Recording-2025-02-07T02:33:54.548Z

Overview of the Week

• This week's focus: Geometric Period and Early and Late Iron Age

• Reading assignment: Chapter Two of the textbook

• Complementary presentation to the textbook reading

Collapse of Mycenaean Culture

• Timeline: Collapse around 1200 BCE

• Key Mycenaean sites: Mycenae, Pylos

• Events:

  • Sites burned, looted, and destroyed around 1200 BCE

  • Revival of some sites took approximately 200 years

• Possible causes for destruction:

  • Natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, wildfires)

  • Invasions by new groups

Theories of Migrations

• Dorian Migration Theory:

  • Ancient scholars speculated migrations based on Greek dialect distributions

  • Dorians, Ionians, and Aeolians as examples of ethnic groups

• Critique:

  • This theory is considered outdated and overly simplistic

  • Modern scholars suggest multiple overlapping factors contributing to cultural shifts in the period

Sea Peoples

• Role in destruction: Group of raiders/pirates blamed for looting Mediterranean sites

• Egyptian records:

  • Pharaohs documented wars against Sea Peoples

  • Listed ethnic groups involved, including the Ahiwahs (related to Mycenaeans)

The Geometric Period vs. Dark Ages

• Scholars advise against using the term Dark Ages due to negative connotations

• Preferred terms: Geometric Period and Iron Age

• Archaeological findings challenge the notion of uniform decline across Greek world regions

Archaeological Evidence of the Geometric Period

• Sites like Lefkandi flourished despite nearby destruction

• Important discoveries include grave goods and artifacts showcasing:

  • Advancements in metalworking

  • Cultural exchanges via imported non-Greek symbols

Pottery Styles

• Geometric Pottery:

  • Characterized by patterns of geometric shapes

  • Compared with earlier and later artistic styles

• Orientalizing Period (late Iron Age): Influences from Near Eastern art styles evident in pottery

Adoption of the Alphabet

• Important cultural shift around 900-700 BCE

• Greeks adopted Phoenician script, transitioning from earlier scripts (Linear B & A)

• Adaptations included the introduction of vowel symbols

• Connections between the adoption of the alphabet and societal advancements discussed

Homer and Homeric Society

• Homer: Central figure representing Greek culture through his epics Iliad and Odyssey

• Importance of these works in Greek education and identity

• Homer depicted mythical heroes, reflecting and shaping Greek values and cultural identity

The Homeric Question

• Debate on Homer's authorship and the origins of his works

• Rhapsodists: Performers of Homeric poetry circulated stories across Greek world

• Popular theory: Different authors for Iliad and Odyssey due to stylistic and thematic differences

Key Terms from Homeric Society

• Demos: Community and territory

• Basileus: Chief of the community

• Oikos: Household, basic social unit

• Agathos vs. Kakos: Moral values emphasizing honor and strength

• Xenia: Concept of hospitality

• Reciprocity: Exchange of gifts as part of hospitality

Greek Pantheon and Cultural Identity

• Worship of gods integral to society

• Establishment of temples and hero cults contributed to a unified Greek identity

• Noteworthy gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, and others were pivotal in Greek culture and mythology

Practical Assignments

• Discussion questions related to archaeological findings and their implications for understanding Iron Age society and culture

• Examine artifacts and data for deeper insights into social structures and cultural developments during the Geometric Period.

Conclusion

• Importance of these insights in understanding the development of Greek culture, including the transition from the Mycenaean to the Geometric period.