The Minoans: Myth, Minotaurs and the Ceramics of Ancient Crete

Nearly 4,000 years ago, the Minoans flourished on the island of Crete, trading across the Mediterranean and creating some of the most extraordinary ceramics of the Bronze Age.

Stephanie Rozene and Paul Greenhalgh explore a world where myth and archaeology collide – from King Minos, the Minotaur and the labyrinth to the discovery of Knossos. Through monumental storage vessels, exquisite Kamares wares and spectacular octopus jars, they uncover the creativity, power and mysterious decline of one of the ancient world’s great civilisations.

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Images in this programme:

Image off map of Crete, Greece and Turkey 
Terracotta vase in the form of a bull's head ca 1450 – 1400 BCE, The Met Collection
Heinrich Schliemann  (1822–1890) 
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ 
Sir Arthur Evans 1851- 1941 at Knossos
Photograph of Knossos, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Reconstruction of Knossos 
Bull-Leaping Fresco found at Knossos ,1450 BC, 
Linear A inscription on a clay tablet from Hagia Triada, Crete, ca 2100 – 1450 BC 
Linear B Tablet from Knossos, ca 1375 – 1350 BC 
Procession fresco from Knossos; reconstructed by Émile Gilliéron from the late Minoan period, CC 4.0
Minoan pithos Storage jars at the Palace of Knossos, ca  1700 BCE
Large scale Caskets “bath tubs” and storage units, c.1750 BCE
Terracotta beak-spouted jar, Vasiliki ware, 2600-2200 BCE, The Met Collection
Terracotta bridge spouted jar, Minoan ware, 1900-1600 BCE, The Met Collection
Kamares Ware Jug, Protopalatial period (2100-1700 BCE). Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Crete, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Kamares Ware Jug, Heraklion Museum, by Wolfgang Sauber, CC
Kamares wares in the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion ca 1900 - 1700 BCE photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC 1.0 license
Kamares wares jugs, Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, 1900-1700 BCE, CC 3.0
Octopus Flask ca 1500 – 1450 BCE,  Furman University,  3.0
Mycenaean-Minoan Ware, c. 1450, courtesy of Paul Greenhalgh
Terracotta jar with three handles ca 1525 – 1490 BCE,The MetCollection 
Terracotta stirrup jam with Octopus Helladic, Mycenaean, c.1200-1100 BCE, The Met Collection  

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction: The Minoans - Europe's First Great Civilization
• 00:00:54 Placing the Minoans in Greek History
• 00:02:37 Island Power: Geography and the Rise of Crete
• 00:04:56 The Legend of the Minotaur and King Minos
• 00:09:15 Heinrich Schliemann: Chasing Homer's Myths
• 00:11:35 Sir Arthur Evans and the Discovery of Knossos
• 00:13:32 The Palace at Knossos: Architecture and Bull Imagery
• 00:17:48 Linear A and Linear B: Decoding Ancient Languages
• 00:20:40 Giant Pithoi: Monumental Storage Vessels
• 00:24:23 Early Minoan: Vasiliki Ware and Beak-Spouted Jars
• 00:28:15 Middle Minoan: The Glorious Kamares Ware
• 00:33:47 Late Minoan: Marine Style and Octopus Jars
• 00:36:47 The Mycenaean Question: Trade or Invasion
• 00:40:51 The Bronze Age Collapse of 1177 BC
• 00:43:45 Legacy: The First Europeans Remembered in Clay

Credits:
Hosts: Paul Greenhalgh & Stephanie Rozene
Editor: Sam Bond
Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac