Figure 5. Social, Political, and Economic Networks in Late Bronze Age Greece: Created for Advanced Placement World
History Courses
Unit Plan Overview
Unit Plan Objective: This unit plan engages students in an analysis of the social, political, and economic relationships between the
Bronze Age cities of Tiryns, Argos, and the Palace of Nestor.
Unit Plan Rationale: Students presented with a Bronze Age meta-narrative rarely get the opportunity to analyze the complexity of the
relationships between the palatial civilizations of the Late Bronze Age This unit plan is designed challenge the meta-narrative
frequently presented students in American public schools.
Unit Plan Scope and Sequence:
 Day One- Students will analyze the geographical and topographical features of the Messenian Plain. Students will engage in
an analysis of the geography of the region to analyze the relationship between the Greek cities during the Late Bronze Age.

Day Two- Students analyze linguistics as a source of documentary evidence. Students analyze the social, economic, and
political communications amongst the Bronze Age palatial centers.

Day Three- Students learn to utilize archeology as a mechanism to increase their understanding of life in the Late Bronze Age
Mycenaean palace. Students analyze how archeologists gather and preserve evidence from the Bronze Age.

Day Four- Students analyze the burial rituals of the Mycenaean peoples as evidenced in the tholos and the chamber tombs of
the Late Bronze Age. Students analyze the cultural values and mores of the Bronze Age peoples through their burial
practices.

Day Five- Students analyze the role of relative dating in providing archeologists with mechanisms to categorize and date
artifacts. Students will analyze the Greek relative pottery chronologies and their use in ancient history.

Day Six-Tiryns Students will analyze the similarities and differences between two Bronze Age citadels. Students will
analyze the relationships between two Bronze Age cities through their archeological similarities and differences.

Day Seven- Students will analyze the characteristics of Late Bronze Age frescoes found in multiple Late Bronze Age palatial
sites. Students will analyze Late Bronze Age life within these palatial centers.

Day Eight- Students will analyze the Palace of Nestor and its leadership role in fostering the trade networks in the Late
Bronze Age. Students will analyze the social, political, and economic connections between the three palatial centers.

Day Nine-Summative Assessment
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Baltas, Charaeambos. The Palace of Nestor. (Athens: Dimitrous N. Papadimas, 1990).
Dartmouth Projectsx Website found at http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/classics/history.bronzeage.lesson 24Mylonas, George. Higgins,
Reynolds. Minoan and Mycenaean Art. (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997).
Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Hirsch, Ethel S. “Another Look at Minoan and Mycenaean Relationships in Floor Decoration,” American Journal of
Archeology 84 (4): 453-462.
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Pullen, Daniel J. “Asine, Berbati, and the Chronology of Early Bronze Age Greece” American Journal of Archeology 91 (4):
533-544.
Rowbowtham, William. “Mycenae and Bronze Age Greece,” taken from the website, Odyssey Adventures in Archeology,
May 28, 2007.
Shelmerdine, Cynthia. “Review of Aegean Prehistory VI: The Palatial Bronze Age of the Southern and Central Greek Mainland,” 101
(3), American Journal of Archeology, 1997, p. 537-585.
Taylor, William. The Mycenaeans, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1983).
Whitley, James. “The Monuments that Stood Before Marathon: Tomb Cult and Hero Cult in Archaic Greece,” American
Journal of Archeology 98 (2): 213-230.
Wright, James C. and Palaima, Thomas. “Ins and Outs of the Archives at Pylos: Form and Function in a Mycenaean Palace,” 89 (2)
American Journal of Archeology, 1985, p. 251-262.
Wright, James C. “The Old Temple Terrace at the Argive Heraeum and the Early Cult of Hera in the Argolid” The Journal of
Hellenic Studies 102: 186-201.
Zanger, Eberhard. “Landscape Changes Around Tiryns during the Bronze Age,” American Journal of Archeology 98 (2)”:
189-212.
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Grade Level: Advanced Placement World History
Duration: 30 to 40 minutes
Lesson One
A Geographical Analysis of Late Bronze Age Greece
Lesson Objective: Students will analyze the geographical and topographical features of Greece throughout the Late Bronze Age.
Learning Objectives:
 Students will analyze the role of geography in providing a context for archeological studies.
 Students will compare topographical and political maps of Greece during the Late Bronze Age, while developing map
reading skills.
 Students identify and discuss the geographical features of Greece during the Late Bronze Age and how they contributed
to the evolution of Greek palatial civilizations.
 Students compare and contrast ancient maps of Greece with modern maps.
 Students will locate Mycenae, Tiryns, Nauplion, Argos, and Pylos on the maps.
 Students identify the geographical features of Greece that may have inhibited or encouraged trade.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson fulfills NCSS III-People, Places, and Environments. Students must understand the geographical
context of a region in order to equip themselves to make good inferences regarding a region’s history. The Bronze Age geographical
environment provides students with important key understandings related to Greek history, culture, and trade.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set- Students identify their preconceptions about the geographical features of Greece. Teacher will identify
these preconceptions and write them up on the board for reference after the lesson. Students examine copies of images from
Greece and the surrounding countryside.

