Overview
Life in the Mycenaean Age
What this topic is about
- Topic 1 looked at the citadels from the outside; this topic goes inside, to how people actually lived
- it covers the palace at the heart of the city, the hunting and warfare of the elite, the everyday business of clothing and trade, and the writing that ran it all
- most of the evidence is material (frescoes, objects, tablets), so a running theme is what these remains can and cannot tell us
What you will study
| Lesson | What it covers |
|---|
| 2.1 The Palace and the Megaron | the palace complex and its great hall |
|---|
| 2.2 Hunting and the Elite | hunting as food and as noble display (the Lion Hunt Dagger) |
|---|
| 2.3 Armour, Weapons and Warfare | how the Mycenaeans were equipped for war (the Warrior Vase) |
|---|
| 2.4 Chariots, Clothing and Trade | transport, dress and the wider economy |
|---|
| 2.5 Linear B | the palace records, and how they survived (the tripod tablet) |
|---|
The big idea
Palace, elite and trade
The big idea
- the palace was the centre of everything: it housed the ruler, stored the wealth, kept the records and hosted the feasts
- the elite defined themselves through hunting, war and display, while trade brought in the metals and luxuries Greece lacked
- because so much of the evidence is art and objects, we are always judging how reliable a picture they give
Everything in this topic radiates from the palace: it is home, treasury, office, workshop and temple at once, and the elite around it lived to hunt, fight and show their wealth.