Decoding the Mystery of the Minoan Ancient Civilization

Rediscovered at the beginning of the 20th century through the work of British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, the Minoan Civilization, whose earliest beginnings were from c. 3500 BC on the island of Crete, became one of the most developed, complex urban civilizations in antiquity. Yet we still know so little about them.
The Minoans may have left behind a number of impressive building complexes, sophisticated art, and writing systems, however archaeologists and scholars are yet to decipher Linear A and B, the only-known scripts used for writing the Minoan language.
It is this mystery that makes the Minoans such a fascinating ancient civilization to study and explore, but which limits the extent to which we can understand Minoan culture and history.
This documentary, featuring Dr Andrew Shapland, Prof Nicoletta Momigliano and Dr Ester Salgarella, explores what little we do know about the Minoans, as well as the challenges facing scholars looking study this mysterious, ancient civilization.
Directed by Mark Bowsher.
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#historyhit #minoan #ancientcivilizations

Пікірлер: 190

  • @s1nb4d59
    @s1nb4d599 ай бұрын

    I thought Esters cushion and bag were wonderful,she has a passion for the Minoan bronze age but also has an artistic eye,lovely doco btw,well done team.

  • @Fatherofheroesandheroines
    @Fatherofheroesandheroines9 ай бұрын

    My father was stationed on the Airforce base in Iraklion Crete in the early 80s. We visited Knossos and got a ton of photos. It's a fascinating place.

  • @the.masked.one.studio4899
    @the.masked.one.studio48992 ай бұрын

    I really appreciate that these historians are humble enough to say when they don’t know something as opposed to searching for an easy “solution”. That shows humility, what we need more of in the world.

  • @Jesse-cx4si
    @Jesse-cx4si9 ай бұрын

    Imagine if producers of regular tv programs were interested in knowledge and truth and honesty. What a world this could have been.

  • @elizluv
    @elizluv17 күн бұрын

    You guys are amazing!!! I'm Greek and lived in Crete for a few yrs. I remember in history we learned about the Minoans but you took it to a different level with so many details and knowledge! Love that tote and pillow!!

  • @stephennicolay1940
    @stephennicolay19408 ай бұрын

    I have been to Crete several times and will now buy land there. As a former archaeologist, it would be wonderful to excavate there sooner,rather than later.

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    Oh, wow. It's a hidden universe. Wonderful!

  • @jess53nz
    @jess53nz9 ай бұрын

    I love her passion and how she's displaying it on a tote bag and cushion!

  • @herbertjones1744

    @herbertjones1744

    4 ай бұрын

    What about the DNA that should identify who they are?

  • @vice4134

    @vice4134

    Ай бұрын

    @@herbertjones1744 I believe they already did that. They are not of Greeks.

  • @panagiotis7946

    @panagiotis7946

    7 күн бұрын

    @@vice4134 they were found to be aliens🤣🤣😂😂

  • @kidmohair8151
    @kidmohair81519 ай бұрын

    the thing that these people say Arthur Evans did, imposing personal biases onto the past (which he did do) are, I feel, precisely what they are doing as well. it will take Dr Salgarella and her colleagues deciphering Linear A to give us a better picture of how the Minoan civilization worked and where it fits into the story of humanity. bring on the Minoan Rosetta stone!

  • @jaxellis3008

    @jaxellis3008

    9 ай бұрын

    Excellent point about the imposition of biases onto the past. This is extremely fashionable today but as you stated is of course in no way new. The difference today is that if you push back on reinterpreting everything through the filter of whatever is politically correct at the moment you will most likely be accused of all manner of serious offenses by those who haven't studied history deeply enough and understand proper context in the first place. Which is unfortunate for a lot of different reasons which I will not waste time with here. But history should never be judged in a vacuum. We must understand context, otherwise we are just dramatizing fragments of information to create a narrative that appeals to the moment. Love this documentary though. Sorry for rambling🙃

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    Wow, tyvm for that!!! I learned something on KZread today!!​@@jaxellis3008

  • @panagiotis7946

    @panagiotis7946

    7 күн бұрын

    the inhabitants of an area do not suddenly change it's always there what changes? the means of production they use we have an evolution of systematically writing Cretan hieroglyphs---linear A---linear B you change the linear A to fewer symbols and thus change both the grammar and the syntax and turn into a simpler writing system the linear B this is the main reason why we do not decipher the linear A because we do not know its structure it was not the language of the inhabitants that changed, but the style of the language the style of English in Shakespeare's time was different from today's English, but they remain the same language but the royal hieroglyphs of Egypt from the popular hieroglyphs but the language is the same the Greek alphabet is different in the 8th century 27 elements different in the 5th century 22 elements but the language is the same change the language texture why do we not find a foreign language among the thousands of inscriptions of linear B?

  • @KarlF45
    @KarlF454 ай бұрын

    Guys. Seriously. How hard is it to make the voices audible AND not deafen us with background music. Such great content, fallen to the classic mistake of youtube that noone learns from

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    The thing is, if background music is barely audible, it can be an asset. But ouch!! Too loud!!

  • @MKnife
    @MKnife9 ай бұрын

    This was very interesting. I've been to Crete 5 times over the years, first visit was in 1983. On every trip we've visited Knossos, but it is also good to remember all the other amazing archeological sites on the island; Gortyn, Phaistos and whatnot. While motorcycling there (I've motorcycled maybe 2000km all over the island), sometimes very much off the beaten path, I've also visited some of the more obscure and less touristy places. It's nice to find sites that are peaceful and quiet, and there reflect on thousands of years of history. I wonder what the minoans would think of present day Crete.

