One has to really really really thank the ancient Egyptians for actually painting the images of other ancient people and their creativity thousands of years ago. Unbelievable and invaluable.
Well, The Minoans (stupid name), were the Caphtorim and Casluchim, from which came Philistines. They were 2 of the nations sprung out of Egypt. Means they belong to the line of Ham, black peoples, as you can see in their paintings.
I solo traveled the Mediterranean from Athens to Crete, Naples to Rome, to Le Sene Sur Mer France, to Barcelona...I walked from Heraklion to Knossos. I lived in my own head w a single earphone in to hear documentaries and mood music, I had time to ponder the ancients and their cultures. Best thing I ever did ❤️
I solo travelled in Switzerland, visited small villages , rode local transport, hiked lesser known trails alone , it was such a previlage and a great experience. I stayed near Thun, in a small village, enjoyed nature ,fresh air and the mountains..i came back completely refreshed.
When she said it, I didn't catch the word "insular", so I replayed it using closed captioning. Continued its use the rest of the way. Much appreciation to Bettany Hughes.
Thank you, Doctor, for adding life, to the story of life. I had no idea Egypt painted them and recorded their name, that the fires were started on purpose, that Kouros was broken apart and thrown, and that the cliff living refugees were there out of terror for about a hundred years. Thank you again, Doctor.
Bettany is such an AMAZING HISTORIAN and true bad*ss- I’m in love, but in a completely professional way. I’ve been waiting on a good comprehensive history of the Minoans, and this is just what I was looking for. Though I must say I do tend to get naturally suspicious when a British person sounds too confident about a lost or foreign civilization 😅 History’s just gotta be that way sometimes
‘But in a completely professional way,’ 🥰 😄 and ‘ the Minoans would have been proud,’ 😆 😏 couldn’t help myself,heehee,,,,,,actually,she really brought them to life,and taught more than I know ! It’s always nice to get updates on history about ones favourite subjects,,,,,,,can you imagine seeing their wonderful festivals with the impossible acrobats and bull leaping! We think our sports games are entertaining but just imagine,,,,,,,,, 🙄🤭😲
Well now I'm torn, which is better? A grandfatherly, esteemed sounding old British narrator, or sultry, smooth voiced, young British narrator? (If the narrator isn't British is it even a real documentary?)
@Great White You sir are a fool and not old enough to gain the experience on who and how someone narrates a good documentary. I would guess that you cannot be older than 30 years old and you have already pointed out a little personal prejudice by grumbling about the narrator’s use of English in an English documentary spoken by a British Historian (who’s fairly young in this documentary) and is a well known historian and television presenter for over 20 years now. Incidentally she pronounces every word like all the classical scholars before her and I speak a little bit of Greek as I lived there when I was a child for a little while and also know Crete well. I apologise to any other people who I assume come from the US, as I guess the person who I’m talking to here is from the US which is why I advise you to just think for one tiny moment and ask yourself are there any other countries other than the US? Because by the tone of your voice you find the English English accent just somewhat irksome, so the best advice I can provide as I’m now 67 years old is do some more growing up as there’s miles to go before you go making disparaging unqualified remarks about a very experienced and a very knowledgeable person who holds at least a doctorate in Greek and possibly Roman. Along with a honorary doctorate with the others and also an OBE and FSA. Think before making such childish comments.
Yes, we do if we follow the Bible's table of nations. The Minoans (stupid name), were the Caphtorim and Casluchim, from which came Philistines. They were 2 of the nations sprung out of Egypt. Means they belong to the line of Ham, black peoples, as you can see in their paintings.
Murex were not required in such numbers as early writers tell us. I feel this exaggeration was the secret that supported their high prices. Recently I watched a demonstration of the process. Some five were worked into the mass where the fibre was immersed. Then rinsed and lay in the sun. With time, the colour developed. Maybe costing five dollars a square metre. Silk was traded the same way. My silk shirt once cost a Roman a years pay as the trade was controlled. My watch cost fifty dollars and has worked for five years. Swiss ones are thousands but are of no more use.
Kif tu - kif tuza is "How do you use it?" In Maltese. The Minoans could have been impressed with Egyptian tools and technology and simply been a pest perpetually asking questions, earning them this nickname.
Yeah, but isn't Maltese basically some type of Arabic? I mean, I even recognize the Arabic word for "how" in your comment which is "keif" as in "keif halik?" (how are you?) - and I'm not even an Arabic speaker. So, chronologically, it doesn't really add up. Then again, I'm not sure if your comment was meant literally.
The entire thing fascinates me and my boyfriend and we were really excited about it but..... when we went to Knossos we were very disappointed. Why? There are a few things. First of all you really need to pay for a guide, buy the book, rent the tablet that tells you the story (and works like a tour guide) or you need to get attached to a group with a guide. All of them cost extra to the Knossos ticket. The guides that are available in many languages they are standing in the entrance trying to attract tourists. All of them are either historians, archeologists or history teachers who do this to earn money since they have nothing else to do. We didnt hire one though. Without them the signs in the sight are too little. We counted 4. So basically the sight was made like this so that they make the most money that they can. Second of all, many of the "rooms", corridors, stairs etc where closed to the public because of???? When you go there you expect to see a palace. Instead you see a big red wall with drawings that have been repainted in order to show how it was (but we cannot really know how much different they were back then), the throne room, in which you are not allowed to go in or further than this, and a part of a stair that goes down to rooms (it is a part protected from the sun, but you are not allowed to go down there). Other than these, a lot of rocks and again parts that are closed to the public because they are hypothetically under contraction or???? they dont say. I am Greek, born and raised in Greece, so i know quite well that there is no money for archeological sights and if they get some from the EU it disappears before you see any progress. BUT, i think that Evans has done some critical changes to the sight (when it comes to the paintings/drawings) and the reconstruction of the other rooms/areas of the sight has been either stuck or it will never get finished. You only get an idea of what the palace would be like because of the throne room and the (closed) stairs that are next to it. That is it. As I said, we expected to see a palace... The pictures you see from Knossos on the internet or in books (the throne room, the wall with the drawings and the big wall with the collumms are basically ALL the things you will see in Knossos. You can save your money and go straight to the Archeological Museum in the city center which has a lot more things to show and say and gives you a better view about the culture, the every day life and how the palace would might be like. As the "palace" is constructed on different levels there are many rooms on different floors. I would really like to see them and get the real experience of life in Knossos. But nope, they are ALL closed. Very very disappointing.
