Irene S. Lemos - Böcker

This is the first full and up-to-date survey of Aegean archaeology at the beginning of the Iron Age (late eleventh and tenth centuries BC) since Snodgrass's classic The Dark Age of Greece (1971). These crucial 150 years in the development of ancient Greek society are known as the Protogeometric period after the characteristic pottery which was commonly in use in the Aegean. The book offers a detailed account of old and new discoveries with chapters on pottery, metal finds, burial customs, and architectural remains (and how to use them to understand the social and political structure of the society). This analysis of the material culture of the period covers not only well-known sites such as Athens and Lefkandi but also other, less familiar, regions, many of which are discussed in English for the first time. In addition, Dr Lemos examines a number of specific issues such as relative and absolute chronology, the introduction of iron technology in the Aegean, and the use of handmade pottery and jewellery. The archaeological record is also used to suggest interpretations of the social and political structure of the society, cult practices, and the use of Homer in understanding the period. The book challenges the description of the period from the collapse of the Mycenean palace system to the formation of early Greek city-states as the 'Dark Age of Greece'. Dr Lemos argues that some of the advances on socio-economic structures towards the formation of states, which were thought to belong to the eighth century BC, might have started to develop much earlier, in the course of the tenth century.

A Companion that examines together two pivotal periods of Greek archaeology and offers a rich analysis of early Greek cultureA Companion to the Archaeology of Early Greece and the Mediterranean offers an original and inclusive review of two key periods of Greek archaeology, which are typically treated separately—the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. It presents an in-depth exploration of the society and material culture of Greece and the Mediterranean, from the 14th to the early 7th centuries BC. The two-volume companion sets Aegean developments within their broader geographic and cultural context, and presents the wide-ranging interactions with the Mediterranean.The companion bridges the gap that typically exists between Prehistoric and Classical Archaeology and examines material culture and social practice across Greece and the Mediterranean. A number of specialists examine the environment and demography, and analyze a range of textual and archaeological evidence to shed light on socio-political and cultural developments. The companion also emphasizes regionalism in the archaeology of early Greece and examines the responses of different regions to major phenomena such as state formation, literacy, migration and colonization. Comprehensive in scope, this important companion: Outlines major developments in the two key phases of early Greece, the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron AgeIncludes studies of the geography, chronology and demography of early GreeceExplores the development of early Greek state and society and examines economy, religion, art and material cultureSets Aegean developments within their Mediterranean contextWritten for students, and scholars interested in the material culture of the era, ACompanion to the Archaeology of Early Greece and the Mediterranean offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide that bridges the gap between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age.2020 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Winner!