ANHS1600 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Mycenaean Greece, Mycenaean Greek, Lion Gate
15 May 2018
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Lecture #2 – Mycenaean Greece
02/03/2016
-Started at the Bronze Age (approx. 1600- 1000 B.C.)
- Collapse was around 1200 -1050 B.C.
-Dealt with Pre-history (Before written history really existed)
-It is around the Mycenaean period that we mainly begin to see ideas of first civilizations →
Domination by cities where Mycenae was the capital.
- There are no ancient historical accounts of the Mycenaean. Archaeologists/historians have traced
the use of pottery and tombs to explain and study the culture.
Mycenaean Language → Are known Greek speakers through:
Linear A and Linear B Scripts
These scripts prove their language. It is written text on clay tablets which were fire baked.
Linear A → Created in an earlier time depicting the Minoan language, yet is NOT deciphered.
Linear B → Created after A, an early form of Greek connecting the Mycenaean’s to later Greeks
despite the classical Greeks using a different alphabet.
Buildings:
-Heavy fortification of the buildings at the gates of the “Lion Gate”.
-Classical Greeks were convinced that only creatures like the cyclops could build these large stone
procedures.
-They were characterised as a warrior society.
-The fortification was a part of their monumental architecture → Showed skilled craftsmanship with
elaborate walls, representing power, money and authority.
-City of Agios Vasileios also testifies to this Military society → Recent excavation compliments and
expands from what we knew about Pylos.
Kings:
-Everything ruled by one king.
-Centralized control.
-Enormously wealthy.
-Grave shafts with Royal tombs depict riches in jewels, golden death masks and much more.
Economy:
- Palace Economy distributed the goods.
-Farming was an essential part of the economy
-Mycenaean’s engaged in trade → Pottery discovered in many places around the world.
Collapse:
-Unknown for exact cause → Possibility of invasion, natural disasters, etc.
-Unheard of again → As if they disappeared.
THE MYCENAEAN PERIOD (BRONZE AGE) THEN FOLLOWS TO THE DARK AGES AS:
- There is a disappearance of writing (which Mycenaean’s had)
Document Summary
Dealt with pre-history (before written history really existed) It is around the mycenaean period that we mainly begin to see ideas of first civilizations . Domination by cities where mycenae was the capital. There are no ancient historical accounts of the mycenaean. Archaeologists/historians have traced the use of pottery and tombs to explain and study the culture. Mycenaean language are known greek speakers through: It is written text on clay tablets which were fire baked. Linear a created in an earlier time depicting the minoan language, yet is not deciphered. Linear b created after a, an early form of greek connecting the mycenaean"s to later greeks despite the classical greeks using a different alphabet. Heavy fortification of the buildings at the gates of the lion gate . Classical greeks were convinced that only creatures like the cyclops could build these large stone procedures.