  • @gunnarelisigurjonsson2587

    @gunnarelisigurjonsson2587

    9 ай бұрын

    I need to do that. ❤ What a beautiful thing to drive through and see

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    Thank you for sharing your experiences!!!

  • @chrissimpson1183
    @chrissimpson11836 ай бұрын

    I am glad that some headway has been made on the language.

  • @thomaszaccone3960
    @thomaszaccone39609 ай бұрын

    I think compared to OTHER ancient societies, like the Egyptians - battle images and pharoahs smiting bound captives going back to Narner and Assyrians and Romans, they were relatively peaceful or at least a people who didn't glory in violence. I see NOTHING dark abd violent in the bull dancers and as a matter of fact i remember reading about people who still do this today. I think it was a religious ritual as well as an athletic event.

  • @letsgobrandon987

    @letsgobrandon987

    9 ай бұрын

    Yeah that skinny nerd guy claiming that buff male bodies from working out or jumping bulls was somehow dark or violent made me chuckle. What a tool.

  • @thomaszaccone3960

    @thomaszaccone3960

    9 ай бұрын

    @@letsgobrandon987 Google Recortadores - contemporary athletic bull leapers in northern Spain who jump over charging bulls just like the Minoan Bull Leapers. Athletic trained human males are capable of incredible acts of physical skill

  • @fancyincubus

    @fancyincubus

    9 ай бұрын

    Oh I'm.taking my time just to move along don't know much about me till I'm gone Take the high road❤

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    There WAS a risk of injury/death, though, in bull leaping -- but yeah, where are the war tools?

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    ​. The Cretan atop the bull was a girl btw

  • @bill8784
    @bill87848 ай бұрын

    Crete and Minoan civilisation are fascinating so I really enjoyed this video. It would be amazing if Linear A could be translated as Linear B was and we could learn more. As someone else noted perhaps AI might help.

  • @kariannecrysler640
    @kariannecrysler6409 ай бұрын

    I’m so excited to learn the new understanding’s found when reevaluating the archaeology. I’m sure we still have biases guiding our deductions, but it’s brilliant to see that we are slowly eliminating the interpreters misconceptions out & seeing the history as it is. I am truly a nerd & 💗 this lol

  • @Mimoumns9863
    @Mimoumns986320 күн бұрын

    This was such a delightful discovery and what's really fascinating for me is the art it's unlike anything I've seen before when it comes to European civilizations

  • @panagiotis7946

    @panagiotis7946

    7 күн бұрын

    a culture with a wonderful anthropocentrism and free spirit as was the entire ancient Greek culture

  • @tek.s
    @tek.s9 ай бұрын

    This was such an amazing documentary, well done! Loved the folks interviewed and the editing. We need to see a resurgence in interest in this culture, it's such a fascinating moment in human history that, even without the decipherment of Linear A, deserves the reverence often lauded by more commonly well known ancient civilizations in pop culture. Thank you @HistoryHit!

  • @joesanchez979
    @joesanchez9799 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the video 😊

  • @gagecarlisle9395
    @gagecarlisle93959 ай бұрын

    the music is a little loud lol

  • @Celtopia
    @Celtopia2 ай бұрын

    Absolutely fascinating,thank you so much.

  • @timothywebb5100
    @timothywebb51009 ай бұрын

    Very informative and interesting brilliant.

  • @arissarkides1380
    @arissarkides13809 ай бұрын

    Not sure it's the right niche but if anyone's (very) interested in Bronze Age, Hellenic and Hellenistic warfare I strongly recommend Schwerpunkt's videos series

  • @BenSHammonds
    @BenSHammonds2 ай бұрын

    wonderful program on a subject and peoples of much interest to me. Homer describing the peoples of Crete as having differing tongues is fascinating, implying it was a bit of a cross road of peoples; however the very early farming group from Anatolia etc are of much interest to me, what tongue they may have spoken etc. Also, the Keftiu name the Egyptians seem to have known the Minoans as is fascinating.

  • @panagiotis7946

    @panagiotis7946

    7 күн бұрын

    the inhabitants of an area do not suddenly change it's always there what changes? the means of production they use we have an evolution of systematically writing Cretan hieroglyphs---linear A---linear B you change the linear A to fewer symbols and thus change both the grammar and the syntax and turn into a simpler writing system the linear B this is the main reason why we do not decipher the linear A because we do not know its structure it was not the language of the inhabitants that changed, but the style of the language the style of English in Shakespeare's time was different from today's English, but they remain the same language but the royal hieroglyphs of Egypt from the popular hieroglyphs but the language is the same the Greek alphabet is different in the 8th century 27 elements different in the 5th century 22 elements but the language is the same change the language texture why do we not find a foreign language among the thousands of inscriptions of linear B? Here is a link that has some of the Linear A words read linearbknossosmycenae.wordpress ... -11-pages/ Let's look at a few turunu qo/rnoj = throne That is, a throne--θρόνος kera/kero ke/raj = horn (ivory) or khr/oj = bees-wax Cf. Linear B kera That is, a horn--- κέρας waja #ai/a = earth, land That is, Gaia-- Γαια-Γη kara kara/ = head That is, kari, the head----καρα-( ancient Greek ) - κεφαλη koru ko/ruj = helmet The helmet---κρανος dare da=lei/

  • @NoelKoutlis
    @NoelKoutlis3 ай бұрын

    incredible work

  • @murrayscott9546
    @murrayscott95469 ай бұрын

    Congratulations to all, for alll of your work.. The journey of discovdry is not always a matter of point A to point B.

