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BRYN MAWR COLLEGE
Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology 209:
The Evolution of Civilization in the Aegean
last revised 09/01/01--subject to change weekly
SYLLABUS
READINGS (Bold are Required Reading and on Reserve in Carpenter, * to consult for
discussion)
1. The Geological Background and Palaeolithic Greece [Sept 3, 5, 7]
Rutter: CHRONOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, LESSON 1
* Higgins, Michael D. and Reynold Higgins, A Geological Companion to Greece and the
Aegean. Cornell 1996.
Jacobsen, Thomas W. 1976. "17,000 Years of Greek Prehistory." Scientific American
(1976): 76-86.
Runnels, Curtis. 1995. "Review of Aegean Prehistory IV: The Stone Age of Greece from
the Palaeolithic to the Advent of the Neolithic." AJA 99, (1995): 699-728.
* Roebroeks, W. and T. van Kolfschoten 1984, The Earliest Occupation of Europe: A Short
Chronology, Antiquity 68, (1984): 489-503.
2. Colonization and the Origins of Sedentarism: Mesolithic Problems
[Sept 10, 12, 14]
Rutter: LESSON 1
Jacobsen, Thomas W. 1976. "17,000 Years of Greek Prehistory." Scientific American
(1976): 76-86.
Van Andel, Tjeerd H. and J.C. Shackleton. 1982. "Late Palaeolithic and Mesolithic
Coastlines of Greece and the Aegean." JFA 9, (1982): 445-454.
Broodbank, Cyprian, and Thomas F. Strasser. 1991. "Migrant Farmers and the
Neolithic Colonization of Crete." Antiquity 65, (1991): 233-245.
* Cherry, J.F. 1981. "Pattern and Process in the Earliest Colonisation of the Mediterranean
Islands." PPS 47, (1981):.41-68. Update in Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 1990.
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3. Early Agricultural Communities: Neolithic Greece [Sept 17, 19, 21]
Rutter: LESSON 2
Rodden, Robert J. 1965. "An Early Neolithic Village in Greece." Scientific American
(1965): 83-92.
* Demoule, Jean-Paul, and Catherine Perlès. 1993. "The Greek Neolithic: A New Review."
Journal of World Prehistory 7, (1993): 355-416. Highly recommended for its thoughtful and
up-to-date summary.
Papathanasopoulos, George. 1996. Neolithic Culture in Greece. Athens. Look through
this book. It has many up-to-date essays, plans and pictures.
*Andreou, Stelios, Michael Fotiadis, and Kostas Kotsakis. 1996. "The Neolithic and Bronze
Age of Northern Greece." AJA 100, (1996): 537-597.
*Catherine Perles "Systems of Exchange and Organization of Production in Neolithic
Greece", Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 5, (1992): 115-162.
Questions to consider with the reading:

Were agriculture and pastoralism independently invented in Greece or were they
introduced? Or is the problem more complex than that?

What are the difference between Neolithic settlement in Central and Northern
Greece and that of Southern Greece? What factors do you think account for thes
differences?

