Minoan Crete

Spring in Minoan Crete

/ Rei Arkangelakis / 2 Comments

The vernal equinox is upon us (in the Northern Hemisphere)! Where I am, I’ve spotted some buds here and there and a few crocuses, but spring is (and was) in full swing on the island of Crete by now. While climate change (way back then AND in recent times) has made springs and the rest of the seasons more turbulent in some ways on average, both ancient and modern Crete have had similar weather overall. Surprisingly, Minoan times saw higher temperatures!

Ultimately, though, Crete’s rugged terrain and harsher climate to match, from strong winds (Meltemi) to Saharan dust storms (which are currently underway, turning the skies a deep red-orange), has made it no stranger to erratic weather since ancient times.

spring in southern Crete with blooming flowers
Photo Credit: Jerzy Strzelecki via Wikimedia Commons

How Ancient Crete’s Weather Is Determined

First thing’s first: how is the weather I’m about to discuss even determined? Written weather logs only go back so far, after all. So, it’s up to scientists (namely paleoclimatologists) to figure that out via the analysis of natural recorders of climate. Also referred to as proxies, they preserve data in layers (i.e. sediments, stalagmites, and organic remains). In combining these environmental archives with archaeological findings, researchers are better able to reconstruct past temperatures, precipitation, and notable weather events.

Stalagmites and Stalactites

Stalagmites (upward-growing mounds of mineral deposits) and stalactites (downward-growing mounds) in Cretan caves grow in thin layers determined by water dripping from the ceiling. By analyzing the oxygen isotopes (atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons) in these layers, scientists can determine periods of heavy rainfall versus droughts over the span of thousands of years.

Sea and Lake Samples

From the bottom of the sea and lakes, scientists have taken long core samples, where pollen, microorganisms, and volcanic ash have accumulated. Changes in types of pollen denote shifts in vegetation caused by climate, while microscopic plankton shells shed light on past sea-surface temperatures.

Marine mollusk shells and fossilized teeth found in archaeological sites are also analyzed for oxygen isotopes. The ratio of heavy to light isotopes in the structure of these shells (calcium carbonate) correlates to the water and air temperature at the time in which they grew.

Pollen Samples

By sampling pollen trapped in soil during archaeological digs, researchers can identify what plants grew in specific areas of the island. Since certain plants flourish only in certain temperatures and moisture levels, this helps identify whether the climate was arid or temperate.

Sediment

Back in 2006, geologists discovered an extensive sediment layer from the Minoan eruption of Santorini (Thera). The mollusks, volcanic ash, skeletal remains, etc. within this layer offer a bit of a “sneak-peek” of the environment and weather at that exact moment.

Dendrochronology

Tree ring data in the Mediterranean is able to provide information on yearly climate conditions (i.e. wider rings for wet years, narrower for dry ones). Thankfully, there are plenty of trees to go off of as many are thousands of years old, including the Olive Tree of Vouves in Chania, Crete.

Modern Crete’s Spring Weather

The present is informed by the past, so I wanted to dive into the island’s weather in modern times. Spring lasts for a solid three months. While May is consistently warm, June marks the true beginning of the hot, dry season (summer).

The approaching warm westerly winds ensure a springtime that is mild and pleasant overall. Average daytime temperatures range from 11⁰C to 23⁰C (52⁰F to 74⁰F). The sea still remains relatively cool (around 15⁰C/59⁰F), so evenings tend to range from 9⁰C to 15⁰C (48⁰F to 59⁰F).

Cloud cover is still abundant throughout the month of March, but the skies start to clear up more as the season progresses. Even still, Crete is known as the sunniest island in Greece and one of the sunniest places in all of Europe, boasting over 300 days of annual sunshine.

While the wet season is primarily from November until the first half of March, there’s still intermittent light rain on occasion, but then it begins to taper off in April. The dry season is starting to get longer and longer in modern times, which unfortunately leads to more wildfires.

Ancient Crete’s Spring Weather

Based on the findings above, scientists can ascertain that the peak of Minoan civilization was about 4°C hotter than in modern times. To further confirm this, research indicates that El Niño events in the past caused warmer, drier conditions as well. Unfortunately, this is connected (in part) to the gradual end of Minoan civilization. Needless to say, long bouts of intense droughts had a devastating impact on agriculture.

The Fauna and Flora of Minoan Spring

By the time the warm season came around, the landscape was bursting with the vibrant colors of wildflowers, including saffron crocuses, lilies, poppies, anemones (Anemone coronaria) and tulips (Tulipa saxatilis).

Crete’s biome consists of Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and shrublands, which would start getting much greener after all the precipitation that winter brought (when it wasn’t El Niño).

Snow on Crete’s highest mountaintops (White Mountains, Psiloritis, Dikti) generally started melting around this time (April), but significant snow cover often lasted until the end of spring.

Spring isn’t much of a spring at all without the arrival of birds and their songs. To this day, swallows are the main birds that mark spring’s beginning as well as doves. But they weren’t the only one’s singing; there were also cicadas (tzitzikia) that emerged as nymphs in later in the season.

Minoan Life During Springtime

As the Mediterranean settled and warmed up, it’s no surprise that an island and thus sea-based culture would consider spring the beginning of sailing season. No longer hindered by the chaos of winter, the Minoans started to trade and fish again, ensuring their economy remained robust. Nautical pursuits aside, it was also a period for agricultural labor, religious celebrations, sun-aligned rites, and preparation for the hot summer ahead. Some of these preparations included tending to the fields before it got too dry. Go here to read a more poetic take of Minoan spring.

Crete mountains and flowers in May
Photo Credit: Mary Roberto Strauss via Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Minoan Mantinada of the Month / Μινωική Μαντινάδα του Μήνα #4: Minoan Autumn

/ Rei Arkangelakis / 2 Comments

Minoan Autumn

Original Greek Version

Η συγκομιδή ελιών και σταφυλιών ξεκίνησε!
Kόκκινο χρώμα από τα δέντρα εμφανίζεται.

Η καλοκαιρινές ακτίνες του Ήλιου δροσίζουν.
Στο πολύχρωμο τοπίο, oι δρόμοι ησυχάζουν.

Transliteration

I synkomidí elión kai stafylión xekínise!
Kókkino chróma apó ta déntra emfanízetai!

I kalokairinés aktínes tou Íliou drosízoun.
Sto polýhromo topío, oi drómoi isyházoun.

English Version

The olive and grape harvest has arrived!
Auburn hues of oaks and planes come alive!

Summer sun softens, gives way to brisk days.
Bustling streets halt in the changing landscape.

Literal Translation (sans proper syllable count)

The harvest of the olives and grapes has commenced!
Red color from the trees appears!

The summer rays of the Sun are cooling.
In the colorful landscape, the streets calm down.

Crete mountain in fall by fietzfotos

Note: While there’s a lack of records, modern trends of Cretan weather can inform the distant past. Autumn was and is a time for harvesting the island’s greatest commodities: olives and grapes. Wine was also made at this time. As the plane (platanos) and oak trees took on striking brownish-red and golden hues (but the deep green of cypress and olive trees remained), the Minoans, like present-day Cretans, prepared for the winter ahead. The seasonal shift definitely brought much reprieve on an island known for its summers of harsh heat and VERY dismal rain (if any).

The Many Names of Crete Through the Ages: From Kaptara to Krētē

/ Rei Arkangelakis / 4 Comments

Before Crete (Κρήτη: Krētē) was, in fact, called Crete, it was referred to as Kaptara (its earliest known reference, c. 1800 BCE) in Syrian and Neo-Assyrian, Keftiu (Kftı͗w, c. 1480 BCE) in Ancient Egyptian, and Caphtor in the Bible.

