This article examines pottery consumption patterns at the site of Mitrou, East Lokris, in the 13th and the early 12th centuries B.C. and investigates their significance in the broader socio-political context of central Greece during the Palatial period of Mycenaean civilization. In so doing, this contribution integrates ceramic analysis with information provided by the Linear B texts from the Palace of Thebes and with evidence for changes in the socio-political landscapes of East Lokris and neighboring Boeotia. After a brief discussion of the history of research on the Late Helladic IIIB ceramic phase, an overview is presented of the formation processes and spatial distribution of Mitrou’s most significant Late Helladic IIIB pottery deposits, as well as of the typology, function, and production technology of their pottery. Then, ceramic synchronisms across the Greek mainland are analyzed and a refined relative chronology is introduced for the core areas of Mycenaean civilization during the Late Helladic IIIB phase. While confirming the existence of the previously identified Late Helladic IIIB2 Early and Late ceramic sub-phases, this article proposes to also sub-divide Late Helladic IIIB1 into an Early and a Late stage during the first half of the 13th century B.C. Finally, the results of pottery analysis are discussed in the framework of East Lokris and Boeotia’s Late Bronze Age historical trajectories. This part of the study indicates that in the course of the Mycenaean Palatial period Mitrou may have been under the sphere of influence of each of the two Boeotian palatial centers in succession. It is argued that, until Late Helladic IIIB2 Early, Mi- trou’s region most likely was controlled by nearby Orchomenos/Glas. This political scenario may have changed in the last decades of the 13th century B.C., as the destruction of the fortified site of Glas towards the end of Late Helladic IIIB2 Early likely indicates the demise of the palatial authority of Orchomenos/Glas. Following this major event, Mitrou’s Late Helladic IIIB2 Late ceramic deposits show Theban typological and functional connections, suggesting that Thebes may have taken possession of the E part of East Lokris and Mitrou may have become a key Theban harbor station along the North Euboean Gulf.
Il presente articolo esamina le ceramiche utilizzate a Mitrou, un insediamento preistorico e protostorico della Locride Orientale, tra il 1300 ed il 1190 a.C. circa e discute il contributo fornito da questi materiali per la comprensione delle complesse dinamiche socio-politiche della Grecia centrale durante la fase palaziale della civiltà micenea. A tale scopo, in aggiunta all’analisi delle ceramiche, questo studio considera anche le informazioni contenute in alcuni documenti in Lineare B dagli archivi del palazzo di Tebe e le potenziali oscillazioni nelle relazioni politiche intercorse tra Locride Orientale e Beozia nel XIII e agli inizi del XII secolo a.C. Dopo una breve discussione sulla storia degli studi sulle ceramiche del Tardo Elladico IIIB, l’articolo esamina i principali depositi di Mitrou attribuibili a questa fase, con particolare attenzione ai processi di formazione e alla distribuzione all’interno del sito di tali contesti, nonché alle caratteristiche tipologiche, funzionali e tecnologiche dei materiali. Queste prime sezioni del contributo sono seguite dall’analisi delle possibili correlazioni temporali tra le ceramiche di Mitrou e quelle di altri importanti depositi della Grecia continentale. Sulla base di tali dati, il presente studio propone una nuova e più dettagliata cronologia relativa dell’intero Tardo Elladico IIIB nelle aree di principale diffusione della civiltà micenea. Infine, i risultati di questa ricerca sono discussi nell’ambito delle traiettorie storiche della Locride Orientale e della Beozia durante la Tarda Età del Bronzo. Oltre a confermare l’esistenza delle sottofasi precedentemente note come Tardo Elladico IIIB2 Iniziale e Tardo, l’articolo propone una nuova suddivisione anche per le ceramiche in uso nella prima fase del XIII secolo a.C., attraverso l’identificazione di uno stadio Iniziale e di uno stadio Tardo del Tardo Elladico IIIB1. Inoltre, lo studio delle dinamiche socio-politiche suggerisce che, nel corso della fase palaziale della civiltà micenea, Mitrou possa essere passata sotto la sfera di influenza di entrambi i centri palatini della vicina Beozia. In una prima fase, cioè fino al Tardo Elladico IIIB2 Iniziale, secondo i risultati di questa ricerca, Mitrou e la sua regione sarebbero state sotto il controllo di Orchomenos/Gla. Questo scenario sarebbe poi cambiato negli ultimi decenni del XIII secolo a.C. Infatti, la distruzione della fortezza di Gla, avvenuta verso la fine del TE IIIB2 Iniziale, deve avere comportato anche la fine dell’autorità palaziale di Orchomenos/Gla. Dopo questo cruciale evento, le ceramiche di Mitrou del Tardo Elladico IIIB2 Tardo mostrano importanti affinità con i coevi depositi tebani, sia in termini tipologici che funzionali. Tale dato suggerisce che Tebe potrebbe avere assunto il controllo della parte E della Locride Orientale e Mitrou potrebbe essere diventata un’importante stazione portuale tebana nel settore settentrionale del Golfo di Eubea
The Late Helladic IIIB Phase at Mitrou, East Lokris: Pottery, Chronology, and Political Relations with the Palatial Polities of Thebes and Orchomenos/Glas
Vitale S;
2020-01-01
Abstract
This article examines pottery consumption patterns at the site of Mitrou, East Lokris, in the 13th and the early 12th centuries B.C. and investigates their significance in the broader socio-political context of central Greece during the Palatial period of Mycenaean civilization. In so doing, this contribution integrates ceramic analysis with information provided by the Linear B texts from the Palace of Thebes and with evidence for changes in the socio-political landscapes of East Lokris and neighboring Boeotia. After a brief discussion of the history of research on the Late Helladic IIIB ceramic phase, an overview is presented of the formation processes and spatial distribution of Mitrou’s most significant Late Helladic IIIB pottery deposits, as well as of the typology, function, and production technology of their pottery. Then, ceramic synchronisms across the Greek mainland are analyzed and a refined relative chronology is introduced for the core areas of Mycenaean civilization during the Late Helladic IIIB phase. While confirming the existence of the previously identified Late Helladic IIIB2 Early and Late ceramic sub-phases, this article proposes to also sub-divide Late Helladic IIIB1 into an Early and a Late stage during the first half of the 13th century B.C. Finally, the results of pottery analysis are discussed in the framework of East Lokris and Boeotia’s Late Bronze Age historical trajectories. This part of the study indicates that in the course of the Mycenaean Palatial period Mitrou may have been under the sphere of influence of each of the two Boeotian palatial centers in succession. It is argued that, until Late Helladic IIIB2 Early, Mi- trou’s region most likely was controlled by nearby Orchomenos/Glas. This political scenario may have changed in the last decades of the 13th century B.C., as the destruction of the fortified site of Glas towards the end of Late Helladic IIIB2 Early likely indicates the demise of the palatial authority of Orchomenos/Glas. Following this major event, Mitrou’s Late Helladic IIIB2 Late ceramic deposits show Theban typological and functional connections, suggesting that Thebes may have taken possession of the E part of East Lokris and Mitrou may have become a key Theban harbor station along the North Euboean Gulf.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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