  • @vivianmakri2280
    @vivianmakri228015 күн бұрын

    I need to visit Cambridge and Oxford and see all these things! Ashmolian, woh!!💯💯❤️❤️❤️😀😀 just visited Knossos and the museum of Heraklion… I am amazed! And proud to be Greek 🇬🇷💯😀❤️

  • @mohammedsaysrashid3587
    @mohammedsaysrashid35879 ай бұрын

    It was an informative and wonderful historical coverage video about 3 melanomas to 2melanomas First Minon civilization in Criate island ...thank you (history Hit) channel

  • @howarddalton8436
    @howarddalton84369 ай бұрын

    Really enjoyed this, HH. 10/10.

  • @HistoryHit

    @HistoryHit

    9 ай бұрын

    Glad to hear it!

  • @jakobraahauge7299
    @jakobraahauge72995 ай бұрын

    These women are amazing 👏😍 somebody fund their research! They're marvellous!

  • @katherinecollins4685
    @katherinecollins46858 ай бұрын

    Great video

  • 9 ай бұрын

    Pretty awesome channel

  • @starcapture3040
    @starcapture30409 ай бұрын

    2:33 Minoan is a mythological name but in the ancient Egyptian political surfaces they were called the kaftu people.

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    Variations are Kephtiu and Caphtor.

  • @LindaMerchant-bq2hp
    @LindaMerchant-bq2hp23 күн бұрын

    Those octopus and dolphin vases of cnossos was something else unique way these minoans saw the world

  • @Angela-en6oh
    @Angela-en6oh9 ай бұрын

    I found this video both interesting and informative. The fact that a re-evaluation of what has been generally accepted previously is really exciting and I look forward to a future video when those involved in this one are able to bring together their findings for our further enlightenment. My thanks to all involved in this production.

  • @Gillemear
    @Gillemear9 ай бұрын

    I studied the Minoans and in particular Santorini and Akrotiri, the Minoan city that was destroyed by the volcano. I'm always bothered by the notion that the eruption of the Thera volcano on Santorini had such a minor effect on Minoan culture and the Eastern Mediterranean in general. A volcano which was one of the greatesr eruptions in Human history, was 6times stronger than the Krakatoa eruption which cause untold destruction and plunged the world into a mini ice age. The Thera eruption much have had even more drastic effects. That societies across the Eastern Mediterranean at the time were largely uneffected remains highly suspect to me.

  • @dinos9607

    @dinos9607

    8 ай бұрын

    Be smarter than that and ask yourself : it destroyed Crete but not the rest of Greece? LOL! Mycenaeans were developing already since the 2000s and they flourished followingly. They did not seem to suffer a setback. Sure the earthquakes could had demolished cities and the waves would have demolished ports but these should be happening all over the place, or at least in some other places outside Crete. But according to fools, it only happened in Crete - which BTW is a very mountainous island thus should had been less affected. As for cultivations dying, that should had happened all over the place, not just in Crete. BTW volcanic ash may destroy for 1- 2 years the crops but following it makes the earth extremely fertile. The whole case of Minoan archaeology is problematic.

  • @Gillemear

    @Gillemear

    8 ай бұрын

    @dinos9607 Putting aside the fact I repeatedly said Eastern Mediterranean in my above comment, have you seen where Mycene and other citadels on mainland Greece are actually located? Most are on the tops of hills well inland! As for the fallout- prevailing winds blow west to east and north to south across Santorini. As Crete is predominantly south and east of the island, it would have recieved the lions share of the volcanic debris as is evident in the archaeological record of the period (volcanic ash being identified in soil samples across the central and eastern part of the island). In Greece, located west and north of Santorini, no evidence of this kind has so far been identified. Also, as the date of the Thera eruption still hasn't anying close to consensus, we can not be sure how close to the collapse of the Mycenean civilisation it actually was.I agree with your point about the mountains, mountain villas spring up in greater numbers after the eruption then before as if people were fleeing there after the devastation. Your point about agricultural collapse, who said it didn't happen elsewhere. Besides we'd only expect it to happen in the fallout zone. When Mount St Helens erupted in the US in 1980, the fallout devastated areas downwind of the volcano but largely left those upwind unaffected. As Thera was a larger but similar volcano, we can expect similar results. Finally, your assumption that only up to 2 years of disruption of agriculture is a classic trap as 1. The Minoans were largely a seafaring people and any destruction of coastal towns or of ships would have heavily effected them, say from a tsunami, 2. Their primary cultivated crop were olives which take two years to fruit and are highly susceptible to fire damage, 3. A few years destruction of crops coupled with massive infrastructural damage may be something a modern state can survive but a pre-industrial society would be on the verge of collapse in similar circumstances, 4. An eruption such as this would be expected to cause a more extreme change in the climate, like the Krakatoa eruption did. Tree ring analysis as well as Chinese records of the period show that the climate was effected by something.

  • @Gillemear

    @Gillemear

    8 ай бұрын

    @dinos9607 oh and why in your opinion is Minoan archaeology problematic?

