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Part 2: The Minoan civilization
Although Çatalhöyük and the early Minoan civilization were geographically and timewise different, both cultures demonstrate a preoccupation with fertility and the sacred feminine. Both civilizations show religious iconography, reflecting common themes and concerns of Neolithic societies. The main Minoan civilization arrived several millennia after Çatalhöyük, but the fertility symbolism is very similar. Over time the Minoans developed as an egalitarian society instead of keeping to the matriarchic model. Artifacts depicting women in prominent roles and signs of gender equality in religious rituals suggest a more balanced society where women enjoyed much higher status and freedoms than in the rest of Greece, particularly Athens. The only other Greek society which showed some female rights were the Spartans. Women were encouraged to engage in sports and be outdoors, rather than housebound and subservient, as customary in the rest of Ancient Greece.
Masters of the Sea
The Minoans were renowned for their advanced culture, sophisticated art, and maritime prowess. They lived on the island of Crete in the Aegean Sea during the Bronze Age (circa 3000 BCE to 1100 BCE). The palaces of Knossos, Phaistos, and Malia, served as political, administrative, economic, and religious centers.
These palaces were characterized by intricate architecture, including multi-story buildings, grand staircases, and colorful frescoes. Their culture was rather advanced because the Minoans were adept sailors and traders, dominating maritime trade routes in the eastern Mediterranean. They traded precious metals, ivory, and spices with their produced ceramics, art, and textiles. Minoan art is characterized by vibrant frescoes, intricate pottery, and sculptures depicting natural scenes, religious rituals, and mythological figures. Their religion most likely included nature worship, with particular emphasis on goddesses, fertility rites, and rituals performed in sacred spaces like caves and mountaintops. Their main goddess was the Mother Goddess associated with fertility and the cycle of life. She is frequently depicted with raised arms, holding snakes, birds, or other symbols of regeneration and abundance. We don’t know if the Snake Goddess is another incarnation of the Earth Mother or a separate deity. She is one of the most iconic figures of Minoan religion. The serpents that she holds in each hand, symbolize her power over nature and fertility. She is often portrayed wearing a tiered skirt and a headdress.
The moon and the bulls
Bulls held significant symbolic importance in Minoan religion, possibly representing strength, virility, and fertility. Bull-leaping, a dangerous ritual sport depicted in Minoan art, may have had religious significance. The surviving frescos show bull leaping, a sport performed by male and female athletes and believed to be a forerunner for the later held Olympic games. 
The horns of consecration are other powerful symbols, showing the female side. The bull was associated with the moon and the horns represented the waxing and the waning moon. The sacred horns were always part of any fertility rituals or religious ceremonies honoring the Mother Earth goddess. The Minoans already understood the influence the moon has on life on Earth and that the average female fertility cycle goes hand in hand with the 28-day lunar cycle. It is now presumed that the Minotaur in the Labyrinth is a reference to the Minoan bull jumping games and bull worship. The labyrinth is the palace at Knoxos itself. It contained over 2000 chambers and any foreign visitor would have got lost in its grounds.
The Minoan Calendar
Not many calendar records exist to be certain. However, historians generally believe that the Minoans followed a lunisolar calendar, similar to the Hellenic calendar. The year started with the first New Moon after the winter or summer solstice. Because the lunar and the solar year don’t go hand in hand, a 13th moon cycle was occasionally introduced to even out the seasons. Here is another article that explains more about this fascinating culture. The cow jumped over the moon
Next time we travel to Mesopotamia and learn more about the Ishtar, the Goddess of Venus
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