This is the first comprehensive introduction to the art and architecture of mainland Greece, Crete, and the Cycladic Islands from 3300 to 1000 BCE. Ancient Aegean culture has a particularly important place within European history and art history because of its profound links to the origins of European civilization.Paintings, pottery, objects made from gold, silver, and ivory, carved reliefs, textiles, and architecture, are all fully illustrated and discussed. The authors reveal the many different functions that this vast range of arts and artifacts served within the cultural and social context of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East.Combining the latest research and critical approaches with an up-to-date historiography this book gives readers a clear understanding of Ancient Aegean visual arts and of our changing interpretations of this extraordinary era.