1/ The Citadel of Dymaean Wall at the NW end of the Peloponnese has a special place in Aegean prehistoric studies, as it was previously believed to be proof (along with the Isthmus Wall) of the existence of a northern threat (Dorians) to the core of the Mycenaean palatial world. 2/ Recent field study has placed its presence on a more realistic basis. First of all, the human presence on the Hill of Kalogria where the Citadel is built bears evidence of human presence, residential remains and pottery, dating back to the end of the 4th millennium BC.

1/ The Trojan War, as presented to us by the Homeric Iliad, is nothing more than a literary text with an epic-mythological character that captures in a single narrative various memories of events of the Mycenaean past, altered by time.
#Ahhiyawa #Homer #Troy

https://twitter.com/lefineder/status/1975325057225261363

2/The main body of the myth of Trojan War - the gathering of the Achaean warlords under the leadership of the strongest of them, the king of Mycenae, and the naval campaign in the Troad - constitutes the only connection between the historical background and the Homeric narrative.

1/ One of the biggest questions of Minoan archaeology is the existence of two scripts, which accur simultaneously in the same palatial centers (Old Palaces) or even in the same rooms: Cretan Hieroglyphics (2100-1700 BC) and Linear A' (1800-1450 BC).
#Minoan_Scripts 2/ This fact is not an unusual occurrence for the Eastern Mediterranean, as in Egypt and Anatolia two or more languages were used to serve different purposes. However, in Minoan Crete the coexistence of the two scripts for a period of about a century served the same purpose: 👉

1/ Referring to the Mycenaean era, we emphasize the archaeological imprint left to this day by the local palatial elites: wanaktes, aristocracy and priests, who were living and acting in imposing palaces and were buried in rich burial complexes.
#Mycenaeans #commoners
2/ However, what was the daily life of commoners? What was their status within the Mycenaean palatial society? As in the other kingdoms of the Eastern Mediterranean during the LBA, there was a clear social stratification with political, economic and ideological characteristics.

1/ All the time, the search for the historical background of the Trojan War has been a very popular issue. The Homeric narrative, despite its numerous mythological and poetic elements, is likely based on a historical core of events that took place during the Mycenaean era.

https://twitter.com/PlakoudasSpyros/status/1915326718803431513

2/ Recent archaeological surveys has identified two time points of destruction of Troy that may be related to the Trojan War. The first event took place before the middle of the 13th century BC, had the character of a violent enemy attack and marked the destruction of Troy VIh.👉

1/ An opportune way to understand the unstable and often dangerous conditions of everyday life of the Aegean populations during the Late Bronze Age Collapse is to look back at recorded archaeological incidents that took place in other turbulent periods of Antiquity. 2/ SW Argolid - Late 6th century AD: A group of about 50 people, consisting of young women, teenage boys and children, are hurrying towards the foothills of Mount Zavitsa. They are terrified but they know very well where they are going. They arrive at the Andritsa cave, 👉

1/ Many theories have been expressed about the collapse of the Mycenaean palatial system. Personally, I believe that it was a combination of factors, which accelerated developments through various isolated events, which have not survived to us as historical documents.#Mycenaeans 2/ I'd like to dwell, however, on certain conclusions that emerge from the examination of archaeological data from the Argolic palatial centers and specifically during the LH IIIB2 phase (final palatial period). All the evidence points to the emergence of a new palatial ideology.

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. 👉

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), 👉

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 👉

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

https://twitter.com/WanaxTV/status/1894416905982693583

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👉

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?

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.

1/ Rhaetic, like Etruscan, are two non-Indo-European languages, which were spoken in two neighboring regions, surrounded by Indo-European Celtic and Italic languages. Together with Lemnian, they belong to the same linguistic family called Tyrrhenic.
#Rhaetians 2/ The study of epigraphic texts of the three languages has demonstrated that they share common features in phonology, morphology and syntax. Their lexical correspondences are rare, which is probably due to a very early separation from the common protolanguage.

1/My view is that initially the Mycenaean world was divided into scattered, interconnected, autonomous communities. During the 16th century BC,a process of emergence of powerful centers and absorption by these new regional centers of the secondary settlements began. @StefanT2005
2/ Mycenae played an important role in the transformation of the Mycenaean world, as it evolved into a leading power in Argolid and mainland Greece in general. The warlords of Argolid were the protagonists in the conquest of Crete, the islands of the Archipelago and Miletus.

1/ The ship that sank at the end of the 14th century BC near the coast at Uluburun (SW Anatolia) is not a simple case of another wrecked merchant ship that was making a typical voyage sailing the sea routes of the Eastern Mediterranean of the Late Bronze Age.
#Uluburun
2/ Its cargo testifies to a special purpose sea voyage. It included a large quantity of copper ingots, numerous vessels and mainly exotic - precious objects intended for a very specific elite audience (carved ivory vessels and jewelry made of gold and semi-precious stones), 👉

1/ Preclassical Lemnos is shrouded in the mist of myth, constituting a special case for the ancient Greek world due to the presence of a strong pre-Greek population. Thus, mythological Lemnos is associated with various peoples.
#Lemnos #Sintians #Minyans 2/ The first inhabitants of Lemnos were the Sintians, a people of Thracian or Phrygian origin, who, according to legend, cared for and raised Hephaestus, who was exiled from Olympus. More generally, the Sintians are related to the Neolithic inhabitants of Poliochni and Myrina.

1/ In the past, there was a strong belief among members of the scientific community that the appearance of Minoan palaces was a "sudden" event in which various "ancestral" palatial patterns of the Near East, such as those at Mari and Alalakh, played an important role. #Minoans
2/ On the other hand, there were some scholars who argued that the appearance of the Minoan palaces was the creative result of a native genius craftsman. On a more logical basis, other scholars seek the emergence of palaces through the evolution of local architectural structures.

1/ The Aegean was a marginal area for the Egyptians of the Bronze Age, but nevertheless they had very good relations with its inhabitants. Archaeological and textual evidence demonstrates close trade, diplomatic and cultural contacts between the two lands, even royal marriages. 2/ However, where the close relationship between the two peoples is most vividly commemorated is in the representations of Aegean emissaries with offerings for the Egyptian king, which adorned the tombs of officials in the cemeteries of Thebes. The motif of the representations 👉

1/ Ancient Greek texts refer to a mythical king of Crete with divine origins and extraordinary abilities, Minos. Thucydides reports that Minos was the most ancient king of Crete, who dominated the entire Aegean with a powerful fleet (Minoan Thalassocracy). #Minoans 2/ He had the perspicacity to colonize the Aegean islands and defeat the pirates who "polluted" the seas, promoting peace and trade. However, he also had another aspect: he is presented as a wise legislator, gaining great fame and becoming after his death the judge of the dead.

1/ In 1903, during his excavations at Knossos, and specifically in a palatial area to the south of the Throne Room, Arthur Evans brought to light two elaborate Minoan figurines of a clearly ceremonial nature. He named the site of the figurines' discovery "Temple Repositories".


2/ Evans believed that he had discovered a Minoan palatial sanctuary with the two figurines, being made of faience, the larger of which represented a "Snake Goddess" and the smaller a priestess (he called her "Snake Priestess"), considering them to be votive objects.