Premier’s Westfield History Scholarship
Bringing the Bronze Age to Life in the
Classroom
Vicky Zinopoulos
MLC School, Burwood
Sponsored by
Introduction
One of the greatest challenges in teaching the Stage 6 Ancient History Syllabus is to create a
learning environment that allows students to explore the richness of the ancient world rather
than simply read about the descriptions in a textbook. Of course the only way to immerse oneself
in the past is to visit the sites themselves, but as a student in Year 12 that is somewhat
impossible. Similarly as a teacher of Ancient History it is essential to have hands on experience
with the original source, but yet again one cannot always travel to the sites that we teach about.
Despite new developments in pedagogy, it seems that when we teach Stage 6 Ancient History we
tend to fall back to basic; content based, teacher centred activities. This is partly because of time
constraints, but also because we feel compelled to teach to format due to pressures of the HSC
year. For safety, we tend to focus on textbooks as our main teaching resource. While there is a
wealth of information on the Internet, finding what is most appropriate and specific for our topic
can be tedious at best. Also accessibility to such technology is not always available. Consequently,
gone is the joy of experiential learning and welcome to chalk and talk and questions-answer
activities, which of course does little to bring Ancient History to life.
The challenge is how to make the past real for students in Stage 6 Ancient History? How can we
generate energy and reality in our teaching practice? How can we bring the past to life in the
classroom, so that students aren’t just paraphrasing textbook information but rather experiencing
the actual archaeology and understanding the changes, the influences and the people of the past
by drawing in-depth conclusions from the actual physical sources?
My scholarship centred on visiting the sites, collecting and creating a variety of visual resources
for teaching Bronze Age Greek Societies. These resources will include virtual tours, visual
galleries and related student centred activities. These resources are designed to compliment and
supplement current textbooks and online sites on Mycenaean Society and also to be flexible for
students and teachers to use as part of their school’s program and to cater for different learning
styles. Above all, my aim is to create interest and a love of life long learning by allowing students
to explore and learn using technology.
The Focus of the Study
The primary focus of the study was to collect visual resources on Bronze Age sites in Greece and
Turkey that could then be used to develop teaching resources for the Stage 6 Ancient History
Syllabus – Bronze Age Greek Societies, with an emphasis on Mycenaean Society. My study tour
also allowed me to survey a variety of additional sites and collect resources that could be used to
develop and supplement additional units of work, such as case studies for the Preliminary
Ancient History course. In collecting resources I concentrated on assessing what was available
and accessible for teaching the syllabus outcomes and also concentrated on collecting material
that would provide both depth and breadth in the scope of developing materials in the future as
well as enriching the current text resources.
The areas I visited included Athens, the Mycenaean sites of Mycenae, Tiryns, Argos, Lerna, Pylos,
Orchomenos, Gla, and the burial sites of Volomidia. I also spent time in Crete, and collected
resources from the sites of Knossos, Phaistos, Agia Triadha, Gournia, as well as the finds from
the site of Akrotiri in Santorini. As part of the overall study I was also able to travel to the key
areas of Olympia, Delphi, Vergina, the new Acropolis Museum, as well as Troy in Turkey.
The MLC School Burwood has an established and progressive ICT program. Working in a laptop
based school, the scholarship will allow me to use the information technology available and
integrate ICT skills and CD-ROM based resources as teaching tools for differentiated activities
that students can access via laptop. We currently incorporate ICT in our teaching of the
Yr 12 syllabus through online units of work. These have proven to be very beneficial and
highly engaging for the students. With the collection and collation of visual material, the
scholarship will allow me to develop CD-ROM units of work that will focus on the
archaeology of the site as the basis of students’ learning about the ancient societies.
Through the development of teaching and learning resources that incorporate visual
galleries and virtual tours concentrating on the key content areas of the syllabus, students
will be able to analyse, apply and evaluate the material available in context of the
evidence and draw conclusions about the societies from the sources themselves. This in
turn, I hope will generate interest in and accessibility for teaching the Bronze Age option
with a greater emphasis on student centred learning. I plan to make available to teachers
in the near future the CD-ROM of the resources through the NSW History Teachers’
Association.
