A Greek State in Formation: The Origins of Civilization in Mycenaean PylosA free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. Although the Mycenaean civilization of the Greek Bronze Age was identified 150 years ago, its origins remain obscure. Jack L. Davis, codirector of excavations at the Palace of Nestor at Pylos, takes readers on a tour of the beginnings of Mycenaean civilization through a case study of this important site. In collaboration with codirector Sharon R. Stocker, Davis demonstrates that this ancient place was a major node for the exchange of ideas between the already established Minoan civilization, centered on the island of Crete, and the residents of the Greek mainland. Davis and Stocker show how adoption of Minoan culture created an ideology of power focused on a single individual, celebrating his military prowess, investing him with divine authority, and creating a figure instantly recognizable to readers of Homer and students of Greek history. A Greek State in Formation makes the powerful case that a knowledge of the Greek Bronze Age is indispensable to the classics curriculum. |
Contents
Farm Field and Pylos | 15 |
A Truly Prehistoric Archaeology of Greece | 29 |
Preserving and Conserving Nestor | 43 |
Science and the Mortuary Landscape of Pylos | 58 |
Minoan Missionaries in Pylos | 72 |
Epilogue | 87 |
Bibliography | 107 |
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Common terms and phrases
acropolis agricultural American School ancient Archaeology Archives Argolid artifacts Athens Ayia Irini Bay of Navarino Bennet Blegen burial Cambridge Carl Blegen Caskey chamber tombs chapter Cherry Classical Studies Courtesy Cretan Crete Davis Department of Classics Early Mycenaean period edited elite Emergence of Civilisation excavations figure Grave Circle Greek Greek Bronze Age Greek mainland Greek prehistory Griffin Warrior Helladic period intensive surface survey Jack John kingdom of Nestor Knossos land landscape Late Bronze Age later Lerna Linear McDonald Messenia Middle Helladic Ministry of Culture Minoan civilization Minos Myce Mycenae Mycenaean civilization Mycenaean Greece naean Nemea Nestor at Pylos Ohio Ottoman Palace of Nestor Palaima Peloponnese plaster political population pottery prehistory Pylos Pylos Regional Archaeological Renfrew rights reserved Rosemary Robertson Sather Schliemann School of Classical settlement pattern shaft graves Shelmerdine social Studies at Athens thirteenth century B.C. tholos tombs Tsountas University of Cincinnati Vapheio Wace wall-paintings walls wanax