whole Aegean region. This material may be a successful means for a group of northern invaders. They established their rule on the ruins of early settlements. At the same time, for the nine Knossos periods after the Neolithic Age, we can observe the all-round development of a very distinctive, orderly and lasting ceramic art. From one stage to another, the organization, form and content of decoration gradually developed. Therefore, until the end of more than 2,000 years of evolution, the initial impact was still clearly discernible, and this trickle showed no signs of being disturbed. This fact can further explain that the whole civilization has been following its own thread in terms of foundation and essence.
Although there are not enough examples in the remains of other art types, mural art shows the same orderly development at least in the later period; As for religion, we can at least say that there is no sign of mutation, from the unified nature worship to the later development of anthropomorphic gods. There is no sign of introducing god or religious thought.
Aegean civilization is a local civilization, deeply rooted in this soil, and stubbornly continued and grew in its own land throughout the Neolithic Age and the Bronze Age.
But a small amount of evidence shows some changes, such as the invasion of small foreign tribes, who accepted the conquered civilization with more cultural advantages and integrated into the latter. The reconstruction of Knossos Palace may provide credible evidence. Similar reconstruction took place in Festus at the same stage, and may also take place in Hagia Triada (place name).
The layout of the "main halls" we found in the palaces of Mycenae, Tirins and Salik in the northern Aegean Sea may indicate that they are late works, because none of them show the unique design like Crete.