The Archaeology of Bronze Age Greek Societies
The key sites for teaching Mycenaean Society are Mycenae, Pylos and Tiryns. They are by
far the best preserved of the ancient citadels which lend themselves to the creation of
virtual tours to highlight the common architectural features of the palace structures, their
sheer scale as well as allowing students an opportunity to embrace the archaeology in
order to draw conclusions as to the societies development and relative prosperity.
Mycenae, located on the Argolid plain is the best preserved of the sites for students to
understand the concept and importance of an acropolis. It is also the biggest tourist
drawcard of the Bronze Age sites making it a challenge to collect uninterrupted footage.
Mycenae’s cyclopean walls and the grand walkway leading up to the centre of the citadel
highlight the defensive features of the site. Clearly visible is the imposing and majestic
Lion Gate with its monolith columns and lintel, post-holes from the wooden gate that
would have barred the entrance still discernable as is the niche or guard house, whose
function is still debated. On camera the grandeur of the structure against the rugged
backdrop of the scenery and mountainous landscape clearly demonstrates to the student
the importance of the sites geographical location and its importance within the
Mycenaean world at the time. Beautifully maintained is also Grave Circle A within its
walls, as is the original wall of the site, demonstrating change over time. Unfortunately
the palace structure, the megaron and central hearth, the prodomos and courtyard were
covered for conservation works and access through that area was barred.
There was also significant work being undertaken on the houses and storage areas within
the structure. Speaking with the archaeologists on site, they informed me that while the
tourist industry was obviously beneficial for the continued interest and funding for
maintenance, the constant movement through the fragile spaces off the path had taken
its toll on the surrounding structures. At present their focus is preservation and they are
in the process of securing the foundations of the House of Columns. I was also informed
that they might consider restricting access to sections of the citadel in order to protect
the limited and fragile foundations in certain areas of the site. In recent years they have
constructed a cement path instead of visitors climbing ancient stairs as a means of
limiting tourist traffic.
The Northern Extension and Northern Gate also offered much opportunity to collect
resources on the development of engineering skills and examples of economic growth in
the society. Taking 360 degree footage, students can see the development of the citadel
in the LHIIIB period and recognise key features as presented in their textbooks.
Structures such as the Sally Port and underground cistern point to the defensive nature
of the site and possible provisions for siege warfare, while the use of engineering
techniques such as corbelling, allows students to draw comparisons between the sites and
thus develop clear conclusions directly from the archaeological source.
Walking through the site of Mycenae one understands that the citadel was without doubt
a working community. The number of workshops within the site interconnected with
narrow corridors supports the notion that the citadel was a commercial centre for the
area. The relationship between these structures and the palace structure within the citadel
is a difficult concept for students to understand without visual representation and aid of
video footage. The virtual tour should allow students to gain a clearer understanding of
the various structures within the citadel and also link these features with similar aspects
from the other Mycenaean citadels. Consequently students can use the archaeology to
draw conclusions about the function of citadels, palaces and workshops and make
deductions concerning the everyday life of Mycenaeans, including social and
administrative structures, their economy and the importance of trade.
Equally impressive are the Tholos tombs at Mycenae; the Treasury of Atreus, the Tomb
of Clytemnestra and Grave Circle B. These structures are excellent examples of
Mycenaean burial practices. Together with footage from a variety of burial sites
throughout mainland Greece and their corresponding artefacts, one can document and
present to students through a visual gallery the development of burial practices in the
Bronze Age from Pit graves, to Chamber tombs and moving to the elaborate Tholos
tombs. Students can thus link the development to burial practices to the increasing
economic prosperity and engineering development of the society.