An old map of Achaean Crete in color

“Crete” to Ancient Egyptians (And Potentially Even Minoans)

Many scholars deem Keftiu to be more similar to the Minoan name than “Minoan” ever was, which may be derived from the Greek word for “the nail of the earth” or “the peak of the mountain”. This phrase refers to the dominant peak of Crete (Mount Ida at 8,058 feet), which was a well-known landmark for seafarers. The Middle and Late Egyptian versions were as follows: Keft, Keftu, Kaftu, Kafta, Kefdet, Keftju.

Mount Ida in Rethymno, Crete
Mount Ida. Credit: Jebulon

However, it is important to note there’s been much debate over what Keftiu is truly referring to. While some scholars say Cyprus or Syria, the stone base of a statue during Amenhotep III’s reign states otherwise. Kftı͗w is in a list of Mediterranean ship stops to Cretan cities like Kydonia and Phaistos, which clearly points to the Aegean, not Anatolia.

“Crete” in Mycenaean Greek

Its initial Crete-adjacent iteration was found in Mycenaean Greek texts dating back to around 1,500 BCE. In Linear B, it was written as 𐀐𐀩𐀳 (ke-re-te) at first. Later on, it took on the names 𐀐𐀩𐀯𐀍 (ke-re-si-jo), Κρῆτες (Krētes), and Κρήσιος (Krēsios).

“Crete” in Ancient Greek

In Ancient Greek, Crete’s current name (Κρέτα (Kréta) to the ancient Doric Greeks) first appeared in The Odyssey. While its etymology isn’t entirely certain, there are two main propositions. The less likely notion between the two is that Crete could stem from a hypothetical Anatolian Luwian word kursatta (kursawar: island). However, there’s more of a consensus surrounding its Ancient Greek origins. Crete could very well stem from “κραταιή” (krataie̅), which means strong or stronghold, reflecting the fact that the island was the strongest thalassocracy (maritime empire) in the ancient world.

Two Greek Homonyms that Could Actually Be Related?

Interestingly, κριτικός (krētēkos), which is a homonym of Κρητικός (what you call a Cretan man), means “able to discern or be critical.” Though this is simply something I personally noticed, this could relay to their command over both rugged terrain and tumultuous sea, and the critical thinking involved in traversing both.

The Ship Procession or the Flotilla frieze
The Ship Procession or the Flotilla frieze

Another near-homonym could just be another interesting coincidence, but when it comes to Caphtor, that is very similar to the word for “hot” in Greek (kaftó: καυτό). Crete has a temperate Mediterranean climate, which means summers are hot and dry. I can even attest to the intense heat having stayed at my γιαγιά’s non-airconditioned house during many a summer.

I’d definitely take the above thoughts with a grain of salt because the closest Greek word to Keftiu is keftés (κεφτές), which means “meatball”. While κεφτέδες are a Greek delicacy, the two words are clearly not related. It’s just interesting to me that some foreign names for Crete actually hold relevant meanings.

Even More Names!

From Kaptara to Krētē, the ‘k’ sound has (mostly) remained since its very first known iteration. However, what has been mentioned isn’t all-inclusive. In Latin, Crete is Creta, whereas the original Arabic name was Iqrīṭiš (اقريطش) and then changed to Χάνδαξ (Chandax).

Candia, derived from the French Candie, was used in Latin, Italian, and Venetian. In Ottoman Turkish under Ottoman rule, Crete was called Girit (كريد: precious stone), which brings up another uncanny coincidence. My μαμά’s Cretan maiden name means precious stone, which I won’t mention here for privacy reasons. The “-akis” suffix was added later on, which means “small”, changing the name meaning to pebble. While that’s a point of pride during modern times, that was added to Cretan surnames during the Turkish occupation to demean Cretans.

Sources

  • Caphtor/Keftiu: A New Investigation by John Strange
  • The Aegean Bronze Age by Oliver Dickinson