Minoans culture

Religion

Minoan deities came from the natural world and they believed that man should live in harmony with nature. Rituals, which usually incorporated animal sacrifice, music, dance, and prayer, took place in sacred caves, on mountaintops, or in private shrines in local palaces and villas. The bull was a sacred animal, and its sacrifice or the playing of games that revolved around it were central to their religion. This symbolized man's interaction with powerful natural elements, and ultimately his triumph over them through skill and power. Religious artifacts include bull masks and horns and double axes.

Technology

The Minoans interacted with other middle eastern countries and were expert metalworkers. They created magnificent jewelry from gold, copper, and bronze, and masterd the art of inlaying other metals with gold.

Snake Goddess

Language

The Minoans had two different scripts; Linear A, which resembled Egyptian hieroglyphs, was the earlier of the two, and is best exemplified by the Phaistos Disk, on display at the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The Disk dates back to 1700 BCE. Linear B resembles a primitive form of Greek, and unlike LInear A, has recently been deciphered. Linear B was mostly used for record-keeping and trade, shedding some light on a most likely prosperous civilization.

Phaistos Disk

Art

Minoan art revolved around religion. It demonstrates that the Minoans were an optimistic people, in awe of and in touch with their natural environment. They had developed high self-respect and a keen eye for adaptation.

--Mmirkovic 14:44, 11 February 2012 (CST)Mia Mirkovic

Source: http://www.ancient-greece.org/culture/minoan-cult.html Image source: imagebam.com (Phaistos Disk)