The site of Tiryns is the least best preserved of the three main Mycenaean sites but still
offers an excellent opportunity to collect resources that will allow students to compare
and contrast the function and purpose of citadels and draw conclusions about the nature
of the society. Walking up to the citadel the cyclopean wall is an impressive site against
the virtually flat terrain. In fact the site seems out of place when viewing it from the
roadside. It is not until you reach the top of the citadel that you understand its prominent
location, within a sea of fertile plains flanked by high mountains on either side, and the
Bay of Nafplion, the key harbour for the area, only 4 km from the citadel. Tiryns was
strategically located to take advantage of its natural resources and for its access to trade
routes.
Tiryns has similar defensive features to Mycenae. Its cyclopean walls date to the LHIIIB
period and it too has an inconspicuous exit point. The palace is accessed via a steep and
narrow ramped corridor leading towards the remains of an impressive gate “Monumental
Gateway” of which only the monolithic supporting columns remain. There is again a
large niche on the inside of the gateway. Moving into the structure you realise that in
comparison to Mycenae, perhaps Tiryns had a different function. There are two features
of the citadel that stand out in contrast to other sites. The palace has two discernable
hearths and a bathroom. Using the visual resources student can analyse the function and
purpose of these features to consider issues such as class structures, water technologies,
the use of palaces and the function of Tiryns as a site in comparison to other citadels.
The best preserved of the palaces was Pylos as it was excavated in the post war period.
The Greek Cultural authorities have maintained the site’s foundations by covering it with
an open-air roof, thus preserving this once most important Mycenaean site on the
western coast of the Peloponnese. This has been possible as the palace is situated on a
flatter acropolis with the absence of cyclopean walls. Pylos is an excellent example of
Mycenaean palace architecture. Clearly laid out and labelled, students can clearly discern
each room in the palace complex and from their features draw conclusions about
Mycenaean political, religious and economic structures.
With the aid of a virtual gallery, students enter the site through the prodomos, where
they can see its column bases and
corridors leading to the administrative
areas of the palace. The key features of
the site include the “Waiting Room” and
“Pantry” (in which were found over
6000 kylixes), the extremely well
preserved megaron with the central
hearth where the coloured fresco around
its base can still be seen and the
bathroom with bathtub in tact.
Furthermore towards the rear of the
Fragment of a fresco from Pylos, (Chora Museum)
palace are 3 wonderfully preserved oil
magazines, which still have bases of the
enormous pithoi burnt into the foundations of the stone benches on which they rested.
Also of interest is the fact that Pylos has a second megaron with a much smaller but still
well preserved hearth. These archaeological sources point to the fact that clearly Pylos
was once an important political and economic centre. As the palace was destroyed by
fire, fuelled by the vast quantity of oil stored in the complex, many of the clay artefacts
within the palace were preserved and can now be found in the small museum in Chora.
The Chora museum stores a fascinating display of artefacts from Pylos and also the
surrounding burial grounds of Volimidia. Displays include examples of bronze and gold
items from Pylos’ palace workshops, examples of Linear B tablets, a vast array of ritual
and everyday pottery examples and exquisite wall frescoes that once adorned the
megaron at Pylos.
Along with the actual palaces and burial sites there was an opportunity to visit a large
range of museums that house many of the Bronze Age Mycenaean finds. The key
displays are to be found in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, the site
museum at Mycenae and the Chora museum. These museums have well referenced
exhibits that cover the range of thematic areas studied such as daily life, religion,
administration, economy, death and burial. The wealth of artefacts found provide
opportunity for students to discuss in detail the function and purpose of these items in
context, and for them to link these ideas with an analysis of the primary sites in order to
develop a comprehensive understanding of Mycenaean Society.
My study tour also allowed me to understand the sheer scope and spread of Mycenaean
Society throughout the Greek mainland. The Athens Agora Museum had a very
interesting display of burial artefacts (kterismata) from Late Mycenaean graves in the
area. The examples recorded demonstrate the development of burial techniques and
importance of ritual in religious practice. This
was further demonstrated by the large number
of votive offerings found at the sites of
Ancient Olympia and Delphi. It was surprising to see so many examples of everyday
Mycenaean life at these sites as they are usually associated with Classical Greece. I was
able to collect excellent examples of grave goods from these areas, including images of a
Mycenaean pit grave in the middle of the ancient Olympic site, showing the spread of
Mycenaean communities beyond the main centres.
