Agriculture

MINOAN: The Minoans raised cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, and grew wheat, barley, vetch, chickpeas, figs, olives, and grapes.Farmers used wooden plows, bound by leather to wooden handles, and pulled by pairs of donkeys or oxen.



MYCENAEAN: It is obvious that the Mycenaean economy was based on agriculture. The tablets from both Pylos and Knossos demonstrate that there were two major food-grains produced; wheat and barley.The land used for agriculture was basically of two types, represented by the terms ko-to-na (ktoina) ki-ti-me-na and ko-to-na ke-ke-me-na.Except from cereals, the Mycenaeans also produced wine, olive oil, oil from various spices and figs. As far as wine is concerned, it does not figure in the ordinary ration lists and may have been something of a luxury or possibly for export.

Culture of Minoan and Mycenaean

MINOANS: Religion played an important role in Minoan Crete and many activities, and artistic products revolved around religious cult.Ritual celebrations usually took place in sacred caves, on sanctuaries on mountain peaks, and in the palaces and villas which all had their own sanctuaries. Animal and bloodless sacrifices, along with processions were part of ritual worship of the great female nature goddess, and during these festivities worshipers used music, dance, and prayer to achieve a state of religious ecstasy that put them in touch with the supernatural. Through their interaction with other civilizations of the middle east, the Minoans were aware and utilized the art of metalworking Their skillful jewelry creations adorned the collections of noble palace inhabitants and were even exported around the Mediterranean.The first written scripts of the Minoans resemble egyptian hieroglyphs.

MYCENAEANS: Most likely the Mycenaeans polytheistic and had many gods. Zeus was shown in some of their languages. Later on, they adapted to somewhat resemble Minoan religion. Their religion did involve sacrifices and offerings. Bones outside of tombs indicated that they had human sacrifices as well.

Minoan/Mycenaean Art

MINOANS: The minoan people had a high self respect for their environment. Not much of their art had survived from the Prepalatial period. Around 1900-1700 BC the Minoans came to discover the art of pottery. They had many artworks painted on the walls of palaces in ancient Crete, that still survive today. They had several techniques to shape metal into objects and works of art.

Mycenaean art is different then Minoan art. The minoan art is mostly essentially small, while the Mycenaean art wanted to be more noticeable. It was on palaces, walls, and tombs. They also had rings and gems that bore religious marks.

MYCENAEANS: Paintings, known as Frescoes, are a tradition that compared to that of oral formulaic poetry. This traditions were first picked up by the Minoans but were quickly picked up ny the mycenaeans. Animals in these paintings were symbols. Seeing an animal in a natural environment in a painting is very rare, because they were "mans victims."Their art included pottery, paintings, jewelry, and wall art.