I respect and appreciate your anger and frustration at what Knossos has become, but a great deal of the "closed" aspects are #1 about protecting the site from millions of yearly tourist feet. I began visiting Minoan Crete in 1983 and virtually everything then was still open, and I walked the deep-down inner corridors for hours: there are graceful stairs and turning corridors that make you feel half-lost and pleasant chambers with a human scale that is pure charm. Can only say, study up yourself and avoid the tour guides, Knossos is still worth extended visits, walk some of the lovely local valley, too---it is THE place where Western civ truly began.
yeah, it appears the minoans called themselves something similar to the keftiw; akkadians called the island _kaptara_ , the egyptians _kftyw_ , the modern hebrew word is _kaftór_ (and so english caphtor), etc.
So a gorgeous, intelligent woman with a posh English accent is taking me on a guided tour of some exotic Greek island and there's plenty of direct eye contact AND I'm learning something? It is like you bring an ancient statue to life to teach! Fantastic!
I'll be in Knossos later this week and I'm very excited about it. I've known of Crete since 3rd grade and Knossos, 5th. I've been waiting awhile for this! Fascinating stuff. Btw... anybody else think the Votary was a nicer figurine than the priestess?
The symbol of the snake is mistaken here. It represents rebirth and wisdom. This an archetypal image similar across world mythologies. It's agricultural Goddess.
in 535 AD, krakatoa blocked the sun around the planet for 2 years, leaving only 4 hours of sunlight a day after that for some decades. every civilization that has written history still intact from that time, records a low rumble, and the following years if darkness where many assumed the sun would never come out again. I think that's the most devastating eruption in human history that we know of.
"We may never know [why the Minoans abandoned the costal cities for the inland mountains]" Except we kinda do. This was the time of the Sea Peoples that are well attested from multiple sources, from the Greeks to the Hittites, to the Egyptians. What we don't know for sure is who the Sea Peoples were, and what their motivation was for sweeping through the Mediterranean world and collapsing the Bronze Age civilisations there.
@@chillfollins not likely. The Minoans were already in great decline by the time the Sea Peoples arrived. The hypothosis that seems the strongest to me is that the Sea Peoples were not one single geoup, but rather waves of displaced people's moving from west to east, starting at the mouth of the Mediterranean, and as they destroyed one groups homes, that group, being displaced traveled east and sacked the next group, which being displaced, repeated the cycle until they reached the shores of the Levant. With the last group likely being Greak Myceneans. There is even genetic evidence for this in Isreal. There is also some evidence that this may also be the origin for the story of the Trojan War. Mycenean Sea Peoples took advantage of the disintegration of the Hittite kingdom to sack Troy, which we no factually happened from Hittite records of the event. Getting back to the Minoans, as I stated earlier, by the time of the Sea Peoples arrival, the Minoan civilisation had been in decline for about 200 years and was ruled by Myceneans. We have archeological evidence that when the Sea Peoples arrived, the Minoans retreated inland to mountainous city/villages where the Sea Peoples couldn't get to them, abandoning the coast.
I too have been very curious about the sea peoples and one theory I have is that the Amarna dynasty fled Egypt on a mini exodus and ventured forth into the Mediterranean basin and established many colonies. Maybe the sea peoples were Egyptians themselves and maybe the Egyptians didn't want anyone to know about it?
The so called Minoans (stupid name), were the Caphtorites (Sardinians from Crete) and Casluhites (Cretes), ancestors of Philistines. They were some of the nations sprung out of Egypt. Means they belong to the line of Ham, black peoples, as you can see in their paintings.
@@chillfollins I'm gonna report you for calling me racist you %@# , ya hear!!!! You are the racist, cuz you don't want them to be black, do ya? It doesn't suit you, now, does it?! You also don't believe the Bible, but in your little professor's theories about us coming from neolithic apemen, eight? Then, go to the zoo to visit your relatives!!!!!
@@chillfollins Hey people, look at him, he doesn't want them to be black, so he can keep admiring them. Ignorant who doesn't know the table of nations and thinks we came from neolithic apemen 🤣🇷🇺
Great summed up documentary about the ancient fascinating minoans. I'll get into that period of history and the consequences of the natural disasters that covered the islands. Curiously their descendants still exist I reckon they are most of us at least the Mediterranean. Such stunning artifacts.
Is there anyone who knows where I can find the music from this dokumentary? To be more specific those haunting horn sounds. I saw the name Tony Burke mentioned in the credits under original music but I couldn't find anything useful with that information. I would be very glad if someone could help me with that. :-)
I was staggered when I watched this prolific documentary or way or another they built a huge civilization regardless the perilous circumstances around them.thanks a lot 🌹
you are just jealous because she is so captivating. I would rather her talk like she does than talk all fast with the shrill annoying voices most woman in have , she has a great voice and presents very well.