Other than the main cultural centres there are a number of additional sites that should be
considered to provide students with an understanding of scope, sequence and change
in Mycenaean society. Although poorly preserved, Orchomenos and Gla are excellent
earlier examples of Mycenaean citadels and alternative palace structures. These sites also
highlight the crucial impact of agriculture in the development of Bronze Age economy.
There is also evidence of Mycenaean influence in north-western Greece at Dodonis,
where the cult centre of Zeus was used as early as 2000BC. Furthermore graves dotted
around both the Peloponnese and Attica, have unearthed many artefacts that are further
evidence of religion, social customs, art styles and cultural practice.
The site of Troy in Turkey and the related artefacts at Istanbul’s
Archaeological
Museum
Throne Room
at Knossos (reconstructed)
also demonstrate the influence that the Greek Bronze Age world had on its neighbours.
The terracotta and bronze items found within the site of Troy point clearly to the trade
links between the Mycenaeans and their Aegean neighbours. While the site of Akrotiri on
the island of Santorini was unfortunately still closed to the public, there is still a well
stocked display of finds from the Early Mycenaean site at both the National
Archaeological Museum in Athens and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera in Santorini.
The current display of finds in Thera, traces the development of both artistic and
technological skill from the Early Helladic to Middle Helladic period. Again there are also
excellent examples of trade and cross-cultural influences from mainland societies and
also further from Crete and even Egypt.
Crete’s main Minoan sites provide a clear developmental link between the Minoan and
Mycenaean worlds, and the Bronze Age societies of the Aegean and Mediterranean basin.
The sites of Knossos and Phaistos provide excellent opportunity for students to develop
a comprehensive understanding of palace societies. Both palaces are well preserved,
Knossos being reconstructed, where students can tour the sites to gain detailed
information on both the form and function of the palaces as the central sources of
information on the nature of Minoan societies.
In comparison, the site of Gournia, a defined trading town allows students to see a
differentiation of sites dependant on the nature of trade and government structure.
Unfortunately due to strike action in Crete during my visit many of the museums and
sites were not accessible and thus limited the opportunity to collect resources. The
archaeological museum in Heraklion was currently undergoing major renovations, but
still displayed the key finds of the period in a smaller area. These included artefacts such
as the Phaistos Disc, Agia Triadha Sarcophagus and beautifully decorated frescoes from
Knossos.
Conclusion
Based on the research undertaken on the study tour it is clear that there is an enormous
amount of archaeological resource available for teaching the Greek Bronze Age for the
Studies of Society option in the Yr 12 course. The opportunity to visit the key sites and
small regional museums has allowed me to collect materials that can be collated into
resource pods for they key learning areas in the syllabus.
The nature of these Bronze Age sites allows teachers to generate units of work around
the archaeology rather than the content. By using the artefacts as a starting point for their
learning, it enables students to reach their own conclusions and verify and support these
with text material. Using the citadels as the primary and initial learning focus, students
can tour of each of the key sites and use the archaeology to generate historical questions,
acquire knowledge and understanding of the developments of these societies through a
detailed exploration of the artefacts remaining from the period. The use of primary
archaeological evidence will also provide students with the opportunity to develop more
comprehensive understanding of the societies by incorporating description and analysis
of the artefacts and source materials in their written discussions, thus producing more
analytical and differentiated responses that demonstrate both depth and detail of the
period.
This is a unique opportunity to use ICT as a primary learning tool in the Stage 6 syllabus,
to meld the ancient past with the modern future and to create opportunities for students
to think creatively and analytically, to extract content and make links to wider historical
issues as well as the contemporary world. By developing these units of work, I hope to
provide access to a range of resources in a life like way, making the ancient world
accessible to the students and hopefully bring the past to life in the classroom.