life in the Mycenean age

• what is the appearance of a typical Mycenaean palace?


  circle thing - hearth

  next to circle - front room

  first room - called the entrance porch

  
• what is there evidence for the megaron structure?

  there is evidence that palaces contained rooms for official documents, shrines, potteries, oil press rooms, armouries and storerooms for food
• what was the most important part of the palace?

  THE MEGARON

  - it was often located at the highest point of the city, so it dominated the area

  - it had a similar structure to Greek temples
• what was the most important part of the megaron?

  the hearth

  - the hearth was a stone area, circular in shape and a fire would be lit for religious purposes or for cooking

  - it would have four columns that supported the roof

  and there would be a hole in the roof to let smoke escape
• where would the kings throne be?

  it would be in the room where the hearth would be
• what was the megaron used for?

  it would have been used for feasts, like the one in the Odyssey when suitors are killed

  - poetry would be recited there
• what was hunting like in the Mycenaean age?

  animal hunting was an important activity in the Mycenaean age, most of Greece was unsuitable for farmland, hunting animals was necessary if ppl were to eat meat
• where does the evidence of hunting come from?

  it comes from frescoes

  - there are scenes on daggers and carvings on rings

  REFER TO YOUR PS FLASHCARDS FOR THE LION HUNT DAGGER
• what is the weapons and armour of the Mycenaean Age?

  - there are loads of different styles of weapons and armour this leads to a slight uncertainty as to the exact nature of warfare; as styles of helmets and shields changed significantly over the MP
• what was a major change in warfare at the beginning of the Mycenaean Age?

  - the huge figure of 8 shields and tower shields that the Mycenaeans used were being replaced with smaller figure of 8 shields and tower shields

  - the older style shields are shown on the LION HUNT DAGGER

  - and Homer describes the Greek hero Ajax using the tower shields
• what is a tower shield?

  8 layers of leather and one layer of bronze
• how did helmets change?

  in the early Mycenaean age = boar tusks were used in helmets, these tusks were extremely strong and gave good protection BUT each helmet would need the tusks of at least 10 wild boars. The hunting of these boars was extremely dangerous as seen in BOOK 19 in the Odyssey

  HOWEVER

  in the Iliad the helmets are described as gleaming, and having animal skin liners for comfort and animal hair plumes on top - to look impressive

  
  

  USE FLASHCARDS FOR Mycenaean WARRIOR VASE
• some info about swords ?

  - many swords have been found in Mycenaean tombs, some with elaborate golden handles

  - the more elaborate the swords, the less likely it would have been used for actual combat

  - the sword would have been carried in a carrier called a scabbard, like spear, swords became shorter in the Mycenaean age this makes it more comfortable in quarter combat
• what was considered "bad" about bows as a weapon of warfare?

  - bows were considered as a cowardly weapon in the battlefield

  - this is shown when Odysseus keeps his bow at home in the Odyssey

  HOWEVER

  - THE LION HUNT DAGGER shows the use of a bow and so does THE SIGNET RING
• describe the earliest suit of armour from a Mycenaean site?

  - it was a breastplate found at Dendra, near the city of Argos

  - it was made out of the sheets of bronze for the chest and back

  - there were more sheets of bronze that covered the shoulders and neck and upper legs

  - founded with this breastplate was a boar tusk helmet, and a wrist guard

  - this armour would have been heavy but it gave a lot of protection than any other armour
• what was another Mycenaean key aspect of life?

  - the use of chariots

  - chariots were shown in wall paintings, pottery and stelai - they were most often used for chasing prey - SIGNET RING - or used in war
• what did Mycenaean chariots look like?

  - the earliest representation of the chariot is shown on one of the stelai in GRAVE CIRCLE A

  - it shows a man on a two wheeled box chariot, chasing a man - either in a race or a battle

  - the wheels had 4 spokes

  HOWEVER

  - a fresco a Tiryns, shows that chariots were not just used for fighting or competition but they were also a mode of transport

  - the chariot shown in Tiryns is shown to be more spacious and was also covered in a red fabric or animal hide
• clothing of men and women

  CHECK FLASHCARDS
• what did major Mycenaean cities develop ?

  strong trade links with many other areas, this was essential for growth and survival of societies as Greece didn't have a rich supply of mineral resources and metals
• how was trade transported?

  - most of the trade was done by sea

  - as travel on land was slow, because of mountains and bandits

  - little could be carried by animals and chariots compared to boats

  - the roads were very basic
• what is our evidence for trade?

  - objects from cities

  - written sources on Linear B tablets

  - shipwrecks
• Since many Mycenaean cities.........

  were just a few miles from sea, there were many sheltered harbours, used for imports and exports

  BUT

  these journeys were very dangerous, trips could take many weeks, and would have unpredictable weather

  - there would "island pit stops" so journeys would be split in sections
• what did Mycenaean import?

  they imported amber and tin from Britain
• what did Mycenaean export?


  pottery

  olive oil

  krater

  tusks

  wooden tablets
• what are Linear B Tablets?

  a series of inscribed clay tablets

  - some were found at Pylos, Island of Crete

  - the tablets were pieces of damp clay with written records inscribed in with a sharpened tool, they were then left to dry in the sun

  - there were various syllables + ideograms that could depict animals or objects
• what do LBT tell us? AFMCFMG

  ANNA, FILLED + MADE, CHOCOLATE, FOR, ME, GEHNA

  they tell us a lot about agriculture + food production

  - animals are also mentioned, like horses were listed in military equipment

  - the tablets tell us how cities were run

  - tablets tell us about female religious workers ( they ground corn, spun, were waitresses and bath attendants )

  - tablets tell us of military organisations - and how hard it was for cities to survive ----- tablet of Knossos tells the story of 42 bronze spears

  tablet of pylos -- had 600 rowers, 800 COOASTAL WATCHMEN

  - some tablets described offerings to Gods, and the customs of a sacrifice
• how were cities run?

  wanax = chieftan = he had freedom, wore special garments and had royal lamds

  
  

  hequetai = a warrior class = they were landowners that could own slaves

  
  

  lawagetas = leader = military figures