Lesson Body-

Students will be asked to identify the major topographical features of Greece. Students will be asked to identify the climate
zones, types of foliage, and the water sources from images of modern Greece.

Students will read a secondary source describing the geographical features of the Messenian Plain during the Late Bronze
Age. Students will analyze the challenges faced by geographers when they attempt to study the geography of a region in
antiquity.

Students will then identify the major cities or population centers within Greece during the Late Bronze Age. Students will
compare and contrast the information provided by the different kinds of maps.

Students will analyze the role these geographical features may have played in systems of trade during the Late Bronze Age.
Closure:
 Students will be asked to analyze any geographical connections between the palatial centers of Argos, Mycenae, Tiryns, and
Pylos during the Late Bronze Age.
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Guided Inquiry Questions-Formative Assessment Number One
1) What topographical features can you identify around the Bay of Navarino?
2) What geographical features made the Bay of Navarino and the surrounding area suitable for ancient shipping?
3)
The author suggests that the Palace of Nestor was located in an ideal geographical location to act as the center of trade in the Late
Bronze Age. From your observations, please identify these features.
3) What challenges do we face when we try to use ancient maps to help us understand Bronze Age history?
4) Please identify any direct geographical connections between Argos, Tiryns, Mycenae, and the other cities in this region.
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Grade Level: Advanced Placement World History
Duration: 50-60 minutes
Lesson Two
Linear B-The Nature of Evidentiary
Documents in the Greek Bronze Age
Lesson Objective: Students analyze linguistics as a source of documentary evidence. Students analyze the social, economic, and
political communications amongst the Bronze Age palatial centers.
Learning Objectives:
 Students analyze the type of evidence historians traditionally use to record our understandings of the past.
 Students analyze alternatives to traditional written sources, especially when traditional sources are unavailable.
 Students debate whether linguistics can serve as a type of historical evidence.
 Students analyze Linear B and its importance to helping us understand the Late Bronze Age.
 Students discuss the role of Linear B in the palatial systems and why it was so vital to our understanding of palace life.
 Students use Linear B evidence to suggest a potential social structure within palace organizations in the Late Bronze Age.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson is designed to encourage students to critically analyze their perceptions of what is or is not good
historical evidence. Students examine social studies research that must be conducted with sources and in a cultural context that is
unfamiliar to them. Students will be asked to use their knowledge of Linear B to expand their understanding of what sources can be
used in social studies classrooms. This lesson fulfills NCSS Standard I, IV, V; and VIII. Students will analyze the role of language in
helping us to analyze the social structures of Bronze Age palatial cultures.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: Students create a chart that lists types of reliable and unreliable historical evidence. Students have definite
convictions about what is or is not ‘historical.’ Teachers should help students identify their preconceptions early in the lesson
and then work to expand their understandings of history later on. Students should also identify what criterion they used to
make these determinations.