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    @@dinos9607 It didn't "destroy Crete" and no one thinks it did. Everyone thinks that there were severe regional effects, both from tidal waves, subsequent earthquakes, and climate effects, but no one thinks that any civilization was brought to an immediate end by the Thera explosion.

  • @pantherofcarantania
    @pantherofcarantania9 ай бұрын

    We know how "Minoans" called them self thanks to the old Egyptians, who traded with them. They called them self THE PEOPLE OF KEFTIU. Bettany Hughes made an excellent documentary about them called The Island of Minotaur...

  • @lakrids-pibe

    @lakrids-pibe

    9 ай бұрын

    The egyptians called them that, but their own name could be different. "Egypt" is the english (european) name for a country called "Maṣr" by the (arab speaking) people who live there. "Germany" is the english name of a country called "Deutschland" in german, and "Allemagne", "Niemcy" and "Saksa" in other languages. "Minoan culture" is well established as the archaeological term, so I suggest we keep it for now.

  • @pantherofcarantania

    @pantherofcarantania

    9 ай бұрын

    @@lakrids-pibe In her documentary (The Island of the Minotaur) Bettany Hughes clearly says that they ("Minoans") called them self like that (Keftiu). It's not an Egyptian name for them. Beside, why would Egyptians called them differently?

  • @Ennea9

    @Ennea9

    9 ай бұрын

    ​​@@pantherofcarantania Can be true but it also a speculation. Keftiu (meaning the Great Green or the nail in the middle of the earth) I think sounds more like how someone would describe a place who is not from there. For instance the Egyptians used to call the Greeks as Haunebu/ Haou-Nebout meaning the people who live behind/beyond the islands. But Greeks of the bronze age didn't use a similar name for themselves. They were calling themselves Achaeans, Danaans or Hellenes.

  • @pantherofcarantania

    @pantherofcarantania

    9 ай бұрын

    @@Ennea9 Yes, it can be true or not. For example: mysterious Sumerians called them self "Un-ga -ga", o "Black-headed people" (in translation) for sure, because we translated their language (which was unique, completely different from neighboring Akkadian language). Until we decipher their language (Linear A) a lot about "Minoans" will remain a speculation... Enjoy!

  • @dinos9607

    @dinos9607

    8 ай бұрын

    @@Ennea9 In the Bronze Age the ethnic term seems to had been "Achaean" taken by the Achaeans who were the overruling tribe among Greek tribes. The term "Danaan" referred to Argives and even "Argives" was used by Homer sometimes instead of "Achaeans" as the biggest city back then was Argos (Mycenes was rather the seat of the most powerful king but not the biggest city itself). The term "Hellenes" was still the name of a specific tribe of Dorian origin who had occupied a piece of land in South Thessaly and these were the troops of Achilles - there is a reason why Achilles was a hero in north Greece, namely the regions of Macedonia and Epirus, the birthplace of Dorians, rather than in south Greece. As these moved post-Trojan War south, they became known as Dorians, however themselves use "Hellenes" which they gradually spread and replaced the previous terms, possibly via the influence of the Olympic Games which themselves had set up. The case of Achilles troops having been Dorians is strengthened by Homer's remark that Achilles' troops were known as Hellenes but they were them too Achaeans, i.e. specifying their tribal name "Hellenes" and ascribing their ethnicity "Achaeans". This is possibly the reason why Homer wrote the Iliad in the first place - remember ..... Agamemnon the leader of Achaeans had a fight with Achilles the leader of Hellenes.... Achaeans... Hellenes.... Ionians - Dorians, the centuries old clash which in Homer's chaotic times of the 8th century BC was on its culmination.

  • @JoRiver11
    @JoRiver119 ай бұрын

    I thought that part of the thought that the Minoans were a peaceful culture stemmed from the lack of fortifications and infrequency of weapons in the archaeology? Reinforced by the abundant evidence that much of the focus of their art and records is agriculture, trade, and beauty. It was also my understanding that women were interpreted as being at least equal to men in society because of the way that they are depicted in art, including that the statues in the temple areas are exclusively female, not just because "it's a peaceful society, therefore women". Maybe the ideas have been updated since I read about them, but I was a bit surprised by the tone of this video.

  • @ArturdeSousaRocha

    @ArturdeSousaRocha

    9 ай бұрын

    Well, it feels more like a TV documentary than a modern KZread one in style and production, with bits of slightly sensationalist filler. I'm a bit sceptical of its message.

  • @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    @user-fj4mo9xz1c

    2 ай бұрын

    Same! Trying to sneak in a patriarchy, ahaha!