You mean like every presenter ever in tv... who....wait for it... looks at the camera/audience as they narrate? Would you have preferred she talk with her back to you.. or looking at the floor? What a nonsense comment.
This is clearly a very old video, anyone who truly watches a lot of Bettany's work would know that vs saying some shit about her having had work done supposedly. Oh and LMFAO at the ppl calling her annoying or saying that this video "needs a better narrator," I mean yall are entitled to yalls opinion but youre in the severe minority considering that this woman is one of, if not THE most well respected female historian and history broadcaster in the world! She is the only one I know of who actually has a real fan base and she has been around doing this work for a LONG time and just gets more and more popular and covers more and more interesting & niche topics as the years go on. She is also a published author on SEVERAL historical books that all did pretty damn good. It makes me LMAO and roll my eyes when some random kelly or alyssa type bih who took a few history classes when they were in COMMUNITY college, honestly has the audacity to try and say that Miss Hughes is wrong about something. Now if you have a PHD in a related historical field then that's different bcz you may have the knowledge needed to both check the vid for accuracy and to know details about something related to some of the material in this video and thus would be able to actually provide us with info that is new to us and possibly even provide Bettany w/ info that she didn't know. If you don't have a PHD in some related historical field or at least a Masters degree then plz STFU
Looks like south America. They are building on top of much older ruins. At 15:48 yo se fine masonry at the bottom. newer cruder stone work on top. The same at 16:06 Fine square pillars filed in with crude stone work.
Apparently fools are still in Abundance. 27:27. That technicolored coat guy from Egypt was apparently smart enough to stockpile for the lean times when harvests where plenty.
Great documentary. Some of the sounds are really annoying though... the soubd to make it more "spooky" (or at least i think that is the idea...), the crickets in the background, chopper sounds etc.. The lady has a nice voice to listen too though. But without the other sounds the docu would be sooooo much better imo.
the Minoans are sea people and navigators. where did they go and settled? have you figured that out? Due to that eruption, do you think they may had headed away to find new lands and took their cultures with them? Is it possible that they may had settled in the Pacific and the Americas? the Mayans, Aztecs and Pacific sacrificed people and eat them too. brilliant navigators. Could there be a connection with a great migration? heading through Egypt and then moving on?
The narrator's voice is very enjoyable and understandable. Keep up the good work. This is one of the good history channel. But my doubt after watching this video is Who deliberately set fire on Minoan island of crete and what made them do it. Why that Truth is not exposed on this video?
Crete was actually first settled by the Trojans in around 6000BCE. This peaceful and equalitarian culture was, like so many others, eventually invaded and destroyed by warlike patriarchal peoples such as in this case the Achaeans, who also invaded Greece and later on, the Troas. The celebration and indeed veneration of life, as indicated by the fine artworks, were characteristic of a joyous people who seemed to be having a lot of fun. This was all replaced by the worship of the blade and an emphasis on death and the hero-warrior cultus.(like today) The feared Minotaur tale has been heavily edited and rewritten. The bull is a symbol of the divine masculine as well as the Goddess, and the maze is actually a spiral labyrinth akin to the Troy Town "maze" or spiral found in many ancient sites around the world. This spiral is symbolic of the souls' journey towards the Divine center and was in no ways regarded as evil. I guess that myths/history are written by the conquerors? The Achaean/ Mycenean/Hellenic people changed Tree and Serpent Goddesses into monsters, or, as in the case of Athena, patronesses of warfare. Trade flourished between Troy and Crete from the earliest times. Indeed, the actual reason behind the Greek invasion of the Troas territory was a desire to control the trade route from the Black Sea, which the Trojans controlled.
@@vassilopoula Quite correct! What we call Atlantis is the source of our present Age of Civilization. Full marks :) But for more information than that, try reading "Chalice and the Blade" by Riane Eisler. There is also an excellent article at the sacredtexts website on trade between Troy and Minoan Crete, which many scholars outside of the mainstream suggest reflects Atlantean culture before the Achaeans warped everything and made the Minotaur out to be evil. .
Did these ppl from Crete and Santorini go to Italy to become the Etruscans or part of them? Sea traders who became refugees looking for a new home after all the eruptions.
Lets all pretend Minoans were not Greeks but some "unique exotic culture".... even if archaeologists cannot tell if something is Minoan or Mycenaean unless they know place of find and date, even if Linear B is verifiably developed by Minoans in Crete, even if there is no sign of "Achaean invasion" in Crete, even if we read Greek things in Linear A and even in Hieroglyphics in positions of signifier signified.... all because a 120 years ago the British eyed Crete and wanted to turn it into Cyprus No2. Tough luck for them, the island got liberated. We have only stuck with this "minoan civilization" idiocy though as the legacy of British geopoltiics. Archaeologists of the world, time to grow up and face your respomsibilities.
Except that in the Cretan Lasithi plateau scientists find the largest surviving concentration of Minoan DNA, distinct from Mycenaean, and the people there will tell you today that "We are not Greeks." (BTW, Linear B is the marker of Mycenaean influence and un-development in Crete, and was used to record the items of their ongoing pillage: very unlikely "developed by Minoans").
@@rafaellagaribaldi9391 Your grandaddy the naked bull jumping Ethiopia, your grandmommy the barechest white iIIyrian, they must have fun during those days, to create the greek race.
