Minoan Civilization


 * Part of the School of History.

The Minoan civilization, on the Mediterranean island of Crete, is the oldest known European civilization in today's world. It existed for about 2000 years and was considered an urban society between 2000 BC to 1100 BC. The Minoans produced fine jewelry, interesting architecture, a flowing trade economy, and a culture that helped shape ancient Greece, to how it is now today.

Learning Objectives
This course will span approximately about 12 weeks. Please note that this course is self-paced. If you prefer to take longer or go faster, please feel free to! In this course, you will learn about the Minoan civilization, from the geography of Crete and the Early Minoan Periods, up to the final demise of Minoan society in the Late Minoan periods. You will explore the palace that possibly inspired the myth of the Minotaur, learn to read some Minoan Linear B script, and try to figure out what caused the sudden decline of the Minoan civilization. Each week will feature lectures, links to free resources to learn more, including a quiz. Each week will also have research essay prompts.

Course Outline

 * Week 1: /Geography of Crete/
 * Week 2: /Early Minoan Periods/
 * Week 3: /Early Minoan Cultures/
 * Week 4: /Pre-Palatial Period/
 * Week 5: /Pre-Palatial Culture/
 * Week 6: /Protopalatial Period/
 * Week 7: /Explorations of Palaces/
 * Week 8: /Protopalatial Cultures/
 * Week 9: /Neopalatial Period/
 * Week 10: /Neopalatial Culture/
 * Week 11: /Late Minoan/
 * Week 12: /Archeology and Discovery/

Resources
There are a few books and articles I would recommend if one would like to learn more about Minoan civilization. I will link to free resources whenever they are available, as well as make recommendations for those who may want to purchase books on this topic. A list of all resources for this will be posted here.

 Books 


 * The Cambridge Companion to The Aegean Bronze Age Edited by Cynthia W. Shelmerdine
 * Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age By John C McEnroe
 * Minoans: Life in Bronze Age Crete By Rodney Castleden
 * History of Greece/Minoan Civilization- Free Wikibook