Culture: Life in the Mycenaean Age

Culture: Life in the Mycenaean Age

The Mycenaean Age (1600 - 1100 BC)

  • Mycenaean civilisation reached its height in the 14th and 13th centuries BC, dominating most of mainland Greece and major islands
  • Dominant political feature: the Mycenaean Palace, which functioned as a bureaucratic, political and cultural centre
  • The palace was surrounded by smaller buildings and most of them were dedicated to craft production such as pottery, metals and textiles

Society and Class

  • Society consisted of three main classes: royals, free people, and slaves
  • At the top of the hierarchy were the kings (wanax)
  • The military also played an important role in society, including officers known as lawagetai
  • Most people worked in agriculture, although there were also artisans and slaves

Economy

  • Mycenaean economy was based on agriculture, notably grains, olives, and grapes
  • Trade played a significant role in the Mycenaean economy, as they exported pottery and oils and imported luxury goods such as ivory and gold
  • Linear B tablets provide evidence of a highly organised system of record-keeping, with transactions meticulously noted

Religion

  • Evidence suggests a complex belief system with a number of deities - Poseidon was a key deity
  • Religious practices included animal sacrifices, libations, and offerings
  • Major part of religious life: the Mycenaean megaron, a great hall used for ceremonies

Warfare

  • Mycenaean society is often associated with war - hence the famous tales surrounding the Trojan War
  • Armor and weapons discovered in grave circles - like at Grave Circle A in Mycenae - give insight into martial culture
  • Chariot combat as well as hand-to-hand combat were common

Burial Customs

  • Diverse burial practices: inhumation inside chamber tombs, burial in pits, burial inside jars
  • Grave offerings included pottery, weapons, and jewelry - indicating a belief in an afterlife
  • Death was both a personal and communal event, with elaborate funerary rituals taking place

Concluding, the Mycenaean Age was a key period in the development of Classical Greece. Remember to consider aspects such as society, economy, religion, warfare, and burial practices when revising this period.