1:41 : "...while it it quietly developed into Western Europe's first civilization" When I look at the map, Crete appears to be either South or the South East of Europe. Why Western? 🤷♂️
These people worked so hard, spending insurmountable amounts of wealth and resources to build these magnificent and majestic monuments, all so that 5,000 years later, the most beautiful woman to have ever lived, can walk us through its history, with a voice so angelic, the ancient Gods awoke again.
I get no Documentary on Mittani. The muscular Hurrians who dominated Hittites, Assyrians and Babylonians, why is there no full fledged documentary on them?
I'm glad that I'm not the only one to think that. Did we really need to watch her swimming? Riding the motorbike? The woman playing the snake goddess in the smoke? The information itself was good, if a little old.
What do you expect? During the time when this was filmed, this was a brilliant documentary filming style. I understand what you mean and if this was made today it would be weird but we gotta stop judging history by todays standards. Whether that be 100 years ago or 15 years ago
I've come to believe that one of the things the sea did bring to Crete was the "bull under the sea". The bull roared and brought disasters. Earthquakes make huge noises, and hence the bull under the sea soon became a potent reason to fear invading, and hence a reason to fear whichever Minos was in control of Crete. The. way to prevent Crete from not only turning the Minotaur loose in Crete, but also to buy protection against the monster to their home lands. Better to give up a few scapegoats just a few times rather than to risk having the Minotaur brought to their home lands. But you need a viable threat. What animal roars like a bull, eats human offerings and was available. A Nile crocodile. Hidden away below a palace in a secure area, feeding on tribute from surrounding areas, the bull was something which could survive a long time, and replaced if necessary.
It is difficult to know what happened with the ancient Minoan people. Bethany offer a possible explanation. What is clear is that civilization is a fragile thing. We have to nurture society/civilization. We have to work together to solve problems. We must also know what is the real cause of a failing civilization that benefit all of us. If there was a religious war then the ancient Minoans mistook a nature disaster for divine intervention, and the consequences of the nature disaster along with Minoan religious conflict destroyed their civilization. Much to the sufferings of a brilliant group of ancient people. We have to know what is the real cause of our problems and not falsely blame each other. When we cooperate and stick together we all benefit from the fruits of our labor and our civilization.
One has to really really really thank the ancient Egyptians for actually painting the images of other ancient people and their creativity thousands of years ago. Unbelievable and invaluable.
Yes and the ancient native Americans as well.
T÷^ď÷e$rt/+ weed
Yes We all should do it !
Well, The Minoans (stupid name), were the Caphtorim and Casluchim, from which came Philistines. They were 2 of the nations sprung out of Egypt. Means they belong to the line of Ham, black peoples, as you can see in their paintings.
@@EasternRomeOrthodoxy that's pure nonsense
The Minoan civilisation fascinates me. We went to Knossos when I was a child and all of it was so interesting.
You should look up the Etruscans. A people often overshadowed by their Roman successors.
Cool
I solo traveled the Mediterranean from Athens to Crete, Naples to Rome, to Le Sene Sur Mer France, to Barcelona...I walked from Heraklion to Knossos. I lived in my own head w a single earphone in to hear documentaries and mood music, I had time to ponder the ancients and their cultures. Best thing I ever did ❤️
I honestly envy such a thing. If only I could have the funds to live in such a way, I would do so in a heartbeat.
Where are you from?@@cezar2079
I solo travelled in Switzerland, visited small villages , rode local transport, hiked lesser known trails alone , it was such a previlage and a great experience. I stayed near Thun, in a small village, enjoyed nature ,fresh air and the mountains..i came back completely refreshed.
"The Minoans were islanders, but they weren't insular." With that level of cross-lingual wordplay, I'm in. Well done.
When she said it, I didn't catch the word "insular", so I replayed it using closed captioning. Continued its use the rest of the way. Much appreciation to Bettany Hughes.
The background music in most places is hauntingly beautiful. Wonderful watch.
I was just about to write the same thing! Great minds think alike
I love the scenes of nature painted on the Minoan walls and objects. The creatures are so lifelike, esp. love the dolphins
Wow ! This was enjoyable to watch. Great content from this channel, Bettany Hughes did a great job and her voice is soothing too 👍🏻
This lady makes me very happy to be learning so much
The Minoan culture is a deep mystery! Very good doc!
This looks like it was super fun to make.
Thank you, Doctor, for adding life, to the story of life.
I had no idea Egypt painted them and recorded their name, that the fires were started on purpose, that Kouros was broken apart and thrown, and that the cliff living refugees were there out of terror for about a hundred years. Thank you again, Doctor.
I’m a simple guy. I see MINOANS and I click.
Bettany is such an AMAZING HISTORIAN and true bad*ss- I’m in love, but in a completely professional way. I’ve been waiting on a good comprehensive history of the Minoans, and this is just what I was looking for. Though I must say I do tend to get naturally suspicious when a British person sounds too confident about a lost or foreign civilization 😅 History’s just gotta be that way sometimes
I love her tooo!! Also lol she looks hot in purple! The Minoans would have been proud!
‘But in a completely professional way,’ 🥰 😄 and ‘ the Minoans would have been proud,’ 😆 😏 couldn’t help myself,heehee,,,,,,actually,she really brought them to life,and taught more than I know ! It’s always nice to get updates on history about ones favourite subjects,,,,,,,can you imagine seeing their wonderful festivals with the impossible acrobats and bull leaping! We think our sports games are entertaining but just imagine,,,,,,,,, 🙄🤭😲
she is pretty, intelligent annnnd thicc
She's stunning. Double wide surprise
As a Bronze Age Aegean archaeologist, I can tell you that this is pretty spot on.
Such a wonderful documentary here, the host presented the information with strength and grace in a very sexy way. Two thumbs way up.
