Minoans and Phoenicians: Seafaring Traders

1. Minoans and Phoenicians: Seafaring Traders

2. Freewrite • How can trade lead one culture to influence another culture?

3. Minoans - Intro • Were an island kingdom, the most dominant of the Mediterranean region from 2000-1400 BCE • Lived on the island of Crete to the south of Greece • Had a major influence on the later Greek kingdoms • Designed & Traded pottery and other artwork for weapons & metals (islands have scarcer resources)

6. Minoans - Culture • Peaceful people, little need for defense (lack of city walls) • A culture of art, religion, and sport • The Civilization is named after King Minos • Legend of Minotaur (half-man, half-bull), kept in labyrinth • Females took important roles as priestesses, some even ran their own temples • An Earth/Nature-themed religion, bulls played a major role.

10. Downfall of the Minoans • In 1460 BCE, catastrophe led to downfall • Evidence of a large earthquake, causing a volcanic eruption • Economy/Government may have never fully recovered • Possibility that Greeks invaded upon seeing weakness

11. Check for Understanding • What about the Minoans could have placed an influence upon the Greeks?

12. Phoenicians - Intro • Became most dominant sea traders of the Mediterranean after Minoans collapsed • Located in the E. Mediterranean, now Lebanon (N. of Israel) • Not 1 nation, but several city-states

14. Trade Accomplishments • Great explorers, may have sailed to Britain, or even around the S. tip of Africa. • Built outposts along the Mediterranean, ports still exist today • Traded purple dye (color of royalty) & papyrus for wine, weapons, metals, and slaves

17. Cultural Accomplishments • Greatest legacy was the alphabet, a writing system that had symbols to represent sounds • Greeks adopted it & created many letters we use today (A, I, Z – 14 total) • Most writing was on papyrus, crumbled too easily, few examples exist still

19. Downfall of Phonecians • Difficult to be conquered as Lebanon is pinned between sea and mountains • Eventually, came under the rule of Babylonians expanding west, many fled to the colony of Carthage, in North Africa.

20. Legacy of Minoans & Phoenicians • Accomplishments included: • Connecting Spain all the way to Indonesia • Land Routes from Europe to India • Sea Routes from the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf & India • Outposts & colonies established, new port cities emerge

22. Check for Understanding • What positive impacts did new trade routes and trade-centered cultures such as the Minoans and Phonecians have? Negative impacts? • How do you think the geographical location of the Minoans and Phonecians helped to connect Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean?

23. Mycenaean's Freewrite • What do you know about the physical geography (ie location, landscape, climate) of the Greek peninsula? • What references to Greek culture or history do you see in American culture or media today?

27. Check for Understanding • How is the environment and physical landscape of Greece similar to that of River Valleys? Different? • How did the environment of Greece have an impact upon the lifestyle of the early Greeks?

30. Check for Understanding • What were some characteristics of Mycenaean civilization?

34. Check for Understanding • What role did Greek epics and mythology play in the culture of early Greece? • What elements of this early Greek culture can we still see in Western Civilization (Europe & the Americas) today?