Abstract This paper studies the Bronze Age which was one of the great eras of our European past. It describes the widespread adoption of bronze metallurgy across Europe at the time, as well as the many technological advances. It examines the levels of literacy as well as the society and the writings of the Bronze Age scribes. It also discusses "The Linear B Decipherment" and how Evans continued to study it after the Balkan War. Finally, the paper concludes that the effects of writing and literacy on society were great and significant.
From the Paper "Anthropologists and archaeologists call certain societies "iron age" or ?bronze age.? In doing this they recognize that the properties of the main metal used by a society's technology greatly affect both its use and through this the nature of that society. For instance, bronze unlike iron is too soft to be used for ploughing; it is an alloy. Bronze can be smelted at lower temperatures than iron which need specialized supplies of charcoal. All these facts affect societies which use bronze and iron. For example, since bronze cannot be used for ploughing these societies cannot produce in many regions the large agriculture surplus iron societies can; since bronze requires tin bronze age societies had to trade, etc. (Claiborne, 1974) I believe the same parallel exists between the different characteristics of different writing systems and its use as a communication technology in a society."
Abstract A study of the literacy culture of the Bronze Age society and how the scribes and drawings were a reflection of the society. A technical analysis of linguistics in the pre-historic culture is included.
From the Paper "Anthropologists and archaeologists call certain societies "iron age" or ?bronze age.? In doing this they recognize that the properties of the main metal used by a society's technology greatly affect both its use and through this the nature of that society. For instance, bronze unlike iron is too soft to be used for ploughing; it is an alloy. Bronze can be smelted at lower temperatures than iron which need specialized supplies of charcoal. All these facts affect societies which use bronze and iron. For example, since bronze cannot be used for ploughing these societies cannot produce in many regions the large agriculture surplus iron societies can; since bronze requires tin bronze age societies had to trade, etc. (Claiborne, 1974) I believe the same parallel exists between the different characteristics of different writing systems and its use as a communication technology in a society. "
Abstract The present paper considers Minoan Culture in the context of the Bronze Age and as one of three principal cultures of Aegean civilization. In what follows, this paper elucidates the significance of this culture, noting its contributions to arts and architecture, and as a precursor to Greek civilization.
A history and examination of how Ancient Athens, out of necessity of protecting its allies and lands, grew from a powerful city-state to an Aegean Empire.
Abstract This paper gives a history of how Athens, originally looking for a united front against the invading Persian armies during the Persian Wars in antiquity, grew from an influential city-state to one of the world's first empires, stretching its power base across the entire Aegean sea. The paper begins by discussing how the Delian League, the pretext to what would become the Athenian Empire, came into being as a direct way to combat the invading Persians. The alliance was created out of necessity, as a united Greek front would be the only way to repel the massive Persian army under King Xerxes. A brief history of the Persian Wars is given, with Persia's invasion of Northern Greece and the burning of the Acropolis in Athens, but eventually their defeat at the hands of the Athenian general Cimon at the mouth of the Eurymedon River. After Persia was defeated and their troops driven back to Asia, Athens was firmly set as the predominant military and economic leader of all of Greece. The Delian League that was organized to fight against the Persians soon evolved into an Athenian Empire, with Athens collecting tribute and taxes from other city-states in exchange for protection and economic stability. Athens used their power to create a more safe and secure Greece, but was eventually corrupted by greedy politicians who abused other Greek city-states to the point of war. The second half of the paper goes into detail over how Athens was justified to create an empire, as it brought about prosperity for all involved. This includes the destruction of piracy and the opening up with trade routes to eastern Turkey. Ancient sources are heavily quoted to reinforce the argument that having a single dominant polis inevitably stabilized the once troubled area of Ancient Greece. This section also deals with Athens feeling morally obligated to spread their particular form of democracy to all of the other city-states, and their desire to see Sparta have their power limited. This ancient Cold War would eventually boil over into the Peloponnesian War, and the result ended in a weakened Greece that would not rise to prosperity again until Alexander The Great unified Greece.
From the Paper "During the expansion of Athenian power, an economic concept developed that allowed a particular polis to form an economic alliance with a fellow Delian League member. This agreement would allow the two states to work together in transporting particular goods through their territories to a marketplace where the goods would be sold, and the profit generated from the selling of the goods would be evenly distributed between the two Greek states. Such an example of this economic unity can be seen in agreement between Athens and the polis of Phaselis, which held joint control over certain economic endeavors and even adopted the same coinage for a short span of history. Athens also made it clear that if the city-states were to live under the protection of Athens, then the economic system should be standardized."
