The argument is muddied by different terminologies used by archaeologists - pre-Minoan/first early Minoan/Phase 1/Neolithic and others. So if you want to have something before Minoan, you can cherry-pick a particular word.
The Greek-ness of these peoples is also a matter of word use. What is 'Greek'? These early peoples were not the same as the peoples we call Greek. In earlier times, the Indo-European nomads who settled the Mediteranean littoral split up into peoples ranging from Latins in the west to Arcadians, Ionian, Aetolians, Dorians and other Hellenes (Greeks).
It is better to talk of groups such as Minoans, Mycenaeans, Aeolians etc rather that try to argue about what to call some earlier people with a fabricated name which we do not know what they were, other than Neolithics.
The Minoans didn't speak the Greek language. The Mycenaeans, however, were the first to speak the language, so they were considered Greek.
They did not speak greek.
because they did not speak greek
True
The Minoans actually lived in ancient Greece, on an island called Crete. They were wiped out due to a volcanic eruption on a nearby island, which resulted in a huge tsunami that killed most of the Minoans. They were not considered Greek because they did not speak Greek. The first "true" Greeks were the Myceneans.
Myceneans. the minoans were in Crete, the persions in persia and helots were Spartan slaves.
Myceneans painted their huts while Minoans didn'tThe Minoans lived on the island of Crete in Greece. The Mycenaean lived in the mainland Peloponnese.The Minoan civilization began before the Mycenaean. The history of the Minoans show that their artwork was very different from the Mycenaeans.
The Minoans, based on the Greek island of Crete, were the first Greeks.
The Minoans (considered the earliest "Greeks" and the fathers of modern western civilization) were traders on the island of Crete. Academics are unsure of what caused the downfall of the Minoans, but we have some clues. The most popular theory suggests that in 1500BC a massive volcanic eruption 80km east of Crete caused a Tsunami that destroyed the Minoan naval fleet, and some of its city structures. This in turn led to a weakening of the city, given the Mycenean tribe ample oppurtunity to attack on defeat the Minoans. The Myceneans were more violent than the Minoans. They had several city states on mainland Greece (in Pylos, Mycenea, Athens). The Myceneans were the people that took a leading role in the war against Troy (Troy is in what we now call Turkey). Somewhere along the way back home or during the war, around 1180BC, the Dorians (another, different, Greek tribe) took over the Myceneans and destroyed virtually everything. Writing, art, culture and knowledge was all but obliterated. The Dorians had to start from scratch, and this period became known as the Dark Ages. However, from the ashes of the Myceneans developed something that would become far more powerful and influential. The Hellenic poeple. Hellenics are what we now call Greeks. The Classic greek period was born.
The Minoans were from the island of Crete and the Myceneans were from mainland Greece and spoke an early form of the Greek language.
The Minoans actually lived in ancient Greece, on an island called Crete. They were wiped out due to a volcanic eruption on a nearby island, which resulted in a huge tsunami that killed most of the Minoans. They were not considered Greek because they did not speak Greek. The first "true" Greeks were the Myceneans.
The Mycenaeans victory was their conquering on the Minoans.
Myceneans. the minoans were in Crete, the persions in persia and helots were Spartan slaves.
The period in time that followed the dominance of the Minoans and Myceneans was called the Dark Ages.
Myceneans painted their huts while Minoans didn'tThe Minoans lived on the island of Crete in Greece. The Mycenaean lived in the mainland Peloponnese.The Minoan civilization began before the Mycenaean. The history of the Minoans show that their artwork was very different from the Mycenaeans.
Well after the Dorians conqured the Mycenaeans the area fell into a kind of Dark Ages. This is mainly due to the Dorians not really being literate. Because of this much of the culture that was around during the Mycenaean and Minoan times became lost. The Ancient Greek civilizations we are now familiar with Athens and so on were built on top the old ruins hiding them. They were eventually discovered and while that answered the question as to if they existed or not the next question that emerged was whether or not the Minoans or Myceneans were the same peoples or different? With the discovery of the Minoan Linear A (we can not read) and Linear B archeologists believe that they are indeed different because we are able to read Linear B which is Greek based showing the use of a different language which the Myceneans used. It is now believed they were different cultures and that Myceneans were infulenced by the trading based Minoans, but the Myceneans a more war like people eventually conquered the Minoans. Read Theseus and the Minotaur which is a story historians try look deeper into to back up this belief.
minoans
minoans
The Minoans, based on the Greek island of Crete, were the first Greeks.
The Minoans built one of the earliest Greek civilizations.
The Minoans (considered the earliest "Greeks" and the fathers of modern western civilization) were traders on the island of Crete. Academics are unsure of what caused the downfall of the Minoans, but we have some clues. The most popular theory suggests that in 1500BC a massive volcanic eruption 80km east of Crete caused a Tsunami that destroyed the Minoan naval fleet, and some of its city structures. This in turn led to a weakening of the city, given the Mycenean tribe ample oppurtunity to attack on defeat the Minoans. The Myceneans were more violent than the Minoans. They had several city states on mainland Greece (in Pylos, Mycenea, Athens). The Myceneans were the people that took a leading role in the war against Troy (Troy is in what we now call Turkey). Somewhere along the way back home or during the war, around 1180BC, the Dorians (another, different, Greek tribe) took over the Myceneans and destroyed virtually everything. Writing, art, culture and knowledge was all but obliterated. The Dorians had to start from scratch, and this period became known as the Dark Ages. However, from the ashes of the Myceneans developed something that would become far more powerful and influential. The Hellenic poeple. Hellenics are what we now call Greeks. The Classic greek period was born.