Image Details

Archaeological Museum Of Heraklion, Crete, Greece/Bridgeman Art Library

Beginning around 1400 B.C., the Minoans began fashioning goddess figures with upraised arms. These have been found in various shrines and sanctuaries. The terracotta statuette has a bell-shaped lower body and a blank facial expression, suggesting helplessness, grief or perhaps even terror. By the 14th century B.C., Crete had been overwhelmed by Greek Mycenaean culture, and the Minoans’ vast cultural influence came to an end.