Cycladic civilization

As Cycladic culture of the prehistoric societies of the Bronze Age are known on the island of the Cyclades island group in the Aegean. Archaeological finds at excavations on the islands include figural representations, so-called Cycladic idols, images in the form of frescoes and finds from the daily life of the islanders. The Cycladic culture is related to the Minoan civilization on the island of Crete, its southern neighbor, but differs in some essential characteristics.

Temporal classification

The periodization goes Nikolaos Platon and Arthur Evans back to Crete. The chronology is determined by finds of Greek pottery, mainly in the form of import goods in Egypt. Both the Egyptian chronology as their impact on the datings in the neighboring regions is not yet secured and is discussed further.

The table shows the periods of the Minoan civilization on Crete the corresponding periods in the Cyclades and the Helladic period on the Greek mainland opposite. The individual phases within the eras, as well as their partial further subdivision generally correspond to a change of style, especially the ceramic.

At the end of the Neolithic period in the region is generally the year 3000 defined BC.

Early Cycladic period

Even assign the Neolithic are the findings on the tiny island between Antiparos and Paros Saliagos, in Ftelia on Mykonos, and Kephala on Kea.

The first phase of frühkykladischen epoch corresponds to the Grotta - Pelos culture on Naxos, another locality from this period is Phylakopi ( Milos ). There are only known grave finds, settlements from the period have been discovered.

In Early Cycladic II, the Keros -Syros culture of the island of Syros is classified, from this time are traces of settlement before on different islands ( Kea, Ios and Delos ), next to grave finds. Latest from FK II operated the inhabitants of the Cyclades piracy. However, the deep sea was probably not a new phenomenon FK II finds the Keros - Syros culture ( FK II) testify to the fact that the bearers of this culture possessed a " with oars or Stechpadeln driven longboat type", to be covered with the even further distances could.

The Kastri or Lefkandi culture is also on Syros either associated with the end of FK II or it marks the beginning of FK III. After the settlement continuity breaks off in almost all regions. So far, only the small settlement on the island of Keros before Daskalio is used as a continuous detectable. With the Phylakopi culture of Milos settlements translated elsewhere again only at the end of FK III.

Mittelkykladische time

The mittelkykladische epoch is usually not further subdivided, the exchange between the islands in the form of trade as well as migration in the context of conflict was intense, so that one can speak of a common culture for the first time. Only three of the twenty -known settlements of the time are unearthed: Phylakopi (Milos ), Parikia on Paros Agia Irini on Kea. The latter can be attributed to this era partially the Helladic culture of the Greek mainland, because the influence of island cultures is significantly reduced.

Spätkykladisch

From spätkykladischen Era Phase I single out is, since the buried by a volcanic eruption and largely preserved city of Akrotiri is sorted on the island of Santorini. Other well-researched sites of the time are Phylakopi, Agia Irini, Agios Andreas and Delos on the island of Sifnos.

Over the period, the Cyclades merge with the mainland culture and are increasingly the Mycenaean culture of Späthelladikums Act. After 1200 BC the settlement patterns are breaking down, begins the transition period of the Dark Ages. In the break she falls to the Iron Age. With the Geometric period is around 1050 BC, a classical antiquity in Greece.

Tribes

Thucydides and Herodotus call the original inhabitants of the Cyclades Leleges and mentioned that they had been distributed in the southwest of Asia Minor, where they were known as Carians. While Thucydides lets them displaced by the mythological King Minos, Herodotus writes this to the Dorians and Ionians.

Exhibitions

• Cyclades - life worlds of early Greek culture: Baden State Museum, castle, Karlsruhe; December 2011-April 2012