Ancient Aegean & Early Greek Civilizations

15 vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from lecture notes on Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations, Greek geography, and early Greek cultural developments.

Minoan Civilization

Bronze Age maritime culture on Crete noted for the palace of Knossos, lively art, and a society of seafarers, artisans, and traders.

Linear A

Undeciphered syllabic writing system of the Minoans used to keep administrative records.

Fresco

Wall-painting technique using water-based pigments on wet plaster; decorated Minoan palaces with vibrant scenes.

Bull Leaping (Bull Dancing)

Minoan athletic and ritual activity—depicted in art—where participants vaulted over a live bull.

Double Axe (Labrys)

Sacred Minoan symbol associated with Zeus, carved on Crete’s temple columns and used in religious rites.

Mother Goddess

Chief Minoan deity viewed as the source of all life and the central figure of worship.

Mycenaean Civilization

Indo-European Greek culture (c. 1600–1100 BCE) centered at fortified Mycenae; known for gold wealth and warrior elites.

Linear B

Syllabic script derived from Linear A, used by Mycenaeans to write an early form of Greek.

Agamemnon

Legendary king of Mycenae and commander of the Greeks in the Trojan War.

Heinrich Schliemann

19th-century archaeologist who began excavating Troy and Mycenae in 1870, uncovering rich Mycenaean remains.

Iliad

Epic poem by Homer detailing events of the Trojan War, focusing on heroes Achilles and Hector.

Dark Age of Greece

Post-Mycenaean era (~1100–800 BCE) marked by warfare, halted trade and farming, and loss of writing and art.

Dorian Invasion

Migration of Dorian Greeks around 1100 BCE that contributed to the collapse of Mycenaean civilization.

Hellas

Self-name of Greece, taken from the mythic ancestor Hellen and used by ancient Greeks for their land.

Balkan Peninsula

Southeastern European landmass extending into the Mediterranean; mainland Greece occupies its southern part.