readx;? The Cretan civilization saw the emergence of mural art, pottery motifs, reliefs, free-standing sculptures, and metal reliefs. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 infoSince wood and fabric are not resistant to the passage of time, the most important artistic relics of Crete are pottery, palace buildings and frescoes, stone carvings and seals. Relics of art and material culture. Although the Cretan civilization was a sub-civilization of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and its art was mainly derived from the ancient Egyptian dynasties, the relics of Cretan art give a cheerful, almost decadent and extravagant impression, which is very different from the terrifying gloom of the Egyptian temple.

The art of ceramics on the island of Crete developed at this time to a very high level in technique, style and decoration, comparable to any pottery work in the world at any time. Designs that predominantly favored naturalism, such as fish, squid, birds, and lilies, became common.

Around the same time, mural artwork or goldsmithing techniques were among the highest in the world of their time. Terracotta models, stone and ivory sculptures, and gemstone engravings were among the highest in the world at the same time. Flowers and animals are still the main features in pottery, but the variability is enhanced. The area around Nossos often exhibits a "palatial style", characterized by geometric abstraction of natural shapes as well as monochrome paintings.

The Cretans were mainly engaged in overseas trade. Their culture is highly organized. Political, economic, and social organizations developed rapidly, with frequent trade with the eastern Mediterranean coast, and trade networks were established with Greece proper, Egypt, Phoenicia, Asia Minor, Syria, Anatolia, Spain, Mesopotamia, Sicily, Italy, etc.

The Cretans played an important role in the important tin trade during the Bronze Age: an alloy of tin with copper from Cyprus was used to make bronze. The Minoans also traded in crocus, and in Santorini there is a famous mural "The Saffron Gatherer". The main trading products were saffron, frankincense, chili peppers, pottery, copper, tin, and a large number of gold and silver luxury goods.

Trade with Egypt was the most developed, and Cretan products were exported to the entire Mediterranean coast. The equivalent (currency) used is a small axe-shaped bronze coin (axe).

The Cretans had a uniform unit of weight, and archaeological discoveries have found standard weights, as well as blocks of copper ingots that represent this standard.

The navigation technology of the Cretans was the most technologically advanced after the Harappan civilization, and they dominated the entire Mediterranean. The main types of ships are those with masts and low freeboard heights. The skillful use of marine scenes in the excavated ornaments shows their familiarity with the sea.

The buildings on Crete are all secular, and the main types are houses, palaces, villas, hostels, public baths, workshops, etc. The more important of the ruins are the palaces of Knossos and Fest, both of which cover an area of about one hectare. These buildings are typical of the Cretan civilization.

Knossos is located in the north of Crete, where the first palace was built in the year. Then palaces also appeared in Faeste, Mary, Zacquero and other places.

In the year, the Minoan dynasty was established, which unified the whole of Crete. Reigned: years.

Before the establishment of the Minoan dynasty, the ruling nations on Crete were mainly from Egypt, so they have been deeply influenced by the ancient Egyptian civilization, and the city-states were all subjects of the ancient Egyptian dynasty.

After the establishment of the Minoan dynasty, it refused to become a vassal state of the ancient Egyptian dynasty. Only ordinary commercial relations with the ancient Egyptian dynasties.

The palace of Knossos was destroyed in the final battle of the War of Unification. After the establishment of the Minoan dynasty, the reconstruction of the royal palace began. The Minoans rebuilt the more palatial palace, a perfect complex of buildings with more than two floors, dedicated to the sacrificial scene.

There are two architectural forms unique to Crete:

The first form of architecture: all the rooms are arranged around a central square courtyard, connected to each other by a labyrinthine of intricate passageways, while this larger square is entered from the long side and divided longitudinally by a number of columns. i.e. labyrinthine architecture.

The second form of architecture: the main rooms are in the form of the so-called main hall. It stands on its own, separated from the rest by a corridor, and can be accessed from a foyer on the short side. It has a central fireplace, surrounded by columns and possibly with direct access to the sky, and there is no central courtyard, with the rest of the rooms grouped into separate sections. That is, a palace-style building

The Palace of Minossos has two architectural forms at the same time.

The huge palaces of Crete provide evidence of the existence of the island's monarchical regime.

The Minoan dynasty with its capital in Knossos. Its king, who was also the high priest of nature worship that flourished at the time, ordered the construction of a magnificent stone palace. He also received tribute from weaker tribes, such as Prince Festos, who ruled the plains of Messara. The Minoan monarch had a sea connection with Egypt and sent his goods to various parts of the South Aegean Sea, and in exchange received goods such as obsidian knives. In addition, they developed an iconographic writing system in the early days, but only a small number of inscriptions that remained on durable objects were preserved. The style of native painting on ceramic objects or plaster has also become increasingly sophisticated, and the shape of the pottery suggests that they also have a high degree of metallurgy.

Legends about King Minos:

King Minos, the owner of the palace of Knossos, is the son of the main gods Zeus and Europa, holding a "double-edged axe" that symbolizes the dual rights of the human world and the gods, and dominates the Mediterranean world. Later, Poseidon, one of the Olympian gods, asked King Minos to kill a bull as a sacrifice for himself, and King Minos not only did not carry out his will, but also offered the bull to him. Poseidon was furious, and even had the bull mate with the wife of the king of Minos, giving birth to a monster Minotaur with the head of a bull. In order to cover up the ugliness, King Minos ordered the construction of a special royal palace (a labyrinth, legend has it that those who enter it will not find their way and never get out, the first architectural form of the Cretan civilization described earlier) to imprison the Minotaur, and also demanded that Athens pay Crete an annual tribute of seven pairs of virgins as food for the Minotaur.

One year, Theseus, the only son of the king of Athens, volunteered to bring other virgins to Crete. Handsome and courageous, he soon won the heart of Ariat, the daughter of King Knossos, and gave Theseus a sword and a ball of thread. Theseus led the thread and sword to the Minotaur, killed the monster with the head of the bull and the human body, and followed the thread out of the labyrinth.