Aegean - notes PDF

Preview

Summary

notes...

Description

THE AEGEAN: Legacy of Atlantis Video Worksheet • • • •

The Ancient Aegean civilization was a Pre-Greek civilization: they were on the Greek islands more than 2000 years before the city of Athens built the famous Parthenon. The term “Aegean,” like the term Mesopotamian, refers to an area, not a country. In class, we talk about two Aegean civilizations: The Mycenaeans and the Minoans. Some archaeologists are believe that elements of what we today consider “myths and stories,” like the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, The Iliad, and even the story of Atlantis, may have truth to them. It is possible, based on archaeological evidence, that something similar to these events happened in the Aegean, were passed down orally, and were written down by the Greeks as myth/story centuries later.

1. The Greek philosopher plato told a story [about Atlantis] that he claimed came from Egypt.

2. One man Homer is the source for many of our myths [discussed in the video]. But did he describe real people, real places, and real events? To find the answer, we must reexamine the greatest legends of the Aegean world: a. the tale of a mighty Greek king murdered the day he returned home from the Trojan War b. the fearsome minotaur, half-man, half-bull from the island of Crete; c. and Helen of Troy, the face that launched a thousand ships and a ten-year war.

3. Geographically, the investigation takes us from the island of Thera, now called Santorini ; to Troy in turkey; to Mycenae in western greece; and to the island of crete. 4. In a sentence or two, write a brief summary of the Trojan War: The greeks fighting for fighting for helen from her trojan lover. For ten years th egreeks could never make it past the gates of troy. Then tricked them with the giant horse full of soldiers. 5. Archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann was convinced the stories of Homer’s Troy were true. Clutching his wellworn copy of the iliad he set out to find the site of the trojan war. 6. Anticipation built when [Schliemann’s] the team turned up a coin marked illium the Roman word for Troy.

7. What are some of the objects found by Schliemann in his archaeological dig in Troy/Turkey? Coins, street covered in wood ashes, a young Greek girl apparently, the treasure of priam, gold earrings and rings, tiarras, 8. Schliemann claimed that he had discovered the Road to Priam, the jewels of Helen of Troy, and the death mask of King Agamemnon. Are these specific declarations supported by scientific evidence? No 9. WARNING: THIS VIDEO SHOWS A GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF A BULL BEING SACRIFICED ALIVE—KILLED IN A RITUAL. IT CAN BE DISTURBING TO WATCH AND HEAR. SKIP FROM 23:45-26:10 TO AVOID SEEING THIS RITUAL. 10. Myceneae the largest island in the Aegean Sea, would prove the setting for archaeologist Arthur Evan’s greatest discovery.

11. Evans started excavating on Knossos, and uncovered a vast palace and a carved Throne The palace was first built around 1900 BC

12. How does Athanasia Kanta, archaeologist, describe the Minoan people (name a few)? They were fun, they enjoyed life, drank a lot of wine, women wore long dresses wide skirts ___________________________________________________________________________________________

13. The magnificent palaces discovered on Crete shared one remarkable trait: none were fortified

14. Not far from Knossos, just across the Aegean, lies the island of Santorini now a popular resort. This is the island once known as Thera the island destroyed in one devastating eruption 3000 years ago. Archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos led the discovery that the island was Minoan in culture.

15. The volcano was no ordinary eruption. The disaster on Thera was the greatest natural explosion the world has ever seen 16. There are indications that the volcanic clouds reached China, Egypt, and the Americas. What specific evidence of the volcanic eruption were found in California? The core of a tree has dark cells within in the rings 17. What evidence was found in the Greenland ice cap? Within in 7 years the sulfur and ash was found

18. In 1967, archaeologist Spiridon Marinatos began a search for Minoan remains on Thera. What things were not found buried under the ash? No bodies, no gold 19. 20. What Marinatos and his team did discover was astonishing: they began uncovering exquisite frescoes paintings

21. Generally, in other ancient empires, such as Egypt or Syria, the artistic themes are almost always war and conquest. You go to the island of Thera and there are paintings of (name a few) children playing, dancing antilopes, monkeys. 22. What are some of the technologies that the citizens on the island of Thera may have had? Fountains, plumbing, flush toilets, showers, bathtubs 23. What events (name at least two) contributed to the decline of the Minoan civilization? The thera volcano erupted, and earthquakes....