Lesson Body:

Students read the Documentary Evidence source and answer the reading questions, introducing them to Linear B and
linguistics as a key component of historical research.

Students discuss the methods scribes used to record documents in the Bronze Age palaces and why this process was
significant. Students work in groups to discuss the significance or insignificance of the Linear B finds in their opinions.

Students analyze the connection between the materials used to make the Linear B tablets and their preservation despite the
palatial destructions of the 14th century. Students analyze the historical significance of the Linear B tablets. Students work in
groups and identify the types of evidence that survive periods of destruction and how we can interpret these artifacts.

Students will then transition to some documents that provide them with examples of Linear B text. Students will analyze this
text and be asked to discuss what Bronze Age cultural values or mores they may be able to glean from the logograms and the
words provided in these examples.
Closure:
 Students write a short response paper identifying the potential significance of Linear B evidence in Late Bronze Age history.
Students identify the strengths and weaknesses of using linguistics and fragmentary evidence in our studies of the past.
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Ancient Scripts-Linear B examples taken from, www.ancientscripts.com.linearb.html.
The Linear B Tablets and Mycenaean Social, Political, and Economic organization. Taken from the Dartmouth University website
http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/history/bronzeage/lessons/les/25.html.
Lesson Two- Formative Assessment Number Two
1) What key developments in linguistics made it possible for historians, classicists, and students of ancient history to interpret Linear
B?
2) Where have most of the Linear B documents been found and why is this significant? What does this tell you about this region?
3) What kinds of information can we reasonably gain from these pieces of fragmentary evidence?
4) What materials did scribes use to make these tablets and why is this key to their preservation?
5) What is the process used by a scribe to create these clay tablets? What does this indicate about the division of labor in the Bronze
Age palaces?
6) Why is it significant that Linear B was connected to the development of ancient Greek text? Why would this be important to
linguists and historians?
7) What observations can we make about Greek Bronze Age civilizations from Linear B texts and logograms?
8) What do the Linear B tablets reveal about the organization of society in Late Bronze Age Greece?
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Grade Level: Advanced Placement World History
Duration: 50-60 minutes
Lesson Three
Archeological Evidence and Mycenaean Palatial Life
Lesson Objective: Students use archeology to gain an understanding of life in the Late Bronze Age Mycenaean palace. Students
analyze the role of archeology in enriching our understandings of the past.
Learning Objectives:
 Students define archeology as a field and discuss what it means to our understandings of the past.
 Students identify the time period used by archeologists to describe the evidence they uncovered at the citadel of Mycenae.
 Students identify the significant features of the Mycenaean citadel.
 Students analyze the role of the citadel in Late Bronze Age society.
 Students identify the types of masonry and construction used to build the Mycenaean citadel and what this demonstrates
about daily life during the Bronze Age.
 Students analyze the layout of the Mycenaean palace and determine how it functioned.
 Students identify major features of the Mycenaean archeological site map and use this map to interpret photographic images
provided
Lesson Rationale: This lesson fulfills the NCSS Standard I, II, IV,and, VI. Students identify the historical, cultural, and political
significance of the Mycenaean palace during the Late Bronze Age. Students analyze these archeological sites as windows into the
lives of those living in the Late Bronze Age. Archeology helps us to understand the values, ideals, and the lives of other civilizations
and cultures.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: The instructor provides students with a basic outline of the methods used by archeologists to preserve
pieces of the past. Students learn to differentiate between excavation and survey as methods of archeological inquiry. The
instructor will introduce students to stratigraphy, epigraphy, and methods of archeological inquiry and interpretation.

Lesson Body: Students will be asked read a short historical excerpt, describing the citadel and its history. Students read this
source and answer some questions related to the history of the excavations at Mycenae. Students identify the purposes and
functions of these fortifications during the Late Bronze Age.

Students read the site map of the citadel, identifying the major features from the site map and readings provided. Students
identify the major archeological features of the citadel and palace, including methods of construction and different sections of
a Bronze Age palace. We will discuss the potential function of each area. Students will be asked to respond to written
questions regarding this site as well. Student then compare the site map and readings to the photographic images provided.

Students then try to make connections between the archeological evidence, the secondary written sources, and the images.
Students attempt to draw conclusions regarding the daily life of those living in the Mycenaean citadel.
Closure:
Students will be asked to choose one of the featured archeological discoveries in the Mycenaean citadel and palatial structures.
Students should write a short story describing the life of a member of Mycenaean society during the Late Bronze Age using this
archeological evidence. Students explore archeological evidence and its implications for our understandings of ancient social history.
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Spathari, Elsie. Mycenaean History and Archeology, (Athens, Athens Petroulakis Abee, 2001).
Guided Inquiry Questions-Formative Assessment Three
1) How does the author, Mylonas, describe the citadel of Mycenae?
2) When was the Mycenaean citadel occupied?
3) During what period were the citadel’s walls enclosed? What do you think this signifies?
4) What characterizes Cyclopean architecture? What are the distinguishing features of the Cyclopean walls at
Mycenae?
5) What architectural methods were used to create the Lions Gate? What was the purpose of this heavily fortified entrance at
the base of the citadel?
7) What is featured at the entrance to the Mycenaean palace? Why do you think this was significant?
8) What was the function of the megaron and the domos in the Mycenaean palace? How does the physical layout accomplish
the purposes of the Mycenaean king?
9) Do the residences within the citadel suggest that someone lived near the palace besides the king and queen? Who do you
believe lived within the city walls?
10) The sally port at the back of the citadel was used as an escape route. What do you think this reflects about life during this
period?
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Grade Level: Advanced Placement World History
Duration: 50-60 minutes
Lesson Four
Burial Rituals of the Mycenaeans and Other Late Bronze Age Peoples
Lesson Objective: Students analyze the burial rituals of the Mycenaean peoples as evidenced in the tholos and the chamber tombs of
the Late Bronze Age.
Learning Objectives:
 Students identify the differences between the circle graves, tholos, and chamber tombs of the Late Bronze Age.
 Students identify the methods of construction used to create these tombs.
 Students identify the time periods in which the featured tombs were created.
 Students analyze Grave Circle A and B to determine the archeological and social significance of the tombs to the Late Bronze
Age peoples.
 Students analyze the artifacts discovered in Grave Circle A and B and the Treasury of Atreus to determine their significance
to the Bronze Age peoples.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson fulfills NCSS Standards I and II. Students gain an understanding of the cultural values and the
historical significance of these tombs through this lesson. When students gain different cultural understandings through their studies
of the past, they learn to mediate differences in other parts of life.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: Students read the written sources that provide them with descriptions of the different tomb types. Students
create a chart that distinguishes the features of each type of tomb. Students create lists of facts that indicate the time period
the tombs were created, the materials used to create each tomb, the structure of the tombs, what was found in each tomb, and
what burial rituals were used when an individual died.

Lesson Body: Students will be asked to move through stations with images of each tomb type in groups of two to three.
Each station should provide images of each tomb and secondary written sources that help students draw accurate inferences
about our understandings of Bronze Age burial practices.

Students continue to fill in their charts as they identify the differences between the tombs and the burial practices used within
each culture.

After students move through these stations, they synthesize this information and identify the similarities and differences
between the Bronze Age circle graves, tholos tombs, and the chamber tombs. Students then discuss why these differences
might exist between the palatial cultures.

