Mycenaean Greece rises to power in the Bronze Age c. 1750 - 1050 BCE. Mycenaean civilization is a pinnacle of Greek grandeur, with palaces, central administration, art and conquest.
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In the 18th century BCE, groups of settlers arrive in today's mainland Greece. Around 1600 BCE they build a city, Mycenae. The city becomes one of the greatest centers of power in the ancient world.
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In lore, the city is named either by the Greek hero Perseus as the cap (myces) falls off his scabbard and he sees it as a good omen; or he names it after finding a mushroom Mycena (Gr. fungus) and discovering a wellspring of fresh water.
Mycena is a genus of small saprotrophic or wood-loving mushrooms. The name Mycena comes from the Ancient Greek μύκης mykes, meaning "fungus". Species in the genus Mycena are commonly known as bonnets. They're not toxic, but not edible.
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In ancient cultures to modern times, mushrooms and wellsprings both have magical properties. Mushrooms are often associated with faerie folk or shamanism and wellsprings are spiritual places. Temples and tombs are often built near water and water sources.
Mainland Greeks, the Mycenaeans are in contact with Minoan Crete and other island Mediterranean cultures through trade and travel. The Minoans are ancient at the time the Mycenaeans are young.
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On Crete, habitation prospers from Neolithic times c. 7000 BCE. Built around the Cult of the Bull c. 3100 BCE, Minoan culture comes into its glory days c. 1700 BCE. By then Mycenean culture is also on the rise.
Originally, Mycenae is a hill fort with houses and other buildings around it. The hill is a good position strategically and for defense, in an area of fertile agricultural land and water sources. It's about 12 mi (19 km) inland from the Gulf of Argolis in the Sea of Crete.
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Mycenae grows into a trading empire with a strong military force. Interacting with Minoans to the south and people of the islands which would become the Cyclades. Myceneans gain inspiration and build palaces and temples on a grand scale.
Mycenaeans are sailors, warriors, farmers, artists, builders, traders. They invent modern military infrastructure. Their Linear B script is the first written record of the Greek language. Deities Poseidon, Pan and Demeter prevail into the Olympic and later Roman pantheons.
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A warrior elite society, Mycenaean Greece is a network of palace-centered states with defined systems of heirarchy, politics, society and economy. At the head of society is the wanax, or king.
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Mycenae is the main center of Aegean civilization. By 1450 BCE the Mycenean Greeks spread to the Aegean islands and coasts. Showing their warlike side they occupy Knossos on Crete, center of Minoan culture.
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Signs of battle and destruction are evident and the Minoans become part of the greater Mycenean empire. The pre-Viking cultures such as Battle Axe on the Nordic coasts, Baltic Tumulus, and the Nordic Bronze Age establish lucrative trade with the Myceneans.
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Dwellings and gathering places of palatial scope are a trend among the Greeks from the 15th century BCE. The kingly palace is composed of a megaron, or throne room, with raised central hearth under a roof opening. It's supported by four columns in a square.
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The throne is against a wall to the side of the hearth, giving an unobstructed view of the seated monarch from the entrance. Frescoes, a technique of painting characteristic of the Minoans of Crete, decorate the walls and floors.
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A courtyard with columns leads to the throne room, and a grand staircase ascends from a terrace level below. A Cyclopean architecture style begins c. 1250 BCE, named because stones are so big and heavy only a giant Cyclops could move them.
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The largest stones including the lintels and gate jambs weigh well over 22 tons; some may have been close to 110 tons. "Houses" including a House of Shields, House of the Oil Merchant, House of Sphinxes and West House are both habitations and workshops.
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By 1240 BCE, the Mycenaeans experience the first wave of attacks by hostile Sea Peoples. European Bronze Age collapse marks the beginning of the Iron Age. Mycenae is rocked by destruction and civilization falls to ruin, as do many others in the ancient world.
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