The Mycenaeans based their culture firmly on that of the Minoans, as evidenced by their general architectural style. They ascended as a civilization during the Palace age, then ruled the Aegean for about two centuries: a period known as the Mycenaean age (ca. 1400-1200). Unlike the Minoans (who could rely chiefly on naval defence), the Mycenaeans surrounded their cities with massive defensive walls.3 The ruins of such walls have been preserved at several sites, including Mycenae, the civilization's foremost city.