A Short History | The Mycenaean Period of Ancient Greece

The Mycenaean period of Ancient Greece lasted from around 1600 to 1100 B.C. The Mycenaean culture was somewhat refined, with a basic structure of religion or mythology, politics. Later this ‘basic structure’ was to have a huge influential impact on future Greek civilisation.
The era is seen to be of great prosperity. Luxurious items were becoming a commodity for basic living with local workshops producing objects of pottery and bronze, as well as items such as carved gems, jewellery, vases in costly metals, and glass ornaments. Art within the culture flourished as a result of the neighbouring Minoan civilization, whose styles influenced the majority of drawing techniques. For example women and men were seen at the time as having similar social status but when painted females were with a white or very pale skin tone and men’s with a reddish brown, co-incidentally this is one of the easiest ways to distinguish between the two genders as the paintings are often of very simple forms and show no other distinct defining features.
Being gallant traders of oil, wine and vases etc… with the Mediterranean world the Mycenaean’s soon became diverse in the foreign customs that they used as their own, they soon became a force to be reckoned with. They were ferocious warriors and remarkable engineers who designed and built outstanding bridges, fortification walls, and beehive shaped tombs, all the result of adopting Cyclopean masonry techniques. Although their elaborate drainage and irrigation systems were somewhat unique and are thought to be self made.
Finally the Mycenae period most commonly associated with this (what was originally Minoan) style of drawing affected the future of Greek culture. Greek culture then being the most ‘ahead of its time’ influenced the world, and these simple figures and basic forms in elaborated materials can be seen on all kinds of ornaments and decorative pieces today, many can be found as a vase atop a mantel piece or a framed print placed upon a wall. Nevertheless it all began here.