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Egypt and Mesopotamia

The architectural style of the Mycenaean city developed in the early Mycenaean period, though the art concept comes from the architectural plans of the Minoans of Crete with so much resemblance with the palaces of the Minoans. The megaron was the characteristic structure of the Mycenaean. It was an indoor hall that was marked as the center piece of their palatial structures. According to (biers 70) the megaron is ‘a free-standing unit composed of amore or less square room entered at one side of the Porch with two columns and dominated by around fixed hearth. The Minoans preferred to build a large courtyard that was round in shape in contrast to the Mycenaean preference of megaron. The megaron was mainly constructed in the royal palaces and the private house that were mainly large in size. The roof of the megaron has an opening through which the smoke from the hearth is allowed to escape. Most megarons had a throne placed in a centrally position and the factor that suggested that the megaron was used for the cult and rituals of the Mycenaean.

The Mycenaean constructions were mainly made of bronze unlike their predecessors that made constructions of stone. The megaron has come a long way in the architectural views with the most distinct feature changing with construction being the roof. In the Minoan time it was seen as a structure with a flat roof with contiguous rooms while in the Mycenaean they were gable structures with free-standing walls that were later reconstructed to flat roof, (archeology journal). The reconstructions of the megaron have been based on the environment, the influence from other cultures like the Cretan and the different interpretations of the four pillars of support.

In the Mycenaean time the megaron were highly decorated with precision. The walls, roofs and the floors were covered in frescoes that were brightly colored with the private residence decorations inspired from the palaces. The tombs were also made in a manner resembling the megaron, with walls that were thick and the decorations just like the megaron structures. The art of the Minoans on the other hand showed a slight difference from the Mycenaean. The Minoans art showed a lot of influence from other cultures like the Mediterranean and the Egyptians who were the closest neighbors. Their structures that resembled the Mycenaean megaron were mainly vivid images of the religious life and images of nature. The art was decorated in bright colors though the walls were painted in only one color with large, oversized decorations of frescoes, (Kleiner 167)

Unlike the Minoans, the megaron is mainly a feature of the Mycenaean despite the fact that it is believed the style of the megarons was derived from the Minoans. The megarons were a place of worship, a sanctuary like place used for sacrifices and royal meetings with the throne always placed at the centre. The evolution of the megaron arose therefore from the Minoans with the Mycenaean following the art and perfecting it, making it known better than during Minoan and incorporating the style of megaron into their culture. The structures of the megarons however were not sustained to the other generations like the Minoans. The Mycenaean period was short lived, and even the modern structure of today that resemble the megaron in construction are not as decorated as before and they also do not resemble the ancient ones in aesthetic value.

Works Cited

Archeology institute. “The megaron and its roof. Archeology institute of America, 6(1): (1942): Print.

Fred, Kleiner. Gardner’s art through the ages: the western perspective. Wadsworth: cengage learning, 2006. Print.

William, Biers. The archeology of Greece: an introduction. Oregon: Cornell university: 1996. Print.