1/ The main factor of the prosperity of the Mycenaean palatial elite was the existence of a successful commercial model, in which both the creation of an internal road network between the Mycenaean provinces and the presence of a powerful trade fleet played a catalytic role.
2/ The bulk of goods were transported via sea routes, but the diverse topography of the mainland, the discontinuous coastline and the numerous islands near to inland led to the creation of a road network by which goods and military forces were transported.
3/ The highly centralized administration facilitated the passage of trade caravans by placing military outposts (mainly watchtowers) and probably tolls along the land routes. Remains of this network have been found in Argolis and Messinia.
4/ However, a corresponding land network for foreign trade did not exist, although it is certain that very specific routes were followed that crossed Europe, with caravans transporting amber and metal objects to the Aegean from every corner of continental Europe.
5/ The difficulties of land transport were placing serious restrictions on trade, and thus there was a preference only for objects of light weight and great value, which could be more easily promoted inland. ➡️
➡️ Thus the Mycenaeans were limiting to conducting trade on the coasts without penetrating the interior of the countries with which they had commercial transactions.
6/ On the contrary, ships allowed the cheap transport of bulky objects, absorbing the most important part of the Mycenaean trade. ➡️
➡️ The shipwrecks of Gelidonya, Uluburun and Iria give us a clear picture of the kind of goods carried by the Mycenaean and Levantine / Cypriot trade ships of the time: ingots of copper and tin, pottery, precious artefacts.
7/ The Mycenaean trade ships had a flat keel,which allowed them to enter shallow harbors and pull them ashore, a raised bow,a piston in the stern as a lever, to steer them ashore,a large stern oar as a rudder, rowers arranged in a row,a cabin for the passengers and only one sail.
8/ With these ships, the Mycenaeans managed to spread throughout the Mediterranean, perhaps even further. However, the difficulties were not disappearing. ➡️
➡️ These ships were relatively fragile in the frequent and intense rough waters of the Mediterranean, while at the same time the sailing direction was done by observing the sun and stars and flying pigeons that were releasing at sea.
9/ Thus a ship rarely risked to be reopened in the open sea, but followed coastal routes, taking advantage of the favorable winds or resorting sometimes to the human power of the oarsmen, but mostly letting itself be carried away by the winds and sea currents.
10/ If we observe a map of the surface sea currents of the Mediterranean we will be able to understand and chart the natural two-way course of an LBA trade ship, ➡️
➡️ which starts from Rhodes, embraces Crete, follows the west coast of the Peloponnese, heads north, with Corfu as an important intermediate port, to the strait of Otranto, which it crosses, to then sail around the Italian Peninsula to Sicily.
11/ The success of the Mycenaean palaces lies in the production of low-cost and at the same time high-quality products, with Mycenaean pottery (stirrup jars and amphorae) flooding the major commercial ports of the Eastern Mediterranean and becoming a model for local imitations.
12/ The Mycenaean potters had as a raw material excellent quality clay, they possessed the know-how to bake it at very high temperatures and had the high artistic skill to present products in wonderful shapes, which were decorated with tasteful patterns.
13/ The Mycenaean pottery was either exported as is, or contained the main Mycenaean export products: wine, aromatic oils, ointments. Another great Mycenaean export product was the textiles, continuing the textile tradition of the Minoan Cretans.
14/ But the Mycenaeans were not only successful exporters of agricultural and handicraft products, they also functioned as intermediaries. ➡️
➡️ For example Egyptian glass beads for necklaces from the 15th century BC were found in the Aeolian Islands, the Iberian Peninsula, Northern France, Brittany, England and Central Europe, attesting to Mycenaean participation in the transport of these objects.
15/ In return for their highly exportable products, but also for their role as intermediaries, they received ores (copper, tin and gold), ivory, amber and exotic objects. It is impressive that the Mycenaeans of Crete imported Cypriot dyed wool, despite the large local production.
16/ Of great interest are two texts from Pylos which show the word o-no (load) in combination with some goods, indicating the existence of an exchange system of values: ➡️
➡️ a load of Cypriot alum in exchange for 30 kg of wool and 10 pieces of linen cloth (PY Un 443) and a piece of fine cloth in exchange for 480 liters of wheat (PY Un 1322).
