What characterizes the Mycenaean civilization, the first Greek culture?

The first Greek civilization, known as the Mycenaean civilization, is characterized by several key features:

1. Time Period: The Mycenaean civilization flourished from approximately 1650 to 1100 BCE in the late Bronze Age.

2. Geography: Mycenaean civilization was located in mainland Greece, with important centers like Mycenae, Tiryns, Pylos, Thebes, and Athens.

3. Architecture: They are well-known for their monumental architecture, which includes palaces and fortifications. The most famous example is the Lion Gate at Mycenae, an imposing entrance marked by colossal stone walls and a relief sculpture of two lions.

4. Society and Government: Mycenaean society was organized into powerful kingdoms or city-states, each ruled by a king. The society was hierarchical, and kings were at the top, followed by a warrior aristocracy, then craftsmen, farmers, and slaves.

5. Warfare: Mycenaeans were a warlike people, known for their militaristic society. They used bronze weapons and chariots in warfare, which indicates their advanced metalworking skills and military organization.

6. Economy: Their economy was based on agriculture, trade, and craft. They traded extensively with other civilizations around the Mediterranean, including Egypt and the Near East, which allowed them to acquire wealth and exotic goods.

7. Writing System: The Mycenaeans adopted a script called Linear B from the earlier Minoan civilization. Linear B consists of ideograms and syllabic signs, and it was mainly used for record-keeping and administrative purposes.

8. Religion and Burial Practices: They practiced a polytheistic religion with numerous gods and goddesses. Their belief system also included rituals and offerings. They conducted elaborate burials for their elite, which involved shaft and tholos tombs with a range of grave goods.

9. Arts and Crafts: Mycenaean art reflects their martial culture and includes frescoes depicting warfare, chariot processions, and hunting scenes. They were also skilled in goldsmithing, pottery, and ivory carving.

The Mycenaean civilization laid much of the groundwork for later Greek culture and is often associated with the Homeric epics, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," although these were composed several centuries later in the Greek Dark Ages following the decline of the Mycenaean civilization.