In this book, Ellen Adams has provided a very readable, lively, informative and thought-provoking overview of the Minoans. I highly recommend it to anybody seeking a brief introduction to this great civilization of Bronze Age Crete.
Nicoletta Momigliano, Professor of Aegean Studies, University of Bristol, and co-editor of Hellenomania
This book expertly summarises over a century of research into Minoan Crete, while also considering its contemporary resonances, presentation and reception. It is an ideal introduction to a fascinating subject.
Andrew Shapland, Sir Arthur Evans Curator of Bronze Age and Classical Greece, Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Bronze Age Crete stands as one the most extensively explored parts of the world archaeologically, yet the island maintains an air of labyrinthian mystery. This book offers an authoritative introduction to the world of the Minoans, the first ‘modern’ civilization on European soil. With its grand palaces, a sophisticated bureaucracy complete with writing (including enigmatic, undeciphered scripts), exquisite gold and ivory artworks, unique and powerful depictions of women, and advanced urban engineering, including flushing toilets, this ancient civilization had remarkably modern elements.
This book presents key features of Minoan archaeology, including architecture, art, religion, writing, bureaucracy and the economy. It also explores how this pioneering European civilization has influenced Western culture since its discovery, and how Minoan culture has been reconstructed, reimagined and represented in museum displays. This concise and up-to-date guide is essential for understanding both the history and the lasting legacy of the Minoans.
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Needing the Minoans
Chapter 2: Finding the Minoans
Chapter 3: Identifying the Minoans
Chapter 4: Monumentalising the Minoans
Chapter 5: Housing the Minoans
Chapter 6: Writing the Minoans
Chapter 7: Controlling the Minoans
Chapter 8: Ritualising the Minoans
Chapter 9: Reconstructing the Minoans
Chapter 10: Displaying the Minoans
Chapter 11: Reinventing the Minoans
Further Reading
References
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Chronology
Preface
Introduction
1. Needing the Minoans
2. Finding the Minoans
3. Identifying the Minoans
4. Monumentalizing the Minoans
5. Housing the Minoans
6. Writing the Minoans
7. Controlling the Minoans
8. Ritualizing the Minoans
9. Reconstructing the Minoans
10. Displaying the Minoans
11. Reinventing the Minoans
References
Further Reading
Photo Acknowledgements
Index