Can't wait to watch... My favourite YT channel by far.
Well now I'm torn, which is better?
A grandfatherly, esteemed sounding old British narrator, or sultry, smooth voiced, young British narrator? (If the narrator isn't British is it even a real documentary?)
Definately british or it.s a scam.
@Great White That is the correct pronunciation. We just collectively say it wrong here in the US.
@Great White What, do you expect her to add the "-os" to make it minotauros? She's still closer to the correct pronunciation than Americans are.
@Great White
You sir are a fool and not old enough to gain the experience on who and how someone narrates a good documentary. I would guess that you cannot be older than 30 years old and you have already pointed out a little personal prejudice by grumbling about the narrator’s use of English in an English documentary spoken by a British Historian (who’s fairly young in this documentary) and is a well known historian and television presenter for over 20 years now. Incidentally she pronounces every word like all the classical scholars before her and I speak a little bit of Greek as I lived there when I was a child for a little while and also know Crete well.
I apologise to any other people who I assume come from the US, as I guess the person who I’m talking to here is from the US which is why I advise you to just think for one tiny moment and ask yourself are there any other countries other than the US? Because by the tone of your voice you find the English English accent just somewhat irksome, so the best advice I can provide as I’m now 67 years old is do some more growing up as there’s miles to go before you go making disparaging unqualified remarks about a very experienced and a very knowledgeable person who holds at least a doctorate in Greek and possibly Roman. Along with a honorary doctorate with the others and also an OBE and FSA. Think before making such childish comments.
@@olgierdogden4742 Sheesh!?? You're asking a US citizen to think???
We will never know what truly happened in ancient times.. kinda sad tbh
Yep it's a vast exercise in subjective conjecture.
I know what happened ...but I’m not tellin anyone!
Yes, we do if we follow the Bible's table of nations. The Minoans (stupid name), were the Caphtorim and Casluchim, from which came Philistines. They were 2 of the nations sprung out of Egypt. Means they belong to the line of Ham, black peoples, as you can see in their paintings.
@@EasternRomeOrthodoxy I don't take Bible as fact. But okay
Greeks doing Greek things, that is all what happened.
Poor Murex - murdered by the millions for vanity. Bettany is a beautiful, intelligent lady. Her husband is fortunate.
Murex were not required in such numbers as early writers tell us. I feel this exaggeration was the secret that supported their high prices. Recently I watched a demonstration of the process. Some five were worked into the mass where the fibre was immersed. Then rinsed and lay in the sun. With time, the colour developed. Maybe costing five dollars a square metre. Silk was traded the same way. My silk shirt once cost a Roman a years pay as the trade was controlled. My watch cost fifty dollars and has worked for five years. Swiss ones are thousands but are of no more use.
Kif tu - kif tuza is "How do you use it?" In Maltese. The Minoans could have been impressed with Egyptian tools and technology and simply been a pest perpetually asking questions, earning them this nickname.
Yeah, but isn't Maltese basically some type of Arabic? I mean, I even recognize the Arabic word for "how" in your comment which is "keif" as in "keif halik?" (how are you?) - and I'm not even an Arabic speaker. So, chronologically, it doesn't really add up. Then again, I'm not sure if your comment was meant literally.
She's swimming with Jeans?? 😂 love this show
The entire thing fascinates me and my boyfriend and we were really excited about it but..... when we went to Knossos we were very disappointed. Why? There are a few things. First of all you really need to pay for a guide, buy the book, rent the tablet that tells you the story (and works like a tour guide) or you need to get attached to a group with a guide. All of them cost extra to the Knossos ticket. The guides that are available in many languages they are standing in the entrance trying to attract tourists. All of them are either historians, archeologists or history teachers who do this to earn money since they have nothing else to do. We didnt hire one though. Without them the signs in the sight are too little. We counted 4. So basically the sight was made like this so that they make the most money that they can. Second of all, many of the "rooms", corridors, stairs etc where closed to the public because of???? When you go there you expect to see a palace. Instead you see a big red wall with drawings that have been repainted in order to show how it was (but we cannot really know how much different they were back then), the throne room, in which you are not allowed to go in or further than this, and a part of a stair that goes down to rooms (it is a part protected from the sun, but you are not allowed to go down there). Other than these, a lot of rocks and again parts that are closed to the public because they are hypothetically under contraction or???? they dont say. I am Greek, born and raised in Greece, so i know quite well that there is no money for archeological sights and if they get some from the EU it disappears before you see any progress. BUT, i think that Evans has done some critical changes to the sight (when it comes to the paintings/drawings) and the reconstruction of the other rooms/areas of the sight has been either stuck or it will never get finished. You only get an idea of what the palace would be like because of the throne room and the (closed) stairs that are next to it. That is it. As I said, we expected to see a palace... The pictures you see from Knossos on the internet or in books (the throne room, the wall with the drawings and the big wall with the collumms are basically ALL the things you will see in Knossos. You can save your money and go straight to the Archeological Museum in the city center which has a lot more things to show and say and gives you a better view about the culture, the every day life and how the palace would might be like. As the "palace" is constructed on different levels there are many rooms on different floors. I would really like to see them and get the real experience of life in Knossos. But nope, they are ALL closed. Very very disappointing.
Thanks for the advice.
I'll visit turkey instead
Plot twist, you live there and are sick of visitors 🤣
I respect and appreciate your anger and frustration at what Knossos has become, but a great deal of the "closed" aspects are #1 about protecting the site from millions of yearly tourist feet. I began visiting Minoan Crete in 1983 and virtually everything then was still open, and I walked the deep-down inner corridors for hours: there are graceful stairs and turning corridors that make you feel half-lost and pleasant chambers with a human scale that is pure charm. Can only say, study up yourself and avoid the tour guides, Knossos is still worth extended visits, walk some of the lovely local valley, too---it is THE place where Western civ truly began.