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    They didn’t have fortifications as due to being an island with a huge navy, it wasn’t considered necessary. Absolutely nothing to do with them being peaceful

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    @@dwaynefoley1020 No evidence that they had "a huge navy." Lots of evidence that they had a large trading fleet, and that they were capable of defending themselves. Obviously, the sea was their primary defense, but there is no evidence that they were a heavily militarized culture, and no one is claiming they didn't deal in defensive warfare when they needed to. No one can deny that Minoan art had extremely little work depicting weapons, soldiers, or any sort of combative violence. This contrasts sharply with a lot of Egyptian and Assyrian art that features extremely brutal armed violence, including the binding, torture, and killing of captives, as well as ferocious hunting scenes depicting animals being shot full of arrows. A lot of this kind of art has a very sadistic character to it. Nothing like this is found in Minoan art. Another thing lacking from Minoan art is the depiction of stern and grandiose rulers in the panoply of authority and power, receiving the adulation or submission of subjects. The most prominent figures in Minoan art are female figures, sometimes bare-breasted priestesses handling snakes, sometimes dancers, sometimes officiating in funeral rites, sometimes engaging in the famous bull-leaping alongside men, and often simply as festive, beautifully dressed socialites. Both men and women are depicted as slender and athletic, with no attempt being made to portray power relationships or physical dominance. There is no hint that any pictured persons were slaves. A notable general feature of Minoan art is its organic and informal grace, avoiding the stiff ritual quality so often seen in that of other ancient civilizations. It was heavily slanted toward the natural organic forms of plants and animals and especially interested in the life of the sea. Minoan art stands in sharp contrast to most other bronze age art, both in style and content. Anyone who denies this dichotomy is just full of $h!t. No one knows the specific content of Minoan religion or culture, but it's impossible to avoid the conclusion that a valuation of the feminine was a dominant feature of the culture. At Akrotiri, ordinary houses were plumbed, both with cold water and hot water from geothermal features, as well as water-flush sewage systems. If I had to be sent back to the bronze age in a time machine, there's no question I'd go to Crete or Minoan Thera long before I'd consent to anyplace else. I bet it was easy to get laid there and almost impossible to get in a fight. As far as I'm concerned, Minoan civilization should be our signpost for where we try to go.

  • @browsernaut5350
    @browsernaut53508 ай бұрын

    Can I just mention how cute the pillow and tote bag are😍. I’d definitely buy them if I could.

  • @ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095

    @ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095

    8 ай бұрын

    No. No, you can't. {:o:O:}

  • @chris.asi_romeo
    @chris.asi_romeo9 ай бұрын

    Love watching documentaries like this. 💯💯👏👏

  • @skybluskyblueify
    @skybluskyblueify9 ай бұрын

    4:12 The lion with a bird head, was that inspired by people finding dinosaur fossils? Were they based on the reports of early ceratopsian fossils in what is now Mongolia and China?

  • @Adrienne557
    @Adrienne5579 ай бұрын

    Does every woman who studies Minoan civilization have excellent design taste? Dr. Ester Salgarella's bags should be sold in a museum, while Prof. Nicoletta's home/office was beautifully decorated.

  • @avenaoat
    @avenaoat9 ай бұрын

    On Santorini found battle frescoes!

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    So what? No one thinks that Minoan Crete couldn't defend itself when they had to. They had a large trading fleet that could be used in defense, and they were evidently the foremost sea trading culture of the time.

  • @DullyDust
    @DullyDust7 ай бұрын

    Esther seems like a hoot ^°^ i bet she would be so fun to hang out with and talk to

  • @MaddieHeartsHistory
    @MaddieHeartsHistory9 ай бұрын

    An awesome video, thank you! I always find it interesting when there is an emphasis on the importance of women in society. It makes me feel proud for some reason. 😊

  • @freefall9832
    @freefall98329 ай бұрын

    It is so interesting that the M came from a picture of a cats head.

  • @danielelder8621
    @danielelder86218 ай бұрын

    I could listen the Ester talk bout her passion every evening. Someone tag me if you find more her stuff, or if she’s on here by chance comment with some links on some of your lectures. I’d love to listen to you talk about this more. Not only is it super interesting, just hearing your passion on the subject (or anyone passionate like that on things for foreign to me) while explaining it is just lovely. She’s cute too so that helps, but truly the passion in people just give me such a drive to keep learning about new thumbs daily until I die. 😊

  • @LindaMerchant-bq2hp
    @LindaMerchant-bq2hp23 күн бұрын

    Signet rings, medallions in bronze, tin, copper, gold,silver colored muruls mini palaces

  • @ttapk
    @ttapkАй бұрын

    Nicoletta Momigliano: "...earlier Cretan writings called "Cretan pictographics" or "Cretan hieroglyphycs"..." Video: shows Phaistos disc Me: *facepalm*

  • @StorhaugToppen
    @StorhaugToppenАй бұрын

    She is so adorable when she says mjau

  • @edwardfletcher7790
    @edwardfletcher77909 ай бұрын

    Why on Earth did you choose Chinese intro music for a Minoan doco ?? 😩

  • @stevied3400

    @stevied3400

    4 ай бұрын

    We don’t know what Minoan music sounded like so who cares.

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    No Minoan songs are available on iTunes

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    @@dwaynefoley1020 No, Dwayne. There were no iphones at the time, and they didn't have any form of written music.

  • @nickcowell4744
    @nickcowell47449 ай бұрын

    The volcanic eruption of Thera caused the end of the Minoans. That's when the pottery started to depict sea creatures, and when other cultures were able to invade, and take over the trade routes. The Phoenicians took over the purple dye business.

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    Highly unlikely 🙄

  • @sirnunnosfreyxo5449
    @sirnunnosfreyxo54499 ай бұрын

    The writing seems to be similar to the Phoenician writing.... before they invented the alphabet....

  • @AIFanVideos
    @AIFanVideos11 күн бұрын

    Listen to the language of Andrew Shapland carefully and hear his bias and the need to undermine the Minoan way of life and the representation and interpretation of the role of women. Aren't all ancient civilizations failed civilizations? Why say that? Are there examples of other civilisation where power and war are not depicted at all in art? How many other archeologists apart from Evans get the same type of deep scrutiny? Stick to the facts dude. Also, can someone point out a link to this 'guy in charge' mentioned my Shapland? I am studying this at depth for a book and it is the first I hear of it.

