Women, Art and Technology By Michela

In ancient Minoa women played an important role. They served as priestesses, functionaries, and administrators. Women did not have limits on their choice of occupations. They could be anything from an entrepreneur, to a top bureaucracy leader. Along with having a choice of their job, they were also allowed to do most of the things that men were. Minoan sports were often violent and dangerous but women still had the option to participate in them. Minoa was a matriarchal society, and women were viewed as a symbol of worship. This is because the Minoans worshiped goddesses and gods. There isn’t much evidence to prove this but they know that there were more goddesses than gods. Although women were valued for their fertility, they were seen as more important than just caregivers. Women even got rights to more prominent positions during assemblies and processions. Women were considered to be “pillars of stability” in the Minoan civilization. Also there were paintings, sculptures, stone carvings, and seals depicting women goddesses. 

The Minoans had a lot of art in their culture. They mainly made sculptures it honor gods and goddesses. An example of a popular statue is the snake goddess. The Minoans also made paintings, pottery, did metal work and created palaces. Paintings usually portrayed a portrait of Minoan life at the time. They adapted some of their artistic ideas from the Egyptians. Use of the side view and frontal eye along with sharp outlines in solid color. Minoan pottery was complicated due to the use of a pottery wheel. Pottery wheels allowed for efficient production of vessels that had thin walls and shapes that are symmetrical. Minoans created metal works with copper and gold. They used many techniques to shape the metals into objects and works of art. Minoan palaces were structured to cause a visitor to feel a sense of awe while there. Some architectural features of their palaces are columns, long walls, large exterior staircases, and porches. Columns were very important to Minoans and it is believed that the column had ritual significance for the culture and was placed in many places to serve not only for heir original purposes but for cultural and ritualistic purposes. 

The Minoans were technologically advanced. Weaponry was key to Minoan civilization. There was art depicting hunters and warriors wading helmets and using shields as a form of protection. They used spears, daggers, bows and arrows, and swords in defense and hunting. Minoans are said to violent and brutal warriors. They also utilized metal for art by making sculptures, statues, and other forms of metal works with it. Another use that Minoans had for metal was jewelry making. Minoan cities were technologically advanced as well. Their cities were connected with stone roads made by blocks that were cut with saws. Those saws were made out of bronze. The streets had water, sewer and drainage systems that worked because of clay pipes. Minoan buildings were 2-3 stories high and had flat roofs. The roofs tile made out of plaster, wood, or flagstone floors. Timber would hold up the roofs and the walls and foundation were made out of stone mud brick and rubble.