This paper discusses various theories surrounding the myth of Atlantis written by the Greek scholar Plato in 400 B.C., even today captivating the minds of archaeologists and philosophers.
Abstract This paper explains that the most "extreme" theories say that either Atlantis was no more than a figment of Plato's vast imagination or that the "lost city" was real in every respect. The author points out that the lost city has been rumored to have existed in the Caribbean Sea, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Aegean Sea and even in the Arctic Ocean. The paper supports another theory, which seems more than likely, states that Plato's epic story was little more than an exaggeration of an historic event: the sinking of Thera, a small island in the Aegean Sea, after a series of massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
From the Paper "Thera is again likened to Atlantis through its technological level, which was supposedly much more advanced than other civilizations of the era. According to Plato's Critias (which was actually named after his grandfather), Atlantis was "set apart from other [civilizations] with their countless new contrivances and concepts." This technological power made Atlantis a ruling class, and closely resembles the Minoan culture. The Minoans were a supposedly advanced people who were some of the first to make many uses of the wheel and keystone concepts."
Abstract This paper attempts to relate the decline of the Greek Bronze Age with the eruption of Santorini in the Aegean Sea. The author examines the developments that led to the decline of the Greek Bronze Age and how they coincide with the eruption of Santorini volcano.
From the Paper 'Two of the greatest controversial questions in ancient Greek history are when did the decline of the Greek Bronze Age begin and what caused this dramatic reversal in progress? Dates have varied from as early as 1350 B.C. to as late as 1100 B.C. Causes have range from massive invasions by barbarians to widespread droughts. However, evidence has begun to surface that suggests the possibility that there was a massive series of natural phenomena that affected the whole eastern Mediterranean region between 1600 and 1300 B.C. After examining all of the current evidence, a conclusion can be drawn that a series of earthquakes shook the region during several decades which set off a cataclysmic volcanic eruption on the island of Thera. This explosion can be directly connected with the decline of Bronze Age Greece."
Abstract This paper examines the archaeological search for the historical Atlantis, the theories that have been suggested over the years and the techniques which have been used to investigate them. It looks at how the myth has been captured by many authors over the years such as Ignatius Donnelly. It also considers whether K.T. Frost's hypothesis attempting to prove that the lost city of Atlantis was in fact in the Aegean is the solution to the problem of its location.
From the Paper "However, if we are equating the destruction of Minoan Crete to that of Atlantis, we run into problems. The most obvious of these is that Atlantis was supposed to have sunk under the sea after experiencing "earthquakes and floods of extraordinary violence" . While Crete probably did experience earthquakes as a result of Santorini, it is quite plainly still there, not sunk under the waves at all. Supporters of the Crete/Thera theory have two arguments to this. The first is that the eruption of Santorini could have caused a tsunami that would have hit Crete. This would certainly be a watery end for the Minoans, but even stretching the imagination one cannot say that it 'sank' the island."
Abstract Examines ethnographies and studies relating to gender and power in Southern Europe. Includes references to the following works: Mari Clark's "Variations on Themes of Male and Female: Reflections on Gender Bias in Fieldwork in Rural Greece"; David Gilmore's "Honor, Honesty, Shame: Male Status in Contemporary Andalusia" in "Honor and Shame and the Unity of the Mediterranean" ; Susanna Hoffman's film, "Kypseli: Women and Men Apart -- A Divided Reality"; Evthymios Papataxiarchis's "Friends of the Heart: Male Commensal Solidarity, Gender, and Kinship in Aegean Greece"; and Nadia Seremetakis's "The Memory of the Senses: Historical Perception, Commensal Exchange and Modernity".
From the Paper "Gender studies were the way forward in the 1970s, and studies of Southern Europe from this period analyze gender and society along strictly dichotomized lines. Films such as "Kypseli" (Hoffman et al.) epitomize this method of cultural analysis. Recent approaches to the study of gender by Clark, Gilmore, and Seremetakis, however, emphasize a more complex relationship between gender and its associated cultural domains."