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1/ The Citadel of Tiryns is one of the most impressive fortified sites of the LBA Aegean. The initial construction phase appears to have taken place around 1400 BC, but in the mid-13th century BC an extensive expansion was implemented that maximized its defensive capabilities.
2/ Huge walls were erected made of carved limestone blocks according to Cyclopean masonry, turning Tiryns into one of the best-protected sites of the Mycenaean world. Similar monumental fortification projects took place during the same period in Mycenae and Midea. 👉
👉 All three Argolic citadels added a crucial architectural-defensive tool: the Sally Port, that is, a secret passage in the walls, which allowed the defenders to make exits during a siege. However, the Sally Port of Tiryns epitomizes the perfection of this mechanism.
1/The Mycenaean texts have always aroused my great interest, for the simple reason that studying a small piece of well-fired clay, which contains only a few strange engraved symbols, allows you to see before you a real snapshot of life 4000 years ago.
#Mycenaeans #Pylos #LinearB
2/ One such case is the sealing label PY Wa 197, which was found in Room 7 of the palace of Pylos, the main storage area for local palatial documents. The sealing labels were clay balls impressed on the front of wicker archive-spaces (baskets or boxes), 👉
👉 bearing brief information about the contents of the stored tablets. It was a tool of an early form of classification of Mycenaean documents. In many cases, clay labels referred to text archives recorded on perishable materials, such as papyrus.
1/ The archaeological evidence indicates that Tiryns and Midea were inhabited during the Middle Helladic, but it seems that they were two settlements without particular importance in contrast to the settlement at Aspis of Argos, which was one of the most important MH settlements.
2/ The founding of Mycenae took place during the late MH III period and probably stemmed from the relocation of a faction that was expelled from Aspis of Argos due to social conflicts. The members of this faction were the shapers of Mycenaean civilization, as they broke with 👉
👉 the pre-existing Middle Helladic system of political and social relations, adopting a new set of rules, values and practices whose main concern was the excessive accumulation of wealth and its uncritical promotion as a means of social differentiation. 👉
1/ Klymenos was an important Mycenaean official of the kingdom of Pylos shortly before the destruction of the palace. His historical presence is mentioned on the tablets PY Aq 64 and PY An 654, while the same personal name is recorded in Knossos and Thebes. #mycenaeans
2/ In PY Aq 64 two important characteristics of Klymenos are presented. He is recorded as a morópas, that is, as a provincial nobleman who held a private plot of land, and as a koretēr, that is, as a provincial governor of the kingdom of Pylos, having important duties as the👉
👉main representative of the palatial administration in his province (distribution of raw materials, leadership of groups of workers, collection of taxes, control of local sanctuaries). In PY An 654, Klymenos is recorded as commander of an órkha, the basic military unit of Pylos.
1/ The Bible describes the Philistines as the greatest enemies of the Jewish people during the early period of the formation of the kingdom of Israel. Recent archaeogenetic studies has confirmed that the Philistines trace their origins to the Aegean.
#Philistines
2/ But could the examination of additional parameters differentiate this conclusion? Maybe should archaeogenetic data be combined with archaeological and written evidence to have a more complete view of who the Philistines ultimately were?
3/Several scholars have concluded that the Philistines are associated with the Sea Peoples and specifically with the Peleset, who appear to have participated along with other groups of sea raiders in the great sea invasion that took place in the eastern Nile Delta around 1177 BC.
1/On the western side of the Pyrenees live the most enigmatic European people, the Basques. Coming from ancient times and living in a difficult mountainous environment, they have a special culture with an ethnological and linguistic background distinct from the rest of Europeans.
2/ Their distinct identity and proximity to powerful Indo-European peoples (French, Spanish), who have attempted several times in the past to assimilate them, has forged them with the idea of constantly striving to preserve their own cultural characteristics.
3/ However, what is the origin of the Basques and what language do they speak? First of all, the Basques are an indigenous people and are considered descendants of the ancient Basque, Aquitanian and Iberian populations. Nevertheless, recent archaeogenetic studies have 👉