Wonderful series, 3D recreations of ruins anybody?
Bettany is a godsend. She’s gorgeous in both look and mind
nice timing, currently siting in heraklion, yesterday i visited the minoan museum and knossos palace, incredible
It's called Google tracking.
yeah, it appears the minoans called themselves something similar to the keftiw; akkadians called the island _kaptara_ , the egyptians _kftyw_ , the modern hebrew word is _kaftór_ (and so english caphtor), etc.
So a gorgeous, intelligent woman with a posh English accent is taking me on a guided tour of some exotic Greek island and there's plenty of direct eye contact AND I'm learning something? It is like you bring an ancient statue to life to teach! Fantastic!
Thank you for that. I was excited to see you put out a new video. Fascinating and excellent quality as usual. Much love to you and your family.
Really wonderful documentary
The hotness of Bettany is a nice complement to her good presentation and this nice documentary. I know I'm not the only one to notice.
I grew up in Iraklion Air Force base.
Love the Island.
Minotaur would have been pleased by her sight she is a beauty n good scholar like old gods .
I'll be in Knossos later this week and I'm very excited about it. I've known of Crete since 3rd grade and Knossos, 5th. I've been waiting awhile for this! Fascinating stuff.
Btw... anybody else think the Votary was a nicer figurine than the priestess?
The symbol of the snake is mistaken here. It represents rebirth and wisdom. This an archetypal image similar across world mythologies. It's agricultural Goddess.
What happenend with the compression? Even at 1080p it looks like 480p.
18:50 The background music slaps. Throw in a little dubstep and it's like JJBA: Battle Tendency. lol
in 535 AD, krakatoa blocked the sun around the planet for 2 years, leaving only 4 hours of sunlight a day after that for some decades. every civilization that has written history still intact from that time, records a low rumble, and the following years if darkness where many assumed the sun would never come out again. I think that's the most devastating eruption in human history that we know of.
Some believe that was actually comet fragments that landed in the early 530s
4 hours of sunlight for several decades? That's called summer in Germany.
"We may never know [why the Minoans abandoned the costal cities for the inland mountains]"
Except we kinda do. This was the time of the Sea Peoples that are well attested from multiple sources, from the Greeks to the Hittites, to the Egyptians. What we don't know for sure is who the Sea Peoples were, and what their motivation was for sweeping through the Mediterranean world and collapsing the Bronze Age civilisations there.
@@chillfollins not likely. The Minoans were already in great decline by the time the Sea Peoples arrived. The hypothosis that seems the strongest to me is that the Sea Peoples were not one single geoup, but rather waves of displaced people's moving from west to east, starting at the mouth of the Mediterranean, and as they destroyed one groups homes, that group, being displaced traveled east and sacked the next group, which being displaced, repeated the cycle until they reached the shores of the Levant. With the last group likely being Greak Myceneans.
There is even genetic evidence for this in Isreal. There is also some evidence that this may also be the origin for the story of the Trojan War. Mycenean Sea Peoples took advantage of the disintegration of the Hittite kingdom to sack Troy, which we no factually happened from Hittite records of the event.
Getting back to the Minoans, as I stated earlier, by the time of the Sea Peoples arrival, the Minoan civilisation had been in decline for about 200 years and was ruled by Myceneans. We have archeological evidence that when the Sea Peoples arrived, the Minoans retreated inland to mountainous city/villages where the Sea Peoples couldn't get to them, abandoning the coast.
I too have been very curious about the sea peoples and one theory I have is that the Amarna dynasty fled Egypt on a mini exodus and ventured forth into the Mediterranean basin and established many colonies. Maybe the sea peoples were Egyptians themselves and maybe the Egyptians didn't want anyone to know about it?
The so called Minoans (stupid name), were the Caphtorites (Sardinians from Crete) and Casluhites (Cretes), ancestors of Philistines. They were some of the nations sprung out of Egypt. Means they belong to the line of Ham, black peoples, as you can see in their paintings.
@@chillfollins I'm gonna report you for calling me racist you %@# , ya hear!!!! You are the racist, cuz you don't want them to be black, do ya? It doesn't suit you, now, does it?! You also don't believe the Bible, but in your little professor's theories about us coming from neolithic apemen, eight? Then, go to the zoo to visit your relatives!!!!!
@@chillfollins Hey people, look at him, he doesn't want them to be black, so he can keep admiring them. Ignorant who doesn't know the table of nations and thinks we came from neolithic apemen 🤣🇷🇺
I didn't know, must go and see.
Loved this video honestly really good advice ❤ thank you America Ferrera
Great summed up documentary about the ancient fascinating minoans. I'll get into that period of history and the consequences of the natural disasters that covered the islands. Curiously their descendants still exist I reckon they are most of us at least the Mediterranean. Such stunning artifacts.
I'm 2 Minoan
Minoans = Samoans ?
We were in crete this summer and visited the palace in malia. It was really fascinating
Love Bettany!
GREAT HISTORICAL VIDEO BY A BEAUTIFUL HISTORIAN
Is there anyone who knows where I can find the music from this dokumentary? To be more specific those haunting horn sounds. I saw the name Tony Burke mentioned in the credits under original music but I couldn't find anything useful with that information. I would be very glad if someone could help me with that. :-)
Seconded
I think it might be a bullroarer, not a horn?