Abstract This paper examines how the exchange of artisitic ideas between Ancient Egypt and the Mediteranean is undisputed and how a comparison of fresco is also relevant and illuminating. It briefly examines two Egyptian Fresco's from the New Kingdom period, namely "Fowling Scene" and "Musicians and Dancers", comparing and contrasting the Egyptian styles with three Minoan frescos including the so-called "Toreador Fresco", as well as "Young Fisherman with His Catch" and "Landscape with Swallows".
From the Paper "The vivid artistic detailing of Fowling Scene, in addition to the motion and vitally portrayed by the artist(s), is astonishing. The boat on which the family travel is richly detailed, even the wood grain is observable. Papyrus plants grow in a great swath, surging out of the water to the left of the boat. Below the boat, in the water, the details of the fish "show a naturalism based on careful observation" (67). In his right hand, Nebamun clutches three birds he has just caught, while his left hand grips his throwing stick. A large number of birds have been startled into action out of the papyrus swamp, and are shown both perching in various places, as well as in flight. Most curiously, an orange cat, perched on a bowing papyrus stem, has caught a large bird in its mouth and two more in its claws."
Abstract This essay surveys the literature for opinions on the purpose of the mysterious and appealing marble figures of the Bronze Age in the Aegean islands of the Cyclades. Since the sculptors left no writing, scholars are left to speculate based on evidence from nearby cultures. Arguments from many scholars are compared to try to find the best solutions to the problem. The paper includes photographs of the figures.
From the Paper "Van Schaik points to the fact that too few of the figures were found outside of burial contexts for the figures to be a assigned to a cult of the Mother Goddess like the one in Anatolia. However, as stated earlier, the similarity in form of the Cycladic figures to those of Anatolia cannot be discounted, whether or not one believes that they serve the same purpose".
Abstract This paper discusses the Persian influences on Greek thought and culture from the Greco-Persian Wars (499-479 BCE). According to the paper, in the late summer of 428, during the height of the Second Peloponnesian War, the beleaguered citizens of Mytilen importuned the Lacedaemonians for aid to repulse the immanent blockade and invasion of the dreaded Athenian fleet. Although the Delian League led by Athens and its brutally subjugated city states had liberated the Aegean and Ionian Greeks from Persian hegemony.
Abstract This paper discusses the novel "Vertigo" by the German writer W.G. Sebald. The author argues that the use of seafaring imagery in the "All'Estero" chapter shows that Sebald's narrator's journey across Europe intentionally parallels Odysseus' journey across the Aegean Sea. Unlike Odysseus, however, Sebald's narrator does not achieve a true homecoming, in the sense that on his return home he does not feel a connection that stabilizes himself, and he realizes that he will always feel a perpetual homelessness. The writer discusses the novel's themes of death and dissolution, disconnection with the world and disorientation, and further points out an intertextual connection between "Vertigo" and Dante's Inferno.
From the Paper "Homecoming is a means to come to the catharsis that alienation will never abate and that Sebald will never attain a rooted sense of self amidst the chaos of the world. Order in life indicates a linear movement from one point of time to another. Sebald's narrative does not follow a linear movement from one point in time to another. Rather, Vertigo is a narrative that combines memory and history in a way that flows without the constructs of a linear time frame. The interweaving of historical figures and Sebald's narrator's own memories, all set against the reality of post-war Europe, gives the novel its tone of disillusionment."
Abstract This paper discusses Herodotus' preoccupation with Barbarian customs, and explains how his Histories promote "Greekness" through the examination of that to which the Greeks compared themselves and inevitably found they were superior. The writer looks at Herodotus' cultural and intellectual milieu as well as his stated objectives in writing the Histories, and describes the cultural dualism he created by disparaging as well as giving due credit to non-Greek civilizations. The writer explains that the Histories contain much legend and fantasy and are more about customs and culture than battles or wars.The paper concludes that Herodotus created a past for the Greek people that is part myth and part reality, using Greek cultural superiority over non-Greek Barbarism in order to bring a pan-Hellenic unity to a people scattered over disparate regions and islands.
From the Paper "Despite this prevailing view, Herodotus appears to have taken a far more objective approach to determining the worth of people. In his proem, during his opening remarks, he clearly separates Greeks and Barbarians as inherently different but still reminds his audience that Barbarians are capable of great deeds. Herodotus outlines to the audience that his Histories are to be concerned not just with those deeds and the wider Greco-Persian conflict but also their causes. This explicit interest with causality is such that it has led to claims that Herodotus is the father of sociology, the father of anthropology and suggests that the content of his work must be concerned with custom."
