What were the causes of the collapse of Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations?

What were the causes of the collapse of Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations?

Archeologists are unsure of what caused the collapse. It might have been foreign invaders such as the Sea Peoples or the Dorians. It may also have been a natural disaster such as an earthquake or drought. After the fall of the Mycenaeans, Greece entered into a dark age.

What probably happened to the Minoans?

Q: What happened to the Minoans? Minoans were most probably wiped out by a massive volcano eruption and the earthquake that happened some years before it.

When was Crete destroyed?

About 1450 bce most major settlements in central and southern Crete were destroyed by fire and abandoned. In 1939 the Greek archaeologist Spyridon Marinatos suggested that the eruption on Thera had led to the collapse of the Minoan civilization; his theory was widely accepted.

Who ruled the Minoans?

King Minos
The term Minoan is a modern name, and comes from the legendary King Minos, who, according to Greek mythology, ruled the island of Crete. One of the main problems in understanding Minoan civilization is that, though we have Minoan writing, no one has deciphered it, so we do not know what it says.

Who destroyed Mycenae?

Pharaoh Ramesses III
They caused widespread destruction in Anatolia and the Levant and were finally defeated by Pharaoh Ramesses III in c. 1175 BC. One of the ethnic groups that comprised these people were the Eqwesh, a name that appears to be linked with the Ahhiyawa of the Hittite inscriptions.

Who wiped the Minoans?

Invasion by Mycenaeans – Complete destruction of the Minoan Civilization. Archaeologists have now enough evidence to believe that the reputed Minoan Civilization was severely damaged and affected by the eruption of Santorini Volcano, which destroyed their fleet.

What race are Minoans?

Minoan, Any member of a non-Indo-European people who flourished (c. 3000–c. 1100 bc) on the island of Crete during the Bronze Age. The sea was the basis of their economy and power.

Where did the Minoans originally come from?

It is likely, says Stamatoyannopoulos, that the Minoans descended from Neolithic populations that migrated to Europe from the Middle East and Turkey. Archaeological excavations suggest that early farmers were living in Crete by around 9,000 years ago, so these could be the ancestors of the Minoans.

How was Mycenae destroyed?

Mycenae and the Mycenaean civilization began to decline around 1200 B.C. Mycenae’s people abandoned the citadel around 100 years later after a series of fires. Alternatively, Mycenae may have fallen to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, drought or famine.

Who Won the Trojan War?

The Greeks
The Greeks won the Trojan War. According to the Roman epic poet Virgil, the Trojans were defeated after the Greeks left behind a large wooden horse and pretended to sail for home. Unbeknown to the Trojans, the wooden horse was filled with Greek warriors.

What race were Minoans?

Analysis of DNA from ancient remains on the Greek island of Crete suggests the Minoans were indigenous Europeans, shedding new light on a debate over the provenance of this ancient culture. Scholars have variously argued the Bronze Age civilisation arrived from Africa, Anatolia or the Middle East.

How were the Minoans killed?

Evidence suggests that the Minoans disappeared so suddenly because of the massive volcanic eruption in the Santorini Islands. We know now that the Santorini eruption and the collapse of the volcanic cone into the sea caused tsunamis which devastated the coasts of Crete and other Minoan coastal towns.

Why did the Minoan civilization collapse?

The reasons for the slow decline of the Minoan civilization, beginning around 1550 BC, are unclear; theories include Mycenaean invasions from mainland Greece and the major volcanic eruption of Santorini.

What caused the Minoan decline?

Although historians are unable to pinpoint the exact cause of the Minoan’s demise, it is commonly believed that a combination of a volcanic eruption and the rise of the Mycenaean empire is what brought down the relatively peaceful, mercantile Minoan rule.

Who was the leader of the Minoans?

The only known ruler of the Minoans was King Minos, also being the first ruler. Minos was claimed to be the son of the ancient god Zeus , who appointed him to be the ruler of Crete . He also was the owner of the legendary Minotaur and the Labyrinth .

What was the Minoan era?

The Minoan civilization was a Bronze Age Aegean civilization on the island of Crete and other Aegean Islands , flourishing from c. 2700 to c. 1450 BC until a late period of decline, finally ending around 1100 BC.