@@nannalange6696 Could be, do you know any bands that use them? :-)
@@lisa-mariegarciaperea4365 No, I just recognised the sound. But I'm by no means an expert, so it might just be a horn :)
It’s either a carnyx or a Cornu
The music in this is perfect.
I want to personally thank the director of this film.
The glamorous 90s action explorer vibe she has going on is hilarious
I was staggered when I watched this prolific documentary or way or another they built a huge civilization regardless the perilous circumstances around them.thanks a lot 🌹
One of my favourite channels.
Henry Miller wrote an admiring essay about Minoan civilization.
The egyptian labyrinth still exists!
Lidar revealed giant structures on two floors-it is still untouched
The background music is so bad I couldn’t finish this documentary
The way she talks to the camera like she's in some monologue theater play lol
you are just jealous because she is so captivating. I would rather her talk like she does than talk all fast with the shrill annoying voices most woman in have , she has a great voice and presents very well.
You mean like every presenter ever in tv... who....wait for it... looks at the camera/audience as they narrate? Would you have preferred she talk with her back to you.. or looking at the floor? What a nonsense comment.
Wow! So well told.
This is clearly a very old video, anyone who truly watches a lot of Bettany's work would know that vs saying some shit about her having had work done supposedly. Oh and LMFAO at the ppl calling her annoying or saying that this video "needs a better narrator," I mean yall are entitled to yalls opinion but youre in the severe minority considering that this woman is one of, if not THE most well respected female historian and history broadcaster in the world! She is the only one I know of who actually has a real fan base and she has been around doing this work for a LONG time and just gets more and more popular and covers more and more interesting & niche topics as the years go on. She is also a published author on SEVERAL historical books that all did pretty damn good. It makes me LMAO and roll my eyes when some random kelly or alyssa type bih who took a few history classes when they were in COMMUNITY college, honestly has the audacity to try and say that Miss Hughes is wrong about something. Now if you have a PHD in a related historical field then that's different bcz you may have the knowledge needed to both check the vid for accuracy and to know details about something related to some of the material in this video and thus would be able to actually provide us with info that is new to us and possibly even provide Bettany w/ info that she didn't know. If you don't have a PHD in some related historical field or at least a Masters degree then plz STFU
Who cares if the woman had a nose job. 😊
Been enjoying these thank you.
The music in this is haunting.
Very interesting and well done video. Bravo! 👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼
It looks like by the comments that I am the only person so far that can claim Minoan Heritage. Thank you Bettany. Interesting work.
We are legion
Where can I find the music in this episode I really like it
i love this woman history aproach
Great production!
Bettany = 🔥
Not bad, but the horn sounds were way too loud compared to the narrator.
does anyone know the source of the music?
Looks like south America. They are building on top of much older ruins. At 15:48 yo se fine masonry at the bottom. newer cruder stone work on top. The same at 16:06 Fine square pillars filed in with crude stone work.
There were a TON of commercials and it took away from this.
Apparently fools are still in Abundance. 27:27. That technicolored coat guy from Egypt was apparently smart enough to stockpile for the lean times when harvests where plenty.
Great documentary. Some of the sounds are really annoying though... the soubd to make it more "spooky" (or at least i think that is the idea...), the crickets in the background, chopper sounds etc.. The lady has a nice voice to listen too though. But without the other sounds the docu would be sooooo much better imo.
The Minoans had an aura and proud free demeanor about themselves that inspired admiration, a kind of “je ne sais quoi”
Agreed! And yet the West continues to imitate the brutal stupidity of Mycenaeans, who first laid the Minoans low
can someone write a summary of the documentary
I won’t watch ads when I’m already for paying ad-free RUclips subscription!
Listening to this while I play Assassin's Creed Odyssey 👍 learn and play🤓
the Minoans are sea people and navigators. where did they go and settled? have you figured that out? Due to that eruption, do you think they may had headed away to find new lands and took their cultures with them? Is it possible that they may had settled in the Pacific and the Americas? the Mayans, Aztecs and Pacific sacrificed people and eat them too. brilliant navigators. Could there be a connection with a great migration? heading through Egypt and then moving on?
The narrator's voice is very enjoyable and understandable. Keep up the good work. This is one of the good history channel.
But my doubt after watching this video is Who deliberately set fire on Minoan island of crete and what made them do it. Why that Truth is not exposed on this video?
Crete was actually first settled by the Trojans in around 6000BCE. This peaceful and equalitarian culture was, like so many others, eventually invaded and destroyed by warlike patriarchal peoples such as in this case the Achaeans, who also invaded Greece and later on, the Troas. The celebration and indeed veneration of life, as indicated by the fine artworks, were characteristic of a joyous people who seemed to be having a lot of fun. This was all replaced by the worship of the blade and an emphasis on death and the hero-warrior cultus.(like today)
The feared Minotaur tale has been heavily edited and rewritten. The bull is a symbol of the divine masculine as well as the Goddess, and the maze is actually a spiral labyrinth akin to the Troy Town "maze" or spiral found in many ancient sites around the world. This spiral is symbolic of the souls' journey towards the Divine center and was in no ways regarded as evil. I guess that myths/history are written by the conquerors? The Achaean/ Mycenean/Hellenic people changed Tree and Serpent Goddesses into monsters, or, as in the case of Athena, patronesses of warfare. Trade flourished between Troy and Crete from the earliest times. Indeed, the actual reason behind the Greek invasion of the Troas territory was a desire to control the trade route from the Black Sea, which the Trojans controlled.
source?
