Mycenaeans
The Mycenaeans developed on mainland Greece and ruled the region from around 1600 BC to 1100 BC. They are sometimes called the first Greeks because they were the first to speak the Greek language. Their largest city was called Mycenae, which gives the culture its name. Mycenae was a large city that had a population of around 30,000 people at its peak. There were other Mycenaean cities that grew into major city-states during the height of Ancient Greece such as Thebes and Athens.
The Mycenaeans developed trade throughout the Mediterranean. They built large trade ships and traveled to places like Egypt where they traded goods like olive oil and wine for metals and ivory.
Mycenaeans Conquer the Minoans
The Minoan civilization began to weaken around 1450 BC. Archeologists think this might have been due to a natural disaster such as an earthquake. The Mycenaeans took over the islands of the Minoans and adopted much of the Minoan culture. They adapted the writing of the Minoans to their own language. Today this writing is called "Linear B."
Collapse of the Mycenaeans
The Mycenaean civilization began to collapse around 1250 BC when many of their cities were burnt to the ground. After this, they continued to decline and were not a major power in the region. Archeologists are unsure of what caused the collapse. It might have been foreign invaders such as the Sea Peoples or the Dorians. It may also have been a natural disaster such as an earthquake or drought.
