You may have heard of Kamares ware - the beautiful polychrome (multicolored) pottery produced in the Minoan temple at Phaistos during the Bronze Age. But did you know that this type of vessel gives us a window into the lives of the ancient Minoans?

Kamares ware was incredibly popular and was produced for centuries, from about 2100 to 1450 BCE. Its bold red and white designs on a black background remind me of the folkloric dinnerware that was popular in the 1960s and 70s:

Image CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Kamares ware was a luxury product, not something the average Minoan farmer could afford - a reminder that although the Minoans appear to have been gender-egalitarian, they were not a classless society. They had social stratification, with both poor and rich people.

These beautiful vessels were produced in the temple at Phaistos. Now, in the modern world, we don't typically encounter churches, synagogues, or mosques that have workshops to produce goods. You might think of Minoan temple-produced goods more along the lines of modern monasteries that support themselves through what they make (wine, bread, cheese, etc.) along with donations.

All the Minoan temples had workshops that produced pottery, jewelry, bronze objects, cloth, and other goods both for use within the temple and for sale. Those temple-produced goods probably sold for a premium, both because the wealthy temples could afford to hire the best craftspeople and because any object produced in a temple would have been considered blessed, an especially positive addition to your home.

Image CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

When we learn about ancient history in school (if we do learn about it, since it sadly has fallen off of many curricula) the different cultures and civilizations are often framed as if they were just sitting there in their own little boxes, separate from each other. But that wasn't any more true for the ancient world than it is for us today. Just as trucks and cargo ships haul goods around the world today, wagons and sailing ships moved goods (and people) around the ancient world. There was every bit as much trade and cultural exchange back then as there is now.

So although Kamares ware was made in Phaistos, pieces have been found all over Crete - Knossos, Mochlos, Vasiliki, Malia - as well as in Egypt (Egypt was one of Crete's biggest trading partners). I wouldn't be surprised if archaeologists eventually find Kamares ware in the Levant as well. And I love how these wonderful pieces continue to inspire us in the modern world.