Invasions of the Aegean and the Peloponnesus lasted for 100 years. These raids were small, but persistent and invaders finally succeeded in settling in southern Greece. Life returned to a nomadic tradition. Art and the curiosity of learning were replaced with daily survival. Even writing was abandoned for the centuries between 1100-700 BC. The joyful and playful expression of the Minoan art and the realistic character of Mycenean art had disappeared.
In its’ place developed a strict geometric style using lines, dots and geometric forms. Animals and humans were stylized into stick-like figures.
In the 8th century, the Greek civilization changed, City-States grew. A re-vitalization appeared around Athens and trading with the people around the Mediterranean influenced styles of art.
Ancient Greece Studies
The Olympic Games
Full of blood, passion and extraordinary feats of athletic endeavor, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and cultural highlight of Ancient Greece for almost twelve centuries.Read study →
Exploring the Greek Temples
The greatest achievement of Greek architecture was governed by a structural logic based on aesthetic beauty. Greek architects built their temples in accordance with the harmony of nature, measured in units and proportions.Read study →
Greek Pottery
Clay - keramos - to produce pottery - kerameikos- was readily available throughout Ancient Greece. The first examples of pottery were created in the coil method.Read study →
Art Activity- Draw a Greek Pottery Amphora
Let's have fun drawing a Greek Amphora - a vase that held wine, oil, water that was originally hand-built in clay.Read study →