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BRYN MAWR COLLEGE
Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology 209

The Evolution of Civilization in the Aegean:
agricultural origins, villages and craft specialization, states and
civilization on the mainland of Greece, among the Aegean islands,
and along the western coast of Turkey.

2001, Fall Semester MWF 10:00-11:00 a.m. Carpenter 15
Instructor: Professor James C. Wright Office: Thomas 227
Tel: 610-526-5340 Email: jwright@brynmawr.edu
Office hours: MWF 11:00-12:00 or by appointment (sign up sheet on office door)

Description: An introduction to the pre- and protohistoric human societies in the Aegean basin (western coast of Turkey, Aegean islands, mainland of Greece). We will explore such well-known sites as Troy, Mycenae, and Knossos. The course will proceed chronologically beginning with the evidence for human occupation during the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, Neolithic cultures, the Early, Middle and Late Bronze Ages. We will consider the following topics: colonisation of the islands; the origins ofagriculture and villages; the emergence of craft production and exchange; spheres of interaction throughout the Aegean basin and beyond; the evolution of the Minoan and Mycenaean state-level societies; their collapse and the conditions which led to the formation of the historic Greek period of city states. Methodological approaches will be comparative drawing upon examples from the Near East and the New World. A special session will explore the role of women, theories of matriarchy and the "mother goddess".

Method and Goals: This course will combine lectures and discussion. Each week will focus on a particular theme and, after an introductory slide lecture, at least one hour will be devoted to discussion of assigned reading and topics.

The goals of this course are (1) to teach students to think critically about the material evidence of the human past, (2) to learn to write analytically on topics that illustrate the methods by which archaeologists interpret the past, and (3) to explore interests and major themes through group discussion.

Required Work: Core reading assignments is a web-based text by Prof. Jeremy Rutter of Dartmouth College and a collection of articles on reserve. Individual and group participation in discussion will be required. Writing assignments will consist of a four essays on a choice of assigned topics and readings that through case studies specific to the Aegean explore issues of method, theory and the interpretation of archaeological data. The special sessions will include group assignments for discussion and a written summary. There will be periodic quizzes covering important material and a final examination

Prerequisites: Anthropology 101 or Archaeology 101.

Topics by Week:

1. The Geological Background and Palaeolithic Greece
2. Colonization and the Origins of Sedentarism: Mesolithic Problems
3. Early Agricultural Communities: Neolithic Greece
4. Women, Matriarchy and Mother Goddesses
5. Early Bronze Age and the Origins of Civilization
6. The Evolution of a Complex Society: The Protopalatial Period in Crete
7. Questions of Statehood: The Neopalatial period in Crete
8. Buying into a Good Thing: Minoan Expansion in the Aegean
9. Secondary State Formation: The Origins of the Mycenaeans
10. Feasting and Drinking in Mycenaean Society
11. Peer Polity States: Mycenaean Palace Society
12. Systems Collapse: The End of the Palace Society
13. Recession and the Return to Village and Hamlet Communities