Shortly before 1200 B.C. the Aegean, and soon afterwards much of the East Mediterranean, was shaken by disturbances and destructions which considerably changed the settlement patterns, as well as the political and social structures of those lands. This led to the decline of the Mycenaean world which eventually caused the so-called Dark Age in Greece. Crete, being an island located on the cross-roads between the Greek Mainland, Sicily and South Italy, and the Levant, may have been particularly affected by the problems referred to in ancient written sources under the name of "the Sea Peoples". The Dark Age in Crete is potentially better represented than in other areas of the Aegean and explorations in the mountainous hinterland of the island have shown site numbers and a density of habitation only vaguely suggested by the excavated samples of sites. This book is based on fifteen years of field research presenting about 120 defensible sites with comprