The arrival of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) in ancient Greece during the Archaic period is often presented as an established fact. Given that the chicken was referred to as ‘the Persian... Show moreThe arrival of the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) in ancient Greece during the Archaic period is often presented as an established fact. Given that the chicken was referred to as ‘the Persian Bird', and because the bird only appears in Greek written sources from the 6th century bc onwards, there seemed to be good grounds to do so. Over the years, however, osteological remains have been found in much earlier contexts, and although recent studies have now cast some doubt on the reliability of this evidence, various early depictions of and references to the bird strongly suggest that the chicken was already known at a much earlier date. By surveying all the available evidence, including faunal remains, iconography, and written sources, this paper challenges the traditional date of the chicken's introduction in Greece and instead argues that the bird was known in the Aegean at least as early as the Middle Bronze Age. Show less
This study aims to test the hypothesis that large schale constructions of the Greek Late Bronze Age (1600 - 1050 BCE), such as fortifications, were so elaborate that they may have overstretched the... Show moreThis study aims to test the hypothesis that large schale constructions of the Greek Late Bronze Age (1600 - 1050 BCE), such as fortifications, were so elaborate that they may have overstretched the economic capabilities of communities, causing the collapse of these communities. In order to do this, the costs, in labour, of certain structures are calculated. These labour costs are calculated for various sub-processes of the construction process. However, since such a calculation will never be able to provide an absolute answer, there are simply to many uncertainties and unknowns, the relative costs of the studied fortifications can inform about the scale of the required investments. To be able to make comparisons, not only fortifications are studied, but a number of domestic structures as well.The research has shown that the impressive style in which the fortifications are constructed, using massive blocks of stone, is not, in itself, an overly expensive building style. The decorative styles at certain gates, however, is an expense style and is therefore only used sparingly. The fortifications themselves are expensive endeavours, but not beyond the capabilities of communities, as long as no other major issues were being a factor simultaneously. Show less
From ca. 1600 – 1000 BC, builders across southern Greece crafted thousands of rock-cut chamber tombs similar to earlier and contemporary ‘beehive’ tholos tombs. Both tomb styles were designed with... Show moreFrom ca. 1600 – 1000 BC, builders across southern Greece crafted thousands of rock-cut chamber tombs similar to earlier and contemporary ‘beehive’ tholos tombs. Both tomb styles were designed with multiple uses in mind, filling with the remains of funerals forgotten over generations of reuse. In rare cases, the tombs were used once or seemingly not at all, cleaned thoroughly or sealed and abandoned entirely. Rather than focus on the missing or muddled record of funeral and post-funeral activities, this book re-examines Mycenaean tomb architecture and the decisions that guided it.From minimalistic to monumental, builders designed tombs with forethought to how commissioners and witnesses would react and remember them. Patterns suggest that memories of what tombs should look like heavily influenced new construction toward recurring shapes and appropriate scales. The wider debates over cost from ‘architectural energetics’ and perception in Aegean mortuary behaviour are thus revisited. Both can find common purpose in labour measured through a relative index and collective memory – how labourers and patrons saw their work. That metric for comparison lies within a median standard: in this instance, tombs expressed in terms of correlative shape and simple labour investment of the earth and rock moved to create them. This was accomplished here through photogrammetric modelling of 94 multi-use tombs in Achaea and Attica, verifying a cost-effective alternative for local authorities warding off information loss through site destruction from looting and earthquakes. Since most labour models suggest the tombs were not burdensome, commissioners held extravagant building in check by weighing the social risks and rewards of standing out from the crowd. Show less
Whilst gold is the metal that is most commonly associated with Mycenae -mostly because of Homer's reference to that city, but also because of the fabulous death masks that were uncovered by... Show moreWhilst gold is the metal that is most commonly associated with Mycenae -mostly because of Homer's reference to that city, but also because of the fabulous death masks that were uncovered by Schliemann in the shaft graves of Grave circle A, relatively little is known about the role and appreciation of silver in the Mycenaean world. Silver artefacts have been found only sporadically at Mycenaean sites, suggesting that the metal was rare, yet there is good evidence that the Mycenaeans were already mining silver in the Laurion, south of Athens. This article will try to explain this apparent dichotomy, by exploring the role and importance of silver in the Mycenaean world. Show less
