Transcript Aegean and Mediterranean II

The Age of Heroes
Power and Myth
Mycenae and the late Bronze Age
Mycenae, Trojan War;
Emergence of Greek
Civilization
Feder: Chapter 8
Scarre: Chapter 13 The Mediterranean World
to page 503
Archaeology
► Serious
study of Greece begins only in
1868. All prior knowledge was derived from
ancient histories (more legend than fact).
► Key
early figures were Mamet, Schliemann,
Evans (Mamet’s published reports were in
Latin so only a few scholars knew of his
research)
► Many
legends were attributed to Homer
were oral traditions recorded for the first
time in writing around 700 BC. (This is just
when writing is beginning in Greece). Greek
alphabet taken from the Phoenicians.
Greek “Dark Ages”
► During
the period between 1000 and 500
BC Greece was a place of petty kingdoms
and politically disjointed, much the opposite
of what is described in the legends.
► The
glory that had been ancient Greece
from 1700BC -1000BC was nostalgically
thought of as an Age of Heroes.
Contemporary Civilizations 1700BC-1000BC
► Greece:
small city-states. Powerful
Myceane, Sparta, Athens
► Egypt: transition period from weak Middle
Kingdom to New Kingdom
► Mesopotamia: powerful Sumeria, Assyria,
Babylonian Empire
► Crete: Minoans
► Phoenicia: maritime traders
Related myths
► The
Iliad (Tale of the
Trojan War by Homer)
► The Odyssey (tale of
Ulysses’ ten year
struggle to return from
the Trojan War, by
Homer)
Homer. Roman sculpture 150 BC
Trojan War Synopsis
► Paris,
son of Priam
(King of Troy) steals
Helen of Sparta
► Mainland Greek states
vs Troy and its allies.
► Mycenae, Athens,
Sparta, Syracuse,
others.
► War to restore Helen
back to husband.
► War
lasts ten years.
► War ends with a trick—
wooden horse.
► Key players: Ulysses,
Agamemnon, Achilles,
Paris, Ajax, Hector,
Helen, Clytemnestra,
(actually Homer mentions
over 100 heroes and
dozens of kingdoms).
Schliemann believed
the ancient legends
were based in facts.
Henrich Schliemann in
St. Petersburg, ca. 1856.
On site of Troy
Site plan for
Troy.
Work in progress at Troy
1871.
Most of Schliemann’s
trenches were dug
deeper than the level
dated to the time of
the famed Trojan War
of legend.
Modern excavations
have turned up
evidence of multiple
episodes of construction
and destruction.
Paved roadway to the gates of Troy.
The city has
many layers
spanning
several
centuries.
“Priam’s Treasure”
“Golden treasures of Priam”
Page from Schliemann’s publication on excavations at Troy.
For sale by a book-breaker on E-Bay
Sophia Schliemann wearing part of
the treasure recovered at Troy and
later smuggled out to Germany. This
treasure would be “lost” after WWII
until discovered in a vault in the
Kremlin in Moscow in the 1990’s.
Artifacts remain in Russia despite
UNESCO lawsuits to have them
repatriated.
Sophia married Schliemann when
she was 17. He was 46.
Site of Troy
► Multiple
levels at Troy reveal early
occupation at site dates to 3000 BC.
► Site was also occupied long after period
associated with the Trojan War, although in
reduced state.
Artists conception of Troy at its zenith.
Splendor in Mycenae
1700-1450 BC
► Fresh
from success at Troy, Schliemann
sought the citadel of Agamemnon.
► He
was just as enthusiastic and error prone
as before, but found important ruins and
tombs.
Following the collapse
of Minoan power,
Mycenae colonizes
Crete.
Lion gate at Mycenae from within the walls. This style of construction is
termed “cyclopean.”
Face of
Agamemnon?
Schliemann
declared this to be
the king described
by Homer in the
Iliad.
The concept of
covering the face
with a mask was
likely adopted from
Egyptian practices.
Gold death masks
predate Trojan
war period by
several centuries
► Schliemann’s
error was
trying to fit his findings
to a preconceived
sequence and
perception of ancient
splendor.
► Myceane
represented
an unknown period in
Greek history.
Styles reminiscent of Minoan but more formalized
Fresco on wall at Mycenae.
Fresco
Mycenaean life
► Militaristic
► Centered
on citadel
► Agricultural and trade based
► Cyclopean architecture provides evidence of
power.
► Art is influenced from abroad, much of it
from Crete.
Bronze swords and
bronze armor from shaft
graves.
Shaft graves were
reserved for royal elite.
Bronze
armor,
boar's tusk
helmet
from grave
at
Mycenae.
Shaft grave era 1700-1450 BC
Mycenaean daggers from shaft graves.
Ceremonial sword from Mycenae. Gold with
lapis lazuli and colored glass.
Signet stamps. Note the one at right
depicts Minoan boat type.
Mycenae. Female idols, depicted fully clothed.
Mycenae from
above.
Shaft graves. Grave circle A (excavated 1876)
► Shaft
Grave period 1700-1450 BC. Several
phases of ‘royal” burials carved into soft
rock. Slab style may have been influenced
by Egyptian mortuary practice.
► Arguably the origin of “Greek” culture can
be traced to the late Bronze Age and decline
of Mycenaean dominance after 1400 BC.
Tholos tomb. So-called “Treasury of Atreus”.
Mycenaean pottery.
Highly formal and
conventionalized.
Preferences fro symmetry
or single balanced design.
Dancers? Painted box 13th
century BC, Mycenae.
Despite his many faults and errors…
► Schliemann's
work gave rise to first
professional archaeology and first Scientific
archaeology:
 Established hypothesis based on observation
and stated question
 Followed testing procedures for evidence
 Published results
 Followed interdisciplinary approach
► The
questions that emerge are:
 Are all ancient legends based in fact?
 If Troy and Mycenae could be found, is the
story of Atlantis also based on fact?
 Important to recall that Schliemann did not
enlarge on the data or speculate beyond his
evidence. Many who seek Atlantis pursue lines
of speculation not contained in the original
story.
Next week
► Ancient
trade
► Ancient technology
► The search for Atlantis in its many forms