  • @hudsonfrank1121
    @hudsonfrank11219 ай бұрын

    Other people have covered this detail in depth and this is but a thesis of an opening. It barely captures the tale.

  • @andrewkenner4472
    @andrewkenner44729 ай бұрын

    A fascinating culture. Unfortunately the gentleman narrator seems to be stuck in disputing traditional interpretations while interpolating substantially more unlikely hypotheses. Why should this society not be interpreted as less aggressive when their murals fail to show the combat activities typical of many other contemporary societies. Why is athleticism associated with aggression? The fact that the name used by contemporary Egyptians for this society is not mentioned is odd. The idea that their ideas and architecture were perhaps imported from other contemporary societies rather than their own distinctive invention appears to be without obvious foundation. I am afraid this brief account of this important bronze age civilizations is weak and a little disappointing. I would recommend Bettany Hughes' account despite its age and leave this one to gather dust on the shelf.

  • @marcobelli6856

    @marcobelli6856

    4 ай бұрын

    Typical of modern “”scholars””. They criticise traditional views but than add their own interpretations with even less proof than the original scholars they try to criticise had. It’s crazy how dumb they are

  • @andyhayes7828

    @andyhayes7828

    Ай бұрын

    Agreed

  • @PupienusMagnus

    @PupienusMagnus

    Ай бұрын

    Have you seen the Pylos Combat Agate? Minoans definitely engaged in some warfare, they just didn’t celebrate their military as elites like Mycenaeans.

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    Ok random anonymous internet person. I’ll take your word over actual qualified historians

  • @PupienusMagnus

    @PupienusMagnus

    Ай бұрын

    @@dwaynefoley1020 you clearly don’t know the first thing about antiquity, because this is a period covered by archaeologists; there are are no historical sources. Furthermore, what I’m saying IS the newest development on the Agate. The flawed assumption was Evans, who made the case for a pacifistic society over a century ago. There has been so much material culture that has been earthed since then to suggest otherwise. Mycenaeans didn’t have the technology to make the Pylos Combat Agate, the most detailed microscopic art of the Bronze Age. I’d suggest educating yourself on the topic before chiming in, it’d go a long ways.

  • @thomaszaccone3960
    @thomaszaccone39609 ай бұрын

    Wonder if they descended from the Gobekli Tepe, etc. People ?

  • @terraflow__bryanburdo4547

    @terraflow__bryanburdo4547

    9 ай бұрын

    Off the top of my head there would be at least 5000 years between them.

  • @thomaszaccone3960

    @thomaszaccone3960

    9 ай бұрын

    @@terraflow__bryanburdo4547 True. Its interesting that such sncient cultures seemed to originate in the same region. There is slso Catal Huyok (spelling?) and the early Maltese megalithic cultures.

  • @kariannecrysler640

    @kariannecrysler640

    9 ай бұрын

    @@thomaszaccone3960Not that surprising. What latitude are the most densely populated areas today? It’s location. Though discoveries happen in all climate regions, it isn’t odd that today’s most heavily populated areas would have also been so in antiquity. More people, more things to find in archaeology, doesn’t exactly mean the people themselves were extraordinary in any way. They just have more stuff to find

  • @thomaszaccone3960

    @thomaszaccone3960

    9 ай бұрын

    @@kariannecrysler640 ait complicated. What you are saying was written rather well in Guns, Germs and Steel. But i do think the character of the society, people and culture are factors.

  • @starcapture3040

    @starcapture3040

    9 ай бұрын

    people of Gobekli Tepe were mesopotamians

  • @apmoy70
    @apmoy703 ай бұрын

    Hopefully AI will help us decipher Linear A

  • @ellen4956
    @ellen49566 ай бұрын

    Look at the frescos and realize the only part that is original is the fragmented part that was still there. The one with women dancing is from a few small fragments (the rest made up), the "prince of lilies" is a complete fabrication, and the statuettes of "snake goddesses were proven to be forgeries long ago. The frescos from Akrotiri, on Santorini, are not tampered with because they were discovered much later by archaeologists who knew what they were doing. It's taken a long time for people to realize that there was forgery going on in Evans's team, but it's well known now. And there were not frescos in situ in the so-called throne room either; there were pictures taken of it before those were made. The duck-billed dolphins are also a fabrication by someone who was not familiar with dolphins. They are different on that one fresco than any of the ones from Santorini and on vessels where they were painted with normal dolphin mouths. If we really want to know more about this civilization, we need to let go of past misconceptions put forth by Evans and his team. Another thing: the damage from the eruption of Thera was scientifically investigated, and found to have sent tsunamis over 100' high to the shores of Crete, wiping out their ships and coast and depositing debris far inland, and that was followed by ash from the volcano, which can be seen were parts have worn away along the coast. There are documentaries about that too.

  • @JustJoe326

    @JustJoe326

    25 күн бұрын

    Unfortunately, forgeries & false teachings due to romanticism & malice have figured into the works of ' respected ' scholars & historians as well; but now should be the time to seek & teach the more complete realities of history. Reality is best for all of us.

