Mycenaean Greece and the Aegean world: palace and province in the late Bronze Age

"In this book, Kramer-Hajos examines the Euboean Gulf region in central Greece to explain its flourishing during the post-palatial period. Providing a social and political history of the region in the Late Bronze Age, she focuses on the interactions between this 'provincial' coastal area and the core areas where the Mycenaean palaces were located. Drawing on network and agency theory, two current and highly effective methodologies in prehistoric Mediterranean archaeology, Kramer-Hajos argues that the Euboean Gulf region thrived when it was part of a decentralized coastal and maritime network, and declined when it was incorporated in a highly centralized mainland-looking network. Her research and analysis contributes new insights to our understanding of the mechanics and complexity of the Bronze Age Aegean collapse"-- Editor.

"Not so long ago, the Euboean Gulf area ... was seen as rather marginal to the study of Mycenaean culture and archaeology: although the site of Lefkandi, excavated in the 1960s, had provided unexpected evidence of a thriving LH IIIC settlement, Lefkandi seemed the exception in a region otherwise unknown for its Mycenaean remains. In recent years this has changed, with excavations at Mitrou informing us about the earlier Mycenaean phases, and those at Kynos confirming the importance of the LH IIIC period and the transition to the Early Iron Age in the Euboean Gulf area"-- Editor.

1. Introduction to the region and theoretical approaches -- 2. The ethos of the sword : the creation of early Mycenaean elite culture -- 3. The role of elite networks in the Mycenaeanization of the provinces -- 4. Seals and swords and changing ideologies -- 5. Prehistoric politics : the creation of the periphery -- 6. Palatial concerns : ships and exotica -- 7. Reactions to collapse : the rise of a sailor-warrior culture -- 8. Modeling collapse and revival -- 9. Conclusions.