Closure: Students will be asked to present these charts to the other students and then we will go through the images of the
Grave Circles, Tholos Tombs, and the Chamber tombs. We will discuss our observations as a class.
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Taylor, William. The Mycenaeans, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1983).
Formative Assessment Four
15 pts. Instructions: Please create a chart that identifies the characteristics of the Mycenaean Circle Graves, Tholos Tombs, and
Chamber Tombs. Once you have created a chart with these three categories, identify the time period in which the tombs were created,
the building materials used to create them, and how these graves reflect Bronze Age cultural practices.
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Grade Level: Pre-service Education Students
Duration: 50-60 minutes
Lesson Five
Pottery Evidence and Relative Dating during the Late Bronze Age
Lesson Objective: Students analyze the role of relative dating in providing archeologists with mechanisms to categorize and date their
finds. Students will analyze the pottery chronology and the rich resources available for studying the past through relative
chronologies.
Learning Objectives:
 Students identify the problems with hard dating in historical studies.
 Students determine the role of stratigraphy in helping archeologists to date artifacts.
 Students analyze potential problems with stratigraphy and evaluate relative dating as a potential solution.
 Students analyze the relative dating system using Greek pottery.
 Students utilize their knowledge of the relative dating to analyze photographs and images of different pottery styles.
 Students debate the strengths and weaknesses of relative dating.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson fulfills NCSS Standards I, II, and IX. Students analyze the problematic nature of hard dating systems.
Students debate the strengths and weaknesses of relative dating system that serves as the chronological outline for discussions about
Bronze Age Greece. Students will be encouraged to analyze the different kinds of mechanism used to measure time.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: Students identify all the different types of dating systems they can think of at the beginning of class.
Students analyze how we can study the past when the time tables we use to ‘divide time’ conflict with one another. Students
are encouraged to recognize that our conceptions of time are social constructions created within our own cultural systems.

Lesson Body: Students read a short article discussing the problems with hard dating for the ancient historian. Teacher leads
the students in a short discussion about stratigraphy and the relative chronologies created in association with the mapping of
archeological artifacts. Students will be asked to answer some reading questions and join in a short discussion about relative
chronologies.

Students will then be asked to create a chart that includes the periods of Greek pottery production with a particular emphasis
on the Late Bronze Age. The students will work in groups to create a chart that identifies the most common characteristics
associated with each period of Greek pottery. Students will be asked to begin to look at Bronze Age history from this relative
dating perspective.

As a class, the students will look at several stations of photographs that represent the transitions from one stage of Greek
pottery to the next. Teacher should move throughout the room to make sure that the students stay on track as they move
through the images together.


Students will also be asked to examine the terracotta figurines and other archeological artifacts found next two the pottery
during the Late Bronze Age. Students are encouraged to make connections between these artifacts and the dating systems.
Closure:
Students will be asked to evaluate the role of pottery and relative dating in our historical studies. Students will be asked at
the end of class to debate whether relative dating is a reliable method of organizing our understandings of the past.
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Dartmouth Projectsx Website found at http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/classics/history.bronzeage.lesson 24.
Higgins, Reynolds. Minoan and Mycenaean Art. (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Taylor, William. The Mycenaeans, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1983).
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Grade Level: Pre-service Education Students
Duration: 50-60 minutes
Lesson Six
Tiryns-Late Bronze Age Citadel
Lesson Objective: Students will analyze the similarities and differences between the Mycenaean and the Tiryns citadels.
Learning Objectives:
 Students identify the physical features and characteristics of the Tiryns citadel.
 Students identify the similarities and differences between the structure of the Mycenaean and Tiryns citadels.
 Students analyze the purpose of the Tiryns citadel.
 Students identify the major features of the Bronze Age palace at Tiryns.
 Students analyze the Ashlar and the Cyclopean construction found in the citadel and palace.
 Students utilize the site maps and identify the major features of the palace at Tiryns.
 Students analyze the political, social, and economic relationship between Mycenae and Tiryns.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson fulfills NCSS Standards V, VI, and VIII. Students will analyze the role of the citadel and palatial
structure at Tiryns. Students will be asked to suggest whether this was predominately a defensive site or whether it provided the
neighboring cities with a valuable trading partner and seaport. Students will be asked to begin to think about the nature of power,
politics, and economics in the Bronze Age.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: Students will be asked to read a short introductory source that describes the characteristics of the Tiryns
citadel. Students then compare the Mycenaean and the Tiryns citadels, while creating a list of the similarities and differences
between the two cities.