  • @barbaracleverly9058
    @barbaracleverly90589 ай бұрын

    Mistaken premise. We know a great deal about the Minoans. Is this an old recording? I wish academics would stick to revealing, interpreting and updating the archaeological facts without having recourse to journalistic mumbo-jumbo. It’s exciting enough! Can someone hand the decipherment of Linear A to AI as we seem now to have it? The sensational treatment of this ancient Cretan culture was done superbly by Bettany Hughes a decade or two ago. Very much worth watching if you can find it.

  • @camacdonnell1

    @camacdonnell1

    9 ай бұрын

    You clearly didn't even watch the video, you just read the title and commented like a typical internet troll. The video is mostly about Linear A which is still a mystery.

  • @eyuin5716

    @eyuin5716

    9 ай бұрын

    Looks like somebody didn’t bother watching the video before commenting.

  • @Bohnant
    @Bohnant4 ай бұрын

    18:13 lovable

  • @dougmorrow746
    @dougmorrow7469 күн бұрын

    "A failed civilization?" "Were somehow weakened." Are you kidding! The Minoans "failed" and were "weakened" because the second largest eruption in human history completely destroyed Santorini, one of the Minoan's two main trading hubs, covered the south of Crete in meters of ash, probably wiped out the Minoan fleet both at sea and on the northern shores, devastated crops for years to come and caused catastrophic loss of life among the northern seaside sailing populations. And it wasn't the Minoan civilization that died in 1350... it was the Mycenaean-ruled remnants of a once great civilization that perished. Anything that could really be considered Minoan had died out long ago.

  • @jennodine
    @jennodine8 ай бұрын

    Under the barter system, competition means everyone puts their most desirable works forward for trade. Conversely, craftsmanship is a liability under capitalism - it became a race to the bottom as early as the 1970s.

  • @mlbh2os211
    @mlbh2os2119 ай бұрын

    As anyone given AI a crack atlinear A?

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    There is very little chance that linear A will ever be deciphered. We have no idea even what language family it is in. AI may be powerful, but it is not magic.

  • @starcapture3040
    @starcapture30409 ай бұрын

    7:49 crete had a szabul Muslim Graco Population not only Greek Orthodox. with treaty of religious demographic transportation in 1923 with the new turkish republic so they were forced to leave to the newly founded turkish republic.

  • @vice4134
    @vice4134Ай бұрын

    I believe Minoans are the true Atlantis people.

  • @StamatisStabos
    @StamatisStabos9 ай бұрын

    20:10 🐱

  • @barbarossarotbart
    @barbarossarotbart9 ай бұрын

    The art is always a good indicator for the state of a society. the lack of depictions of weapons, combat etc. tell us that this was a peacefull society. The lack of men depicted in prominent positions tells us that the society was most likely martraichal and not patriarchal. (The so called "Prince of Lillies" was a reconstrution ordered by Sir Arther Evans, because he wanted a depiction of a prince. Linear B was not the script of the Minoan people but of the Mycenean people who took control of Crete in the late bronze age. So the wannax mentioned in the Linear B text was the Mycenean ruler of Crete and not a Minoan ruler.) There are other hints, that the civilization of Crete was a peacefull one. There are no signs of defensive walls, battles etc. from the minoan age on Crete. But there are also hints that the Minoans controled the trade in the eastern half of Mediterranean Sea.

  • @Slavianophile

    @Slavianophile

    Ай бұрын

    In fact, there were quite a few coastal fortifications. And lots of bronze weapons. On many seals fighting scenes are depicted. As for the number of pictures of beautiful women, it only shows that Cretan men loved female beauty.

  • @barbarossarotbart

    @barbarossarotbart

    Ай бұрын

    @@Slavianophile Or that it was a matriarchalic society.

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    That is all pure speculation that you’re trying to pass off as fact there. Many things wrong with your assumptions that I can’t be bothered to correct

  • @barbarossarotbart

    @barbarossarotbart

    Ай бұрын

    @@dwaynefoley1020 Wrong. It is a fact that the so called "Prince of Lillies" is a fake, created because Arthur Evans wanted the image of a Minoan ruler, but he did not found a single image of a male ruler. Later excavations also did not found any evidence for the existence of male rulers in the Minoan culture. Thus it was suggested that the Minoan culture was ruled by an all female priesthood, because of the sheer amount of images of priestesses in ruling positions. (BTW an analysis of the palace of Knossos uncovered that the central court was the most important place in the palace and not the so called throne room, which BTW i stto tiny for that role. This is also a hint for the nonexistence of a monarch.) It is also a fact that Linear B was only used for Mycenean Greece and not for the Minoan language, which used the still undecyphered Linear A script.

  • @patstokes7040
    @patstokes70407 ай бұрын

    25:00 he talk about how Author Evans ideas may have influenced some of the archology of the Minoans, I can see how ideas of our current time has made some outrageous assumptions of history because of are own ideas. Just as those that are working on the Minoans culture today want to believe it was peaceful and run by women. No civilization is peaceful if they are threatened .

  • @booboolips6053
    @booboolips60539 ай бұрын

    Social lubricant😄

  • @coreyhughes7756
    @coreyhughes77568 ай бұрын

    Very similar tablets to Sumerian one’s and the same form of keeping records the fact they keep records the same way near 2,000 years apart shows they perhaps shared ancestors with the knowledge previously being used or shared knowledge and so on at some stage no connection despite how small it seem’s should be overlooked the fact a lot of civilisations build the same way all over the world shows that knowledge of how to do so and likely people have always been more connected no matter the distance then anyone had prev been thought.

