Both the Minoan and Mycenaean cultures were early Greek cultures, spanning several centuries before Christ. Much is not known regarding these people, but archeologists have been able to determine some information from their findings. It is the purpose of this paper to compare and contrast and Minoan and Mycenaean cultures.
These two early cultures were situated very near each other geographically, on the Mediterranean, and they shared similarities of climate. Because of the mixing of the two cultures, at least during parts of their history, their arts and cultures blended, and both of the cultures generated wealth, at least for some of the people. Both of the cultures developed a writing system, although the degree of sophistication of the system differed somewhat. Enormous quantities of Mycenaean and Minoan pottery have been found throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, and the artistic designs on the pottery is one way of learning about these early civilizations (Feldman 4).
Both of the cultures had a royal class, and both cultures developed sophisticated architecture, one of the principal ways of expending their wealth (Graham 9). Not a lot is known about the religions of the Minoans and Mycenaean cultures, except from the images left on their art. Greek mythology as we know it today came from the Mycenaean culture, but material evidence does not reveal very much about the spiritual lives of the Minoans (Graham 18). Both of the cultures developed beautiful art, costumes, buildings, indoor plumbing, and beautiful architecture, the remains of which tell the stories of these early cultures and their lives. Both cultures developed expertise in pottery, although the topics and images depicted varied between the two cultures.
The Minoans and Mycenaean cultures had a stratified society, although more is known about the upper classes, as they expended their wealth on buildings and tombs and left written records about their a...