Lesson Body: Students will receive a handout with an explanation of the palace structure and a site map. They will be asked
to utilize the secondary source and the site map to create a list of common features of the Mycenaean and Tiryns palatial
structures.

Then I will ask the students to move throughout the room and view the images of each part of the citadel and palatial
structure. Students will be asked to move throughout the room and identify each image based upon their previous knowledge
from the Mycenaean site. Students should try to draw inferences between these two citadels and palatial structures. These
two cities appear to have served different purposes in the Bronze Age trading networks. Students should be asked to draw
these conclusions.

As a group students should come together and compare images between these two palatial structures. Students should debate
the similarities and differences of the two sites.
Closure:
 Students should read the Dartmouth article and answer the following prompt, “Do you believe that the Mycenaean and the
Tiryns palace had a dependent or a subordinate relationship? Were Tiryns and Mycenae independent palatial centers in a
trade network or was Tiryns a subordinate to Mycenae?”
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Dartmouth Projectsx Website found at http://projectsx.dartmouth.edu/classics/history.bronzeage.lesson 24.
Iakovidis, S.E. Argos, Tiryns, Nauplion. (Athens: Ekdotike Athenon, 2002).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Taylor, William. The Mycenaeans, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1983).
Formative Assessment Number Six
Instructions: Please move throughout the room observing the photographic images. Identify the following features of the Tiryns site
from these images.
The Cyclopean ramp
The corbel vaulted niche
Cyclopean masonry
The corbel vaulted gallery
The Main Gate
The Outer Courtyard
The Great Propylon
The Guard House
The Archive Room
The Great Megaron
The Central Courtyard
The Bathroom
The Small Megaron
The Remains of Houses
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Grade Level: Pre-service Education Students
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Lesson Seven
Late Bronze Age Frescoes-What can they tell us about life
in ancient Pylos, Tiryns, and Mycenae?
Lesson Objective: Students will analyze the characteristics of Late Bronze Age frescoes found in multiple palatial sites to determine
their similarities and differences. Students will also be asked to identify features of daily life in the Late Bronze Age from these
frescoes.
Learning Objectives:
 Students identify the characteristics of frescoes as an artistic medium.
 Students identify the major palatial centers in the Greek Bronze Age.
 Students identify the similarities and differences in the frescoes presented.
 Students analyze the frescoes to see if they can determine how they reflect the values or mores of those living during the Late
Bronze Age.
 Students analyze the relationship between the different palatial sites through their art. Students should debate the reasons for
similarities and differences between the palatial frescoes.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson covers NCSS Standards V, VII, and I. The students will analyze the Late Bronze Age aesthetic and
will continue to look at the diffusion of cultural, social, and political values throughout this region. Students will be asked to question
to relationship between these palatial centers.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: Students identify the characteristics of the fresco medium. Students will be asked to identify the process
by which frescos are created and preserved in the ancient world. They will be provided with a written source that introduces
them to frescoes and how they are preserved. We will read them as a class and answer questions in groups regarding frescoes
as an art form.

Lesson Body: Students will be handed a source that explains the fresco technique and its significance in the Late Bronze
Age. Students will be asked to answer questions related to this source as individuals.

Students will identify the similarities and differences of Mycenean and Minoan frescoes. Students should provide an
explanation of the subjects, techniques, colors, and the purposes of the frescoes.

Students will examine the images of each fresco as a group. As a group we will discuss the similarities and differences
between the different palatial frescoes and then I will ask the students to analyze how the frescoes represent men and women.