  • @ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095

    @ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095

    8 ай бұрын

    Or two different groups had the same idea. {:o:O:}

  • @WorldWokeApeCult

    @WorldWokeApeCult

    7 ай бұрын

    The record keeping systems are only superficially similar

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    It is possible for the same idea to be had by the same species in different places Ancient people traded far more than is yet realised

  • @knutholt3486
    @knutholt348613 күн бұрын

    Why this unpleasant music that intervenes between each segment. It cannot have other purposes than a psychological jamming to dumb you down.

  • @Zulutime44
    @Zulutime443 ай бұрын

    Its apparent the ancient people of Crete were able to create a level of "law and order" that precluded the need to fortify isolated homes. Sort of like modern USA. A rare circumstance in human history.

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    No 😂

  • @user-hq8wm8giyujcg
    @user-hq8wm8giyujcg8 ай бұрын

    8:06 o so minoans also probably thought themselves as Europeans right, that too Caucasians

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    They wouldn’t have had a clue what a Europe was 😂

  • @barbararice6650
    @barbararice66509 ай бұрын

    Re-evaluation by middle class year zero maoists ... haha this will be good 👈😆

  • @dp6003
    @dp60037 ай бұрын

    The gentleman needs to do some More research 3 out of 10 fail

  • @dp6003
    @dp60037 ай бұрын

    Crete was the foundation of Western and Middle Eastern Civilisation FULL STOP

  • @coribird5177
    @coribird51779 ай бұрын

    I'm always disappointed when museums & archeologists marvel at the so-called advancement(s) within an ancient society. Why couldn't they have this knowledge? I wish they'd stop making ancient societies sound like knuckle dragging, drooling half beasts. Please.....

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    You mean it wasn’t all done by aliens? 😱

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    @@dwaynefoley1020 Go away. Your low self-esteem and evident sense of personal inferiority is just too embarrassing.

  • @tetrahead72
    @tetrahead7216 күн бұрын

    lammguage has endured,pronounciation is lost

  • @ECLECTRIC_EDITS
    @ECLECTRIC_EDITS2 ай бұрын

    They also practiced mass human sacrifice.

  • @user-ff4lr2jj5r

    @user-ff4lr2jj5r

    2 ай бұрын

    We do not know that....

  • @ECLECTRIC_EDITS

    @ECLECTRIC_EDITS

    2 ай бұрын

    @@user-ff4lr2jj5r Actually we do. Look it up. The Minoans were cannibals also. Its funny when everyone mentions the Aztecs as people who practice sacrifice. Who do you think the Aztecs learned it from?

  • @user-ff4lr2jj5r

    @user-ff4lr2jj5r

    2 ай бұрын

    @@ECLECTRIC_EDITS Funny!

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    @@ECLECTRIC_EDITSaztecs learned from Minoans? 😂😂 oh dear god read a book 🙄

  • @ECLECTRIC_EDITS

    @ECLECTRIC_EDITS

    Ай бұрын

    @@dwaynefoley1020 History was rewritten be freemasons in the 1800s

  • @louisghio2134
    @louisghio21343 ай бұрын

    Please don't say "k-nossos" you make me think you might not be as knowledable as would have us believe

  • @donnievance1942

    @donnievance1942

    28 күн бұрын

    It is actually pronounced K-nossos. So much for your supposed learning.

  • @mr.thrasher4029
    @mr.thrasher40299 күн бұрын

    I have seen and appreciate Minoan culture but this video is predominantly a bureaucratic version of reality. Too bad, England used to do better. Thumbs down.

  • @brilliance1231
    @brilliance12318 ай бұрын

    The Minoan script can only be read in Georgian languages. Minoan civilization is proto-Georgian (Colchis) civilization, We are here, we have not disappeared and we still have a state 🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪

  • @fuferito

    @fuferito

    8 ай бұрын

    You sound almost as tiresome as the usual Albanians who say their language is the original language of human kind.

  • @stevied3400

    @stevied3400

    4 ай бұрын

    Georgians didn’t disappear but the Minoans certainly did

  • @Error_-qz2zr
    @Error_-qz2zr7 ай бұрын

    this guy talking about minoan civilization as a failed one doesnt know what he is talking about... We could say the same about any civilization ,nothing last for ever....at least not in the way you think, but sure they lasted a couple of thousands years more than ours, So what were the Greeks,Romans,Mayans,Olmecs,Aztecs,Incas,Egyptians,Ottomans and literally any civilizations that ever existed, are they failed too? depends on your definition of the word. The lady in the end describes it best , they were like a dream, a uniquely beautiful, colorful and cyclical dream that never ends, just like life itself. The minoans try to tell you that from they art, only if you listen to them

  • @Russs1234
    @Russs12343 ай бұрын

    Thas Slavic civilisation. Not greek

  • @si4632

    @si4632

    2 ай бұрын

    lol

  • @dwaynefoley1020

    @dwaynefoley1020

    Ай бұрын

    What? 😂

  • @JustJoe326

    @JustJoe326

    25 күн бұрын

    ​@@dwaynefoley1020 At least to date: It's quite apparent that the Manoans were neither White European looking nor Black African looking.

  • @a.l.3664

    @a.l.3664

    3 күн бұрын

    the Slavs came to Europe 6 century AD...