Reply To: Lives of Leisure and War

[Gabe]

While I’m sure that any human life encompasses the array of experiences from violence, to joyful celebration and that these things come in various degrees, a certain cultures values can certainly be reasonably speculated about based on their artwork. Just at a very simply level, the choice of what to put on the sides of their pots says something about what these people cared about and thought was worth saving. For instance, the ancient Egyptians obviously cared a great deal about funerals, and lo and behold their pots are covered in funeral-related imagery. That the Minoan pots had stuff like octopuses and abstract plants whereas the Mycenaean pots had monotone drab soldiers certainly indicates that the lives of the Minoans were more concerned with interacting with and celebrating natures and probably eating octopuses, while the Mycenaean’s consciousness was thinking about the battles that had been, and had yet to be fought.