Students will then be asked to analyze how the frescoes reflect daily life in Bronze Age Mycenae, Tiryns, and Pylos.
Closure:
 Students will be asked to answer the following prompt, “Do the common artistic elements of the frescoes found in these three
palatial sites reflect a social, political, or economic reality in the Late Bronze Age?” Each of these prompts will assist them
as they go to write their final assessment.
Resources:
Chadwick, John. The Mycenaean World, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1976).
Higgins, Reynolds. Minoan and Mycenaean Art. (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997).
Formative Assessment Seven
1) What are the common artistic elements related to any fresco? How are frescoes created?
2) What are the two types of frescoes that we see in the Late Bronze Age? How can we tell the difference between these
two styles from their pigments?
3) What are the different palatial locations where fresco fragments have been found in the Late Bronze Age?
4) Where did the artists and artisans of the Greek Mainland inherit their fresco style from?
5) How did artists determine the different kinds of subjects in their work?
6) Are there any differences between the styles used in different regions during the Late Bronze Age?
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Grade Level: Pre-service Education Students
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Lesson Eight
The Palace of Nestor, A Leader in Trade During the Late Bronze Age
Lesson Objective: Students will analyze the Palace of Nestor and its leadership role in fostering the trade networks surrounding the
Bay of Navarino.
Instructional Objectives:
 Students identify the historical evolution of the excavations at the Palace of Nestor.
 Students identify the similarities and differences between the Palace of Nestor, Tiryns, and Mycenae.
 Students analyze the physical layout of the Palace of Nestor and suggest a potential explanation for its open design.
 Students analyze the images of the Palace of Nestor and identify the characteristics of the Late Bronze Age palace in
photographs.
 Students suggest a possible explanation for the social, economic, and political organization of the palatial centers during the
Late Bronze Age.
Lesson Rationale: This lesson explores NCSS Standards VI, VII, VIII, and IX. Students examine the structure and design of the
Palace of Nestor to determine its social, political, and economic role in the Greek Bronze Age.
Instructional Sequence:
 Anticipatory Set: Students will be asked to share their conclusions about the relationship between Tiryns, Mycenae, and
Nestor’s Palace from the previous lessons. Students should have some firm convictions by this point regarding their
perspectives. I will ask the students to identify their perspectives and to get into groups after they have self-identified their
thesis.

Students will read two short articles about Nestor’s palace. It should become clear to them that this was a major center of
trade during this time period. At this point, the teacher will ask them to use the archeological evidence, historical evidence,
photographic evidence, and artistic evidence to prove their thesis regarding the relationship between Nestor’s Palace and the
other Late Bronze Age palatial structures.

Students will have approximately twenty minutes to draw together their research from previous class periods, then the teacher
should hand them the source treating the Pylos Linear B tablets for their further research. The students should identify the
types of trade items and trading networks identified by the Pylos Linear B tablets.

Students should report their discoveries back to their group. Students should support their opinions with research they have
collected over the entire unit. Students should be allowed to use whatever evidence they feel supports their perspective and
prepare a short summary of their most important arguments.
Closure:
 Students engage in a class debate and discuss the relationship between the Bronze Age palatial sites. After the debate,
students will be given two or three additional articles to choose from for their summative assessment. The students will be
asked to write a response paper of a 6 to 8 pages length that utilizes the archeology, art, artifacts, and historical sources
provided in class. Students will respond to this prompt, “What was the relationship between the palatial centers of Tiryns,
Mycenae, and the Palace of Nestor during the Late Bronze Age?”
Resources:
Baltas, Charaeambos. The Palace of Nestor. (Athens: Dimitrous N. Papadimas, 1990).
Mylonas, George. Mycenae and the Mycenaean Age, (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 1966).
Shelmerdine, Cynthia. “Review of Aegean Prehistory VI: The Palatial Bronze Age of the Southern and Central Greek Mainland,” 101
(3), American Journal of Archeology, 1997, p. 537-585.
Taylor, William. The Mycenaeans, (London: Thames and Hudson, 1983).
Wright, James C. and Palaima, Thomas. “Ins and Outs of the Archives at Pylos: Form and Function in a Mycenaean Palace,” 89 (2)
American Journal of Archeology, 1985, p. 251-262.
Courtesy of Micki Abercrombie, Montana State University-Bozeman, Doctoral Candidate