ARC 1701: Minoan and Mycenaean Architecture & Terms

What period is known for the advanced seafaring culture located on the island of Crete?

Minoan Period (c. 3000-1400 BCE)

What characterized the Minoan culture?

A unique, relaxed, and luxurious culture with defenses provided by the sea.

What type of art is associated with the Minoan Period?

Art that is joyous and fluid, depicting hunts, dances, and marine life.

How did Minoan architecture differ from Eastern architecture?

It rejected strict symmetry and axiality in favor of picturesque and informal layouts.

What advanced technologies did the Minoans use?

Multi-story construction and complex water management systems.

What is the Palace of King Minos at Knossos?

A monumental, labyrinthine multi-story complex serving as a royal residence, religious focal point, and administrative center.

What period is known for the warrior-based culture on mainland Greece?

Mycenaean Period (c. 1600-1100 BCE)

What is a key feature of Mycenaean military architecture?

Fortified 'citadels' built on high ground.

What is Cyclopean masonry?

A type of Mycenaean stonework using massive, rough-hewn stone blocks.

What construction technique did Mycenaeans use to create early domes and arches?

Corbelled construction.

What is the Citadel of Mycenae?

A fortified royal precinct surrounded by massive walls.

What is the Lions Gate?

The monumental entrance to the Mycenae citadel, featuring a triangular relief of two lions.

What is the Treasury of Atreus?

A grand 'tholos' or beehive tomb featuring a large, corbelled dome.

What is a tapered column?

A Minoan column that is wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, creating a floating effect.

What is a light well in Minoan architecture?

An architectural feature used to handle lighting and air circulation through flat roofs.

What is a megaron?

The principal oblong hall of Aegean dwellings and palaces, considered the ancestor of the later Greek temple plan.

What is corbelling?

A structural technique of layering stones so that each layer sticks out slightly more than the one below until they meet at the top.

What is a tholos tomb?

A Mycenaean circular tomb with a corbelled dome, often sunk into the ground.

What is a dromos?

The long, sloping entrance passage leading to a Mycenaean tholos tomb.

What are Linear A and Linear B?

Ancient scripts; Linear A is Minoan and remains undeciphered, while Linear B is an early form of Greek.