| The transition from Neolithic to Early Minoan (EMI, EMII) | | | | off the southern Peloponnese. |
| c 3500 B.C. was associated with a gradual infiltration | | | | The Old Palace or Protopalatial period is marked by |
| of new settlers, again probably from an easterly | | | | the emergence of the great centres which, following |
| direction, bringing with them the technique of | | | | Evans, came to be known as palaces. The best |
| copper-working. Many new settlements date from this | | | | explored and understood are at Knossos, Phaistos, |
| time. | | | | Malta and Zakros, but others are now being |
| The pottery of the EMI period is marked by | | | | excavated. The terminology reflects the scholarly |
| innovations in technique and style. It is still hand-made, | | | | approach at the end of the reign of Britain's Queen |
| but much more skilfully fired than before and there are | | | | Victoria when the Minoan civilisation was discovered, |
| distinctive new shapes such as the beak-spouted jug | | | | but nowadays archaeologists think in terms of |
| or tall pedestalled chalices with a patterned surface | | | | complex administrative centres and the religious, |
| achieved by burnishing. Also seen at this time is the | | | | economic, social and cultural aspects of life within |
| earliest painted decoration on pottery consisting of | | | | them. |
| narrow stripes (of red or brown on a buff or cream | | | | Alongside the development of the palaces there is |
| ground) grouped in a variety of designs, sometimes | | | | evidence of town life at the main sites, and individual |
| intersecting for a cross-hatched effect. | | | | houses have been identified, for example at Malta. |
| Burial in caves continued, but the first built tombs are | | | | Sacred caves and cult areas in high places (known as |
| recorded; there was a primitive tholos at Krasi on one | | | | peak sanctuaries) began to play an important part in |
| of the routes up to Lasithi, and a huge cemetery of pit | | | | Minoan religious life, for instance on Mount Judas |
| graves of Cycladic type at Ayia Photia in eastern | | | | above Knossos at Vetsophas above Palaikastro, and |
| Crete. At Mokhlos in EMII house-like tombs were cut | | | | at the sacred cave above Kamares overlooking |
| into terraces along a cliff. | | | | Phaistos. The Early Minoan tombs continued in use but |
| The first evidence is recorded during EMI for the | | | | in many places a new method of burial was introduced |
| communal tombs of the Mesas plain. Tombs of this | | | | with the body placed in a clay storage jar (pithos) as |
| type, which occur elsewhere on Crete but less | | | | at the cemetery at Pakhia Ammos near Gournia. |
| frequently, are large circular structures, free-standing, | | | | In the potters' workshops of the palaces the new |
| with a single low east-facing entrance formed of | | | | technique of the fast wheel made possible the |
| monolithic jambs and a heavy lintel. The walls were | | | | production of fine polychrome vases. known as |
| stone built but it is doubtful whether, at least in the case | | | | Kamares ware from the sacred cave where it was |
| of the larger ones, these tombs would have been | | | | first discovered. |
| completely vaulted in stone. They were in use for | | | | Great strides were made in all forms of metalwork: |
| many generations during the third millennium, and some | | | | bronze smiths mastered elaborate castings in |
| continued during the following period contemporary | | | | two-piece moulds, and understood the lost-wax (cire |
| with the Old Palaces. | | | | perdue) process. Some of their best work was |
| The EMII period marked the appearance of pottery in | | | | reserved for the daggers, other weapons and tools |
| a mottled red, orange and black ware named after the | | | | exemplified in finds of this period from the Mesara |
| site of Vasiliki in eastern Crete where it was first | | | | tombs. The superb jewellery on display in the |
| found. The striking effect over the entire surface of | | | | Herakleion Archaeological Museum includes examples |
| the vase was achieved by a combination of uneven | | | | of the goldsmiths' work. showing a free use of |
| firing and the use of several different-coloured slips on | | | | granulation and filigree techniques, with decorative |
| the same vessel. | | | | patterns in minute grains of gold, or designs using line |
| Two sites of this period have been thoroughly | | | | gold threads. |
| excavated. Phournou Koriphi near Myrtos on the south | | | | The art of the seal engraver also developed rapidly |
| coast is a close-knit settlement with defined living | | | | with harder stones used for new shapes and vigorous, |
| areas, kitchens, store-rooms and workrooms but | | | | life-like designs. The remains of a seal cutter's |
| without separately defined houses. At Vasiliki the | | | | workshop, found at Malta, included tools and unfinished |
| settlement plan suggests a less communal social | | | | seals. while a deposit of nearly 7000 sealings at |
| structure and archaeologists point to features such as | | | | Phaistos greatly enlarged the corpus of known |
| a paved courtyard and internal walls finished with hard | | | | designs. The so-called Hieroglyphic Deposit at Knossos |
| red-painted plaster which perhaps foreshadow the | | | | (scalings, labels and tablets testifies to the connection |
| mode of life of the palace civilisation of the next | | | | between seals and writing. |
| millennium. A more centralised society was | | | | Evidence for foreign contacts comes from Egyptian |
| encouraging specialised craftsmen who produced the | | | | scarabs appearing in Crete and MMlI pottery in Cyprus. |
| bronze daggers, gold jewellery, ivory carving, seals and | | | | Egypt and the Near East while both pottery and stone |
| stone vases, often of superb refinement, which are | | | | vases have been found on the Greek mainland and in |
| known from the tombs of this Prepalatial period. | | | | the islands. At the end of the MMII period a great |
| Foreign contact increased and with it foreign influence; | | | | catastrophe almost certainly caused by earthquake |
| a Minoan colony was founded on Kythera, an island | | | | left the palaces in ruins. |