Early Iron Age

What were the dates of the Early Iron Age?

1200 to 700/750 BCE

When were the ‘Dark Ages’?

1200 to 800 BCE

Why was it called the ‘Dark Ages’?

400 years of no monumental stone structures, art of writing almost forgotten, supplies of bronze dwindled

When was the population at its lowest?

1050 BCE (30% of what it had been in 1200 BCE)

When did weapons and tools start to be made of iron?

950 BCE

How did Greek smiths learn how to work iron?

from the aid of Anatolia, Cyprus, or Levant smiths

What does making iron require?

furnaces at a much higher temperature 

What changed how pottery was produced?

the potter’s wheel

Protogeometric pottery

1050 to 900 BC; simple material, simple design

Geometric pottery

900 to 750 BCE; much more intricate, more detail, smoother surface, brighter color

Late Geometric pottery

760 to 700 BCEl; elongated bases and more advances scenes, more artistic handles

How can you decipher the periods of geometric pottery?

the pictures on the vases get more advanced the more time goes on

Geometric

Late Geometric

protogeometric

When did Ionian migration begin?

1500 BCE

Why did the Ionians migrate?

fled to Athens to escape Dorians

What is Ionian?

modern day Turkey

Who are Aeolians?

Greeks from Thessaly

Where did Aeolians migrate to?

Anatolia

Where did Mycenaeans flee to in 1200 BCE?

Cyprus

What writing was in Cyprus?

resembled Linear A; began in 1500 BCE and continued to 300 BCE

Where did Phoenicians migrate?

Cyprus

Where was the Temple of a Phoenician deity?

on the foundations of a temple that the Mycenaeans had abandoned in 1000 BCE

What is the Phoenician deity called?

Astarti

Who occupied Anatolia during the Early Iron Age?

Lydians

What regions were divided into smaller states in the Near East during the Iron Age?

Anatolia and Syrio-Palestine

Who dominated Canaan?

Philistines

Who were the Philistines?

Immigrants from the Aegean

Art in the Near East

pottery resembles Myceneans; large megaron hall recovered (with a hearth)

Hesiod 

Greek epic poet

New Society

Early Iron Age II

When was the Early Iron Age II?

900 to 750/700 BCE

What writings marked the Early Iron Age II?

Linear B

Nichoria

10th century building; megaron and a small porch; functional as a religious center

What was the village chieftains house in Early Iron Age II?

Nichoria

Where was Nichoria located?

Peloponnese region of Greece

Lafkandi

burial site; shaft with two horses; remains of one female and one male

What was the date of Lafkandi?

950 BCE

Why was there a shaft with two horses in Lafkandi?

offerings to warriors

What was with the woman in Lafkandi?

richly decorated fingers, gold beads, pendants, and an ivory handled dagger

What was with the man in Lafkandi?

iron sword, spearhead, a razor, and a whetstone

When and why did Lafkandi shrink?

825 BCE; rise of new settlements at Chalcis and Eretria

What did Homer write?

The Iliad and The Odyssey

What was the Iliad about?

45 days of Trojan war

What was the Odyssey about?

last 42 days of the 10 year long return journey of Odysseus

What is oral poetry?

long narrative tales, in verse, sung or recited in front of an audience

What makes oral poetry easy to remember?

repetitive words and phrases

About how many verses did oral poets sing?

12 thousand each

What is oral tradition?

oral history given through facts and personal stories that evolve until they’re written down

Parry-Lorde Model

our texts of early Greek epics derive from oral performances, illiterate ancient Greek poets memorized formulas and story patterns

Who were Milman Parry and Albert Lord?

1930s Americans who came up with the Parry-Lorde Model

What is Homeric Society?

society as displayed in epics and poems

How was the office and title basileus passed in Homeric Society?

from father to son

What was status based on in Homeric Society?

number of warriors in leader’s command

Htairoi

companions of the chief

Boule

council made up of chiefs and other influential men meeting in a great hall to formulate policy

Who were not allowed in the Boule in Homeric Society?

women

Elders in Homeric Society

boule members, given priority

Agora

public space where deliberations took place

Who attended the Agora but rarely spoke their opinion?

Demos

Was there established law in Homeric Society?

no

Xenia

reciprocal relationship with guest-friends; pledged hospitality and protection of each other

Xenoi

guest-friends

Agathos

he who displays bravery and skill in contests

Kakos

coward or useless in battle

Time

worth respect and honor

Agon

contest/competition

Aristos

one who excels

Who is often referred to as Aristos?

Achilles

What was religion like in the Early Iron Age?

ritualistic, communal; reciprocal relationship; polytheistic

What type of deities were there in Early Iron Age?

Anthropomorphic

Aphrodite modeled on the ____ goddess _____

semantic love goddess Astarte/Ishtar

Literary source of info for the Iron Age?

Hesiod, Works and Days