Bronze Age Greece

A set of vocabulary terms and key concepts covering the geography, climate, and major civilizations (Minoan and Mycenaean) of Bronze Age Greece.

Bronze Age Greece Period

A period in Greek history spanning from $c. 2000$ to $1100\,\text{B.C.}$

Arable Land Percentage

Only $30\%$ of the land in Greece is conducive to farming due to its mountainous geography.

Triad of Crops

The three most important crops grown in Greece: grapes, olives, and wheat.

Arthur Evans

The $19^{\text{th}}$ century archaeologist who discovered the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.

Linear A

The writing system used by the Minoans on the island of Crete.

Knossos

The largest city discovered in Crete, characterized by a labyrinth-like palace complex and a lack of defensive walls.

Minoan Religion

A belief system where women were revered and held higher status than men, often represented by a snake goddess, while men were associated with bulls or axes.

Thera

The location of a volcanic eruption in $1628\,\text{B.C.}$ that led to the decline of Minoan civilization; its site Akrotiri is often called the "Greek Pompeii."

Heinrich Schliemann and Frank Calvert

Archaeologists who believed Homer's accounts were historically accurate and discovered Hisarlik in Anatolia (Troy VIIa).

Cyclopean

A term describing the massive, heavy stone city walls characteristic of Mycenaean architecture.

Wanax

The Mycenaean term for a king of kings, overlord, or boss, modeled after Asiatic kings.

Linear B

The Mycenaean writing system which was translated in $1954$ by Michael Ventris using a cipher.

Michael Ventris

The individual who deciphered Linear B in $1954$, which opened up massive amounts of previously unknown history.

Dark Age

The period of decline and isolation that Greece entered immediately following the fall of the Mycenaean civilization.