A Brief History of the Minoans by Sorrow
In 1903, British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, made a discovery in the excavation site of the
palace of Knossos on the Aegean Island of Crete. His discovery was that of a race of people previously unknown. He named these people the Minoans, after Minos, the legendary king of Crete.
The Mystery
The Minoans are a civilisation of which little is known. They arose in the area of Crete sometime around 2200BC, existed until around 1000BC, and then faded away to the point where they were completely forgotten about for hundreds of years. Little was found of the Minoans, except for the crumbling ruins they left behind. There are no stories of them passed down through the generations, and they left behind no written history. Their only written word is a runic alphabet that has never been properly deciphered, and it's only purpose seemed to be for accounting. In effect, the Minoans are a race of ghosts who very nearly faded away altogether without the slightest hint of a trace. T
heir history is now only determined through archaeological findings and speculation. A lot of speculation.
Collapse of The Minoan Civilisation
Throughout their short lived history, the Minoans were struck time and time again by earthquake and volcanic eruption. Although they appeared a strong race who would rebuild their cities after natural disaster levelled them, eventually some kind of event occurred which lead them to finally unable to fully recover. The Minoan civilisation collapsed, and the Mycenaean�s then swept in and picked up where the force of Mother Nature left off. Burying nearly all trace of the Minoans beneath their own heritage.
From what can be discovered from their ruins, and the surrounding history of the Cretans, the Minoans were a financially affluent society who distributed their wealth among their people. They appreciated art and crafts, dealt as merchants rather than warriors, and made no great efforts to protect themselves against outside attack. This could have also been their down fall when the Mycenaean�s grew greedy and turned their battle-hungry eyes towards the Minoans.
Bloodlines
The Cretans were a people who did not seem to suffer any kind of gender based inequality. If anything, it seemed the woman held the upper hand. The Cretan religion was goddess based, and it's also believed that they were matrilineal (meaning that their descent was determined according to the bloodlines of the mother). It appears through archaeological findings, that the Minoans were also a matriarchal society. This being presumed due to the lack of usual male-dominant signs within their society such as fortifications, temples to the Gods, walled citadels and so on.
The Snake Goddess
When Arthur Evans discovered the lost Minoan civilisation, he also discovered a statuette that has become one of the most famous objects to be associated with the Minoans and their culture. The statuette - a woman with her arms outstretched, and a serpent entwined around each limb, he believed to represent some kind of major deity among the Minoans. Although he had no proof to back his theories, Evans decided this statue represent some kind of Snake Goddess. With no proof to either support or contradict his argument, the statuette was accepted as such.
Like everything that is the mystery of the Minoans, the purpose of the 'Snake Goddess' is another unresolved issue. The most common theory is that she was a fertility Goddess. It's also believed that she was the representation of the Great Earth Mother, the Goddess who ruled over all. Then again, some believed she was simply a domestic Goddess who would oversee the running of the household and other such fairly menial tasks.
Human Sacrifice
As much as there is a romantic notion that the Minoans were a peaceful race, legend even linking them to the myth of Atlanta, there have been discoveries made that strongly suggests that they indulged in human sacrifice. In the 1960's, an excavation of an ancient building revealed a room which contained the burnt remains of 327 bones, belonging to children. All signs indicating that they were victims of religious slaughter.
Any Wild Theory
Memory of the Minoans slipped from the grasp of our forefathers many centuries ago, and we may never ever find out the truth behind the speculation of the ancient civilisation, and their Snake Goddess. But perhaps it doesn't really matter. After all, with nothing to contradict any wild theory cooked up, the snake-clad woman could for all we know, be the Goddess behind an ancient cult of selectively bred super-humans. A cult who may have spent the past few thousand years waiting for a great comet to pass across the skies, sending a deadly pathogen to the earth, and destroying all but those strong enough to survive.
Who knows?
Sources
Mysteries of the Minoans Minoan Religion Minoan History Snake Goddess
Minoans (recommended that you check this link)