@@vassilopoula Quite correct! What we call Atlantis is the source of our present Age of Civilization. Full marks :)
But for more information than that, try reading "Chalice and the Blade" by Riane Eisler. There is also an excellent article at the sacredtexts website on trade between Troy and Minoan Crete, which many scholars outside of the mainstream suggest reflects Atlantean culture before the Achaeans warped everything and made the Minotaur out to be evil. .
12:00 Ah! Smoke on the water! (insert guitar riffs here)
Did these ppl from Crete and Santorini go to Italy to become the Etruscans or part of them? Sea traders who became refugees looking for a new home after all the eruptions.
Correct some Di ,obviously
What happened in Crete? The people saw that they were being conned by their priesthood and simply finished what the volcano started.
If my professors looked like Ms. Hughes, I may have paid attention a bit more in class.
Eyyy First, Awesome.
Lets all pretend Minoans were not Greeks but some "unique exotic culture".... even if archaeologists cannot tell if something is Minoan or Mycenaean unless they know place of find and date, even if Linear B is verifiably developed by Minoans in Crete, even if there is no sign of "Achaean invasion" in Crete, even if we read Greek things in Linear A and even in Hieroglyphics in positions of signifier signified.... all because a 120 years ago the British eyed Crete and wanted to turn it into Cyprus No2. Tough luck for them, the island got liberated. We have only stuck with this "minoan civilization" idiocy though as the legacy of British geopoltiics.
Archaeologists of the world, time to grow up and face your respomsibilities.
Except that in the Cretan Lasithi plateau scientists find the largest surviving concentration of Minoan DNA, distinct from Mycenaean, and the people there will tell you today that "We are not Greeks." (BTW, Linear B is the marker of Mycenaean influence and un-development in Crete, and was used to record the items of their ongoing pillage: very unlikely "developed by Minoans").
The minoans have a close link to Ancient Egypt not to Mainland Greece
No Minoans have a close link to Carians and Lydians of Asia Minor. Thy were an Aegean people
@@rafaellagaribaldi9391 Your granpa was a buII jumping Ethiopian
@@supermavro6072 Minoans were descended from neolithic farmers who came from Lydia and Caria in Asia minor
@@rafaellagaribaldi9391 Your grandaddy the naked bull jumping Ethiopia, your grandmommy the barechest white iIIyrian, they must have fun during those days, to create the greek race.
Her voice sounds just like Ruth Goodman. ❤
1:41 : "...while it it quietly developed into Western Europe's first civilization"
When I look at the map, Crete appears to be either South or the South East of Europe. Why Western? 🤷♂️
Western European culture stems from there.
Yeah Europe isn’t just Western Europe. I don’t know here that came from.
These people worked so hard, spending insurmountable amounts of wealth and resources to build these magnificent and majestic monuments, all so that 5,000 years later, the most beautiful woman to have ever lived, can walk us through its history, with a voice so angelic, the ancient Gods awoke again.
I completly agree!!!!!
I want to work for someone making these type of documentaries .
I get no Documentary on Mittani.
The muscular Hurrians who dominated Hittites, Assyrians and Babylonians, why is there no full fledged documentary on them?
A little overdramatised and the audio tracks made it hard to watch at times 😬 but I enjoy the story of the minoans
I'm glad that I'm not the only one to think that. Did we really need to watch her swimming? Riding the motorbike? The woman playing the snake goddess in the smoke? The information itself was good, if a little old.
What do you expect? During the time when this was filmed, this was a brilliant documentary filming style. I understand what you mean and if this was made today it would be weird but we gotta stop judging history by todays standards. Whether that be 100 years ago or 15 years ago
I live 10min from Knossos on bike
Lucky you! 🙋
I love history, but I have a lousy memory for it.
I've come to believe that one of the things the sea did bring to Crete was the "bull under the sea". The bull roared and brought disasters. Earthquakes make huge noises, and hence the bull under the sea soon became a potent reason to fear invading, and hence a reason to fear whichever Minos was in control of Crete.
The. way to prevent Crete from not only turning the Minotaur loose in Crete, but also to buy protection against the monster to their home lands. Better to give up a few scapegoats just a few times rather than to risk having the Minotaur brought to their home lands.
But you need a viable threat. What animal roars like a bull, eats human offerings and was available. A Nile crocodile. Hidden away below a palace in a secure area, feeding on tribute from surrounding areas, the bull was something which could survive a long time, and replaced if necessary.
Fascinating hypothesis!!!!!!
🌊 Trade routes kept all those Mediterranean/Aegean islands rich in history and the trade of culture. Oh, Theseus, stay problematic.
Brilliant. I loved this 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺
It is difficult to know what happened with the ancient Minoan people. Bethany offer a possible explanation. What is clear is that civilization is a fragile thing. We have to nurture society/civilization. We have to work together to solve problems. We must also know what is the real cause of a failing civilization that benefit all of us. If there was a religious war then the ancient Minoans mistook a nature disaster for divine intervention, and the consequences of the nature disaster along with Minoan religious conflict destroyed their civilization. Much to the sufferings of a brilliant group of ancient people. We have to know what is the real cause of our problems and not falsely blame each other. When we cooperate and stick together we all benefit from the fruits of our labor and our civilization.
For good information on Minoan Crete, read "The Chalice and the Blade" by Rhianne Eisler. Also "When God Was a Woman" by Merlin Stone.
Those titles sound like they have very little to do with the Minoans
They’re definitely not good as archaeological monographs, which are much better places to get the latest findings the past few decades
Plot twist, the Minoans became crazy cannibals that went out and caused the bronze age collapse
Old video this is from timeline
10:58 don’t mind me just taking a swim in my jorts.