What is the evidence for production and exchange during the Neolithic? How
important are they in effecting change?
4. Women, Matriarchy and Mother Goddesses [Sept 24, 26, 28]
See Assignment page
4.1. The issue of matriarchy and the "Ur"- mother-goddess in popular culture:
4.2. Methodological issues in the interpretation of material culture
4.3. Ethnography and gender
5. Early Bronze Age and the Origins of Civilization [Oct 1, 3, 5]
Rutter: LESSONS 3, 4, 7, 8
Cyprian Broodbank, 1989. "The Longboat and Society in the Cyclades in the KerosSyros Culture, AJA 85, (1989), 318-337.
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SEE NOW: Cyprian Broodbank, An Island Archaeology of the Early Cyclades. Cambridge
2001.
6. The Evolution of a Complex Society: The Protopalatial Period in Crete
[Oct 8, 10, 12]
Rutter: LESSONS 5, 6, 10
* Watrous, L. Vance, "Review of Aegean Prehistory: Crete from Earliest Prehistory through
the Palatial Period", AJA 98, (1994): 695-753
Whitelaw, Todd M. "The settlement at Fournou Koriphi Myrtos and aspects of Early
Minoan social organisation", IN Krzyszkowska, O., and L. Nixon, eds. Minoan Society.
Proceedings of the Cambridge Colloquium 1981. Bristol 1983, pp. 333-363.
* Peatfield, A.A.D. "Minoan Peak Sanctuaries: History and Society", Opuscula Atheniensis
18, (1990): 117-132.
Paper 1: DUE Friday, October 12, 5:00 p.m. See Assignment Page
FALL BREAK!!! from end of last class on Friday, Oct 12 through 21
Thursday, October 15 for discussion and review
7. Questions of Statehood: The Neopalatial period in Crete [Oct 22, 24, 26]
Rutter: LESSONS 12-15
* Cherry, John F. "Polities and palaces: some problems in Minoan state formation", in
Renfrew, Colin and John Cherry. 1986. Peer Polity Interaction and Socio-political Change.
New York: Cambridge University Press. Pp. 19-45.
J. McEnroe, "A Typology of Minoan Neopalatial Houses", AJA 86, (1982): 3-19.
Watrous, L.V. 1984 "Ayia Triada: A New Perspective on the Minoan Villa," AJA 88,
(1984): 123-134.
8. Buying into a Good Thing: Minoan Expansion in the Aegean
[Oct 29, 31, Nov 2]
Rutter: LESSONS 17, 18
Davis, Jack L. 1979. "Minos and Dexithea: Crete and the Cyclades in the Later Bronze
Age." Davis, Jack L. and John F. Cherry, eds., Papers in Cycladic Prehistory. UCLA
Monograph 4. Los Angeles: Institute of Archaeology. Pp. 143-157.
* Schofield, E. 1982 "The Western Cyclades and Crete: A 'Special Relationship,'" OJA 1,
(1982): 9-25.
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Paper 2: DUE Friday, November 1, 5:00 p.m. See Assignment page.
9. Secondary State Formation: The Origins of the Mycenaeans [Nov 5, 7, 9]
Rutter: LESSONS 9, 16, 19
* Rutter, J. B. "Review of Aegean Prehistory, II: Rutter, Jeremy B. The Prepalatial Bronze
Age of the Southern and Central Greek Mainland." AJA 97, (1993): 745-797.
* Graziadio, G. "The Process of Social Stratification at Mycenae in the Shaft Grave Period,"
AJA 95, (1991):403-440.
Wright, James C. "From Chief to King in Mycenaean Greece", The Role of the Ruler
in the Prehistoric Aegean. Aegaeum 11. Paul Rehak, ed. Liège 1995. Pp. 63-80.
10. Feasting and Drinking in Minoan and Mycenaean Society [Nov 12, 14, 16]
Dietler, Michael. "Driven to Drink: The Role of Drinking in the Political Economy and
the Case of Early Iron Age France", Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 9, (1990):
358-72.
Wright, James. "Empty Cups and Empty Jugs: The Social Role of Wine in Minoan and
Mycenaean Society" in The Origins and Ancient History of Wine, P. McGovern, S.
Fleming and S. Katz, eds . New York: Gordon and Breach, 1995. Pp. 287-309.
11. Peer Polity States: Mycenaean Palace Society [Nov. 19, 21]
Rutter: LESSONS 20-22,24-26
* Shelmerdine, Cynthia W. "Review of Aegean Prehistory, VI: The Palatial Bronze Age of
the Southern and Central Greek Mainland. AJA 101, (1997): 537-585.
Paper 3: DUE Friday, November 30, 5:00 p.m.
12. Systems Collapse: The End of the Palace Society [Nov 26, 28, 30]
Rutter LESSONS 23, 27, 28
* Drews, Robert. The End of the Bronze Age: changes in warfare and the catastrophe ca.
1200 B.C. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. 1992.
* Sandars, Nancy K. The Sea Peoples : warriors of the ancient Mediterranean, 1250-1150
B.C. London: Thames and Hudson. 1978.
* Ward, William A. and Martha Sharp Joukowsky, eds. The Crisis years : the 12th century
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B.C. : from beyond the Danube to the Tigris. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt. 1992.
13. Recession and the Return to Village and Hamlet Communities
[Dec. 3, 5, 7]
Rutter LESSON 29
* Reading as in Week 12.
Paper 4: DUE Friday, December 7, 5:00 p.m.
The last day of classes is Friday, December 14 which we will hold for discussion and review.
ON THIS DAY ALL FINAL WRITTEN WORK WILL BE DUE.
THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSIONS.