Mycenaean Culture Flashcards
Describe the lion dagger
- ornamental dagger
- intricate image of lion hunt
- three lions, four people (one dead on floor)
- using spears, shields, bow and arrow
Where and when was the lion dagger made and found? What is it made out of?
- 16th century BC
- Grave 4, Grave circle A, Mycenae
- gold, silver, niello
What would the lion dagger would have been used for?
- ornamental object
- almost certainly belonged to king as status symbol
Why were lions hunted?
- hardest challenge hunter could face = thrill of doing something dangerous
- military training (practice strategy)
- show of status
Describe the fresco found in Tiryns depicting hunting
- vivid blue background
- three dogs with brown spots chasing golden brown boar through a field
What were boars hunted for?
- tusks to make jewellery/ helmets
- meat for food
- threat
hunted by less wealthy Mycenaeans
Describe the signet ring
- two people on a chariot
- one archer, one driver
- hunting deer
What does the signet ring show about hunting in Mycenae?
- deer hunted for food
- large portions of meat
Describe the drinking cup
- one side cows being driven into nets
- other side cows are domesticated, calm around farmer
What does the drinking cup show us about hunting in Mycenae?
- cows are hunted
- domesticated for farming tasks (ploughing)
- milk production, consistent food source (made into cheese)
- cows used for cow jumping
- leather for armour, shields, shoes
Which two pieces of armour changed significantly over the Mycenaean period?
- helmets
- shields
What was the difference between older and newer shields?
- older shields = figure of eight + tower shields
- larger
changed- too heavy, would bang knees on shield
What were shields made of and why?
- leather to stop arrows, slides off (cheap)
- bronze (expensive)
- some had bronze boss to hit people with
Describe the boar tusk helmet
where was it found?
- layers of boar tusks with leather base for comfort
- boar tusks = strong
chamber tomb in Mycenae
What are the disadvantages of using a boar tusk helmet?
- each helmet used the tusks of at least ten wild boars
- hard/ dangerous to hunt (Odysseus got hurt hunting a boar in book 19)
What is fullbody armour found in Dendra called?
- Dendra Panoply
What are cons of using the Denra Panoply armour?
- expensive (need to be quarried and hunted for) - made of bronze + boar tusks
- big bronze plates down to knees = rigid, hard to run in
- made of bronze = heavy
What are the pros of using the Dendra Panoply amrour?
- fullbody protection = shoulder guards + down to knees
- likely owned by rich person to show off - unlikely to fight
Describe the Dendra panoply armour
- hinged together using strips of leather
- made of 15 plates of bronze
- found with boar’s tusk helmet, greaves, wrist guard
How did the Illiad describe helmets?
- having animal skin liners for comfort + some added protection
- often had throat straps
- animal hair plumes on top (identifiable/ look impressive/ intimidation)
Mycenaean wall paintings regularly show plumed helmets
Describe the Warrior Vase
- line of almost identical soldiers marching
- carry long spears (thrusting, not throwing)
- small round shields
- carrying knapsacks on spears = supplies/ rations, long journey
- in chitons
- wearing breast plates and greaves for protection
- woman shown to be bidding farewell (mother)
- other side = spiky helmets and shorter spears
When was the Warrior vase made, where was it originally and what was it used for?
what is it made of?
- 14th century
- house of the warrior, Mycenae
- clay
- used as krater (mixing wine with water)
What were spears like?
- wooden handle
- bronze spearhead fitted onto it
When and how did the spears change in appearance and function?
- 12 century BC
- shorter = thrown
What was the evidence for spears?
- Linear B tablets from Crete
- refers to 42 bronze tipped spears
Describe the swords found in Mycenaean tombs
- some had elaborate golden hilts
What did early swords have?
- wooden pommel (rounded end to handle) covered in gold
How have swords changed throughout the Mycenaean era?
- gotten shorter like spears
- more useful for close combat
What are swords held in and what does the wall painting in Akrotiri depict?
- sacbbards
- tassles on end on scabbards
Why were bows seen as a coward’s weapon?
- can inflict harm on others without putting themselves at risk
What were chariots used for?
- chasing prey (signet ring)
- used in war, drops off warrior in the middle of battlefield, they fight and then they get on to go to another place
- funeral races (Illiad)
- mode of transport (fresco in Tiryns, couple travelling)
Describe the general design of a chariot
- drawn by 2 horses attached to to central pole
- rarely 2 extra horses added on either side main team by single bar that fasted to front of chariot (expensive, hard to control)
- wheels + basket usually made of wood
- strengthened by bronze
- basket sometimes covered with wicker wood
- wheels = 4-8 spokes
Describe a box chariot
- basket covered in ox hide/ wicker work (as light as possible)
- 4-8 spokes on wheels
- offers protection for legs, weapons glide off side of box easier
Describe the quadrant chariot
- similar to box chariot
- curved D shape at front like quadrant of circle
variation of box chariot
Describe the rail chariot
- basket with rail each side
- footboard for driver to stand
- light vehicle- open cab, minimal protection for legs (likely for transport, not in war)
- 4 wheeled chariot = heavier (parades and travel)
What evidence is there for chariots?
- metallic parts and horse bits found in graves and settlements
- chariot bodies, wheels, horses inventoried in Linear B tablets
- frescoes, metal work (ring), grave stele
What was Mycenaean clothing made out of?
- wool coming from sheep/ goats
- linen coming from flax
- silk imported from the middle east (silkworms)
silk was rare and expensive
What ingredients were used to “lock in” the dye?
- vinegar
- urine
Where did yellow dye come from?
- onion skin
- saffron (spice)
Where did red dye come from?
- insect eggs
- madder (a plant)
Where did blue dye come from?
- indigo (a plant)
expensive, hard to obtain
Where did purple dye come from?
- shellfish ink (middle east)
expensive, hard to obtain
What was the most typical bodice shape for women?
- tight
- short sleeved (hot climate)
- showing cleavage
What were the typical colours of clothing for women?
- bright colours, yellow and orange
What were some recurring patterns in women’s clothing?
- layering in bodices and skirts
- geometric, striped patterns
- contrasting colours
What were some common hairstyles among Mycenaean women?
- long hair, braided
- sometimes with hairdresses or wispy sideburns
What is the usual skirt design for Mycenaean women?
- ankle-length (length varies)
- bright and colourful
- tiered effect
- worn with underskirt
What is the date, location and significance of the Mycenaean lady fresco?
- 13th century BC
- House of the Chief priest, Mycenae
- fresco colours, style of female clothing, shows bracelets and jewellery
Describe the Mycenaean Lady fresco
- thoughful woman in typical Mycenaean garment holding necklace
- might have been gift (goddess?)
- shows cleavage, tiered effect from layers of red and white
- short sleeved top (hot climate)
- necklaces, intricate hairstyle with headbadn
pale
What did men wear?
- short sleeved tunic (easier to move around in)
- robe over it
- kilt-like garment (especially soldiers)
- loincloth for underwear
- leather boots (warrior vase) but generally barefoot
dark skin from working outside in fresco
Describe another source of a woman in Mycenaean clothing
- fresco in front of megaron
- woman holding saffron
- could be goddess or priestess worshipping demeter (saffron = fertility)
- eye makeup
- sideburns
- headdress
- layering on top
Why was trading important for the Mycenaeans?
- Greece does not have rich supply of mineral and metal resources
How was most of trade done? Why?
- by sea
- travel on land was low - mountain ranges and bandits
- roads would have been basic
- little could be carried on animals + chariots compared to boats
What werre three pieces of evidence that tell us about trade?
- shipwrecks
- objects themselves in cities (Mycenaean style dagger in Romania)
- Linear B tablets
How did the location of Mycenaean cities make trade easier?
- just a few miles from sea
- many sheltered harbours
Why were journeys at sea dangerous?
- safe to sail for half a year
- early spring to early autumn
- weather in Mediterranean was unpredictable
Why were journeys not completed in one go? What did they do instead?
- manned by rowers
- “island hop” to get to mainland Greece
- drop off and pick up cargo on the way
List all of the areas that were believed to be involved in trade with the Mycenaeans
- islands in the Aegean sea
- Egypt
- Middle East
- Italy and surrounding island
- Britain
What is batering?
- merchant wants item or service
- offer something he already had in exchange
no evidence that they used money
Why can we never be sure of where materials and products came from?
- Mycenaeans never kept record
How do archaeologists work out where items came from?
- look at where else was producing materials/products at the same time
- reasoned guess
Where did Mycenaeans import gold from?
- Macedonia
- Egypt
- Thasos (Greek island)
Where did Myceneans import amber from?
for beads
- Denmark
- Northern Europe
Where did the Mycenaeans import ivory from?
- Africa
- Syria
Where did the Mycenaeans import lapis lazuli gemstones from?
Africa
Where did the Mycenaeans import silver and lead from?
- Attica (area around Athens)
Where did the Mycenaeans import copper from?
- Attica
- Syria
- Cyprus
- Sardinia
Where did the Mycenaeans import ostrich eggshells from?
Africa
Where did the Mycenaeans import tin from?
- Britain
- Turkey
- Afghanistan
- Spain
Where did the Mycenaeans import glass from?
Egypt
Why was copper important?
- main metal used to make bronze
Why was gold important?
- used to make most famous objects in Mycenae
What evidence of slavery was found?
- Illiad = people defeated in war turned into slaves, especially women
- Linear B = mentions of workers, not known if they had slave status (homeland mention, many came from long way away)
What did the Mycenaeans export?
- pottery
- olive oil
- wine
- kraters (found in Cyprus)
- beads (found in egypt)
Where did Mycenaean pottery get found in?
- Israel
- Egypt
- Sicily
- Albania
- Macedonia
What gave us evidence for trade in 1375BC?
- Mycenaean ship sunk off coast of southwest Turkey
What was found on the shipwreck?
- 10 tonnes of copper
- 1 tonne of tin (correct ratio for making bronze)
- 150 jars of Middle East jars
- filled with resin or olives (1 with glass beads)
- wooden logs
- elephant tusks
- hippopotamus teeth
- tortoise shells
- oil lamps and pottery
- amber
- drinking cups
- weapons
- food (nuts, olives, spices)
- trumpet
- wooden tablets (filled with wax for writing)
What is Linear A?
- older form of writing than Linear B
- yet to be deciphered
Who cracked the code for Linear B?
Michael Ventris
What is the syllable system?
- syllable = single sound said with 1 beat
What is the ideogram system?
- picture representing a whole word
- only existed for most commonly used words
Where were the Linear B tablets found and how much are there?
- over 1000 in Pylos
- even more Knossos
How many sets of handwriting are there in Linear B?
- up to 100 different individuals
Where were Linear B tablets stored?
- special document room
- assumed to be archive room
How were the tablets usually made?
- pieces of damp clay
- written records inscribed with sharpened tool
- left to harden in the sun
How long would the tablets have normally lasted and why?
- not fired in kiln
- clay absorbs moisture from air
- crack and crumbles
- lasts for several months
How did tablets get preserved?
- sites where they were found had large fires
- tablets baked as if in kiln
- hardened
What does giving us “snapshot of life” mean with Linear B?
- not designed to be historic
- represents moment in time
How did scribes actually record information on the tablets?
- inscribe detail on small piece of clay
- designed to be held in palm of hand (3cm length)
- transferred to larger thin horizontal tablet (leaf tablet)
- several leaf tablets transferred to larger doc. (30cm length)
How did scribes decide when to use an ideogram and when to use syllables?
- common words = ideogram
- uncommon words = syllables
What is documented on Linear B tablets?
- lists of people, items
- trade records/ palace records
How was gender depicted in Linear B for animals?
what are they used for?
- extra strokes on ideogram
- 2 extra horizontal lines = male
- extra vertical/ near vertical = female
breeding purposes
What was the date and location of the Linear B tablet showing the word tripod?
- 13th century BC
- Archive room, palace of Pylos
What does Linear B reveal about religion?
- reveals names of several Olympian gods
- Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes, Hera, Artemis
- female versions of Poseidon and Zeus (Diwia, Posidia)
- female identities didn’t exist much after Mycenaean age
some but not all aspects survived into later times
What the Linear B tablets reveal about the Greek language?
- some words survived over the centuries (found in ancient Greek with little to no change in spelling)
- gold in Greek = chrusos
- gold in Linear B = kuruso
- until decipherment of Linear B = generally thought that arrival of later Greeks wiped out Mycenaean language
What does Linear B tell us about food production and agriculture?
- tablet from Knossos = wine production
- 420 vines + 14 000 L wine storage
- delivery of 518 L of oil from Kolakas -> Eumedes
- figs, wheat, barley
- official in charge of honey production used for religious offerings
- spices = saffron, coriander
What did Linear B tell us about animals?
- some plough oxen named
- Dusky, Dapple, Whitefoot
- Horses listed under military equipment
- goats and pigs
What did Linear B tell us about the Wanax?
how cities were run
- chief Wanax at top of society
- corresponds to “annax”/lord in Homer (not mentioned later = position only existed in Mycenaean times)
- had royal lands, special garments (often purple), freedom from some taxes
What did Linear B tell us about the official under the Wanax?
- lawagetas
- estate at Pylos = 1/3 size of Wanax
- title might be connected with later Greek words for people and leader
- suggests military figure
What did Linear B tell us about the people beneath the Wanax and the Lawagetas?
- beneath both = noble class - hequetai
- followers of rule in war
- warrior class
- landowners who may have had slaves
beneath them were people who did most of the work
What did Linear B tell us about workers?
- variety of roles
- female religious workers
- women = gorund corn, spun, produced flax (made into linen)
- waitresses, bath attendants
- often mentioned coming from other parts of world = slaves
- headband makers for horses
- musicians
- sweepers
- bakers
- fire-kindlers
- perfume make
- stonemasons
What did Linear B tell us about the military organisation?
- tablets at Knossos = 42 bronze tipped spears
- tablets at Pylos = officials had to provide bronze for spears, arrows, ships
- focus on producing what would be needed for an attack
- chariot parts, wheels frames
- Pylos tablets = 600 rowers, 800 coastal watchmen
- major invasion was feared
What did Linear B tell us about offerings to gods?
- gold items (offered at shrine of Zeus)
- 2 men, 8 women mentioned as offerings for Zeus, Hermes, Hera (controversial)
