Editing Minoan civilization (section)

===Late Minoan===

The Late Minoan period was an eventful time that saw profound change in Minoan society. Many of the most recognizable Minoan artifacts date from this time, for instance the [[Minoan snake goddess figurines|snake goddess figurines]], [[La Parisienne (fresco)|La Parisienne Fresco]], and the [[Minoan pottery#Marine style|marine style]] of pottery decoration.<ref name="HallagerHandbook">{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Hallager |first1=Erik|year=2012 |title=Crete |editor-last=Cline |editor-first=Eric |encyclopedia=The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean |pages=149–159 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199873609.013.0011|isbn=978-0199873609}}</ref>

'''Late Minoan I''' (c. 1700-1470 BC) was a continuation of the prosperous Neopalatial culture. A notable event from this era was the [[Minoan eruption|eruption of the Thera volcano]], which occurred around 1600 BC towards the end of the LM IA subperiod.<ref name="HallagerHandbook" /> One of the largest volcanic explosions in recorded history, it ejected about {{convert|60|to|100|km3|cumi}} of material and was measured at 7 on the [[Volcanic Explosivity Index]].<ref name="McCoy2002">{{cite conference |author=McCoy, FW |author2=Dunn, SE|title=Modelling the Climatic Effects of the LBA Eruption of Thera: New Calculations of Tephra Volumes May Suggest a Significantly Larger Eruption than Previously Reported|book-title=Chapman Conference on Volcanism and the Earth's Atmosphere |url=http://www.agu.org/meetings/cc02babstracts/McCoy.pdf|publisher=American Geographical Union|year=2002|location=Thera, Greece|access-date=2007-05-29}}</ref><ref name="Sigurdsson">{{cite journal |vauthors=Sigurdsson H, Carey S, Alexandri M, Vougioukalakis G, Croff K, Roman C, Sakellariou D, Anagnostou C, Rousakis G, Ioakim C, Gogou A, Ballas D, Misaridis T, Nomikou P |year=2006 |title=Marine Investigations of Greece's Santorini or Akrotiri Volcanic Field |journal=Eos |volume=87 |issue=34 |pages=337–348 |url=http://www.uri.edu/endeavor/thera/EOS.pdf |doi=10.1029/2006EO340001 |bibcode=2006EOSTr..87..337S |s2cid=55457903 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630233518/http://www.uri.edu/endeavor/thera/EOS.pdf |archive-date=June 30, 2007 }}</ref> While the eruption destroyed [[Cycladic]] settlements such as [[Akrotiri (prehistoric city)|Akrotiri]] and led to the abandonment of some sites in northeast Crete, other Minoan sites such as Knossos continued to prosper. The post-eruption LM IB period (c.1625-1470) saw ambitious new building projects, booming international trade, and artistic developments such as the [[Minoan pottery#Marine style|marine style]].<ref name="HallagerHandbook" />

[[File:AMI_-_Oktopusvase.jpg|thumb|250px|alt=A Minoan vase featuring an octopus.|A [[Minoan pottery#Marine style|Marine Style]] vase from {{circa|1500 BC}} found in Palaikastro, and commonly known as the ''Octopus Vase''; typical of the Late Minoan IB period that followed the eruption of Thera. It is currently in the [[Heraklion Museum]].]]

Late Minoan IB (c. 1625-1470 BC) ended with severe destructions throughout the island, marking the end of Neopalatial society. These destructions are thought to have been deliberate, since they spared certain sites in a manner inconsistent with natural disasters. For instance, the town at Knossos burned while the palace itself did not. The causes of these destructions have been a perennial topic of debate. While some researchers attributed them to Mycenaean conquerors, others have argued that they were the result of internal upheavals. Similarly, while some researchers have attempted to link them to lingering environmental disruption from the Thera eruption, others have argued that the two events are too distant in time for any causal relation.<ref name="HallagerHandbook" />

'''Late Minoan II''' (c. 1470-1420 BC) is sparsely represented in the archaeological record, but appears to have been a period of decline.<ref name="HallagerHandbook" />

'''Late Minoan III''' (c. 1420-1075 BC) shows profound social and political changes. Among the palaces, only Knossos remained in use, though it too was destroyed by LM IIIB2. The language of administration shifted to [[Mycenaean Greek]] and material culture shows increased mainland influence, reflecting the rise of a Greek-speaking elite.<ref name="HallagerHandbook" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Watrous |first=L. Vance |year=2021 |title=Minoan Crete: An Introduction|publisher=Cambridge University Press|pages=188–201|isbn=9781108440493}}</ref> In Late Minoan IIIC (c. 1200-1075 BC), coinciding with the wider [[Late Bronze Age collapse]], coastal settlements were abandoned in favor of defensible locations on higher ground. These small villages, some of which grew out of earlier mountain shrines, continued aspects of recognizably Minoan culture until the [[Greek Dark Ages|Early Iron Age]].<ref name="HallagerHandbook" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Watrous |first=L. Vance |year=2021 |title=Minoan Crete: An Introduction|publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=197–201 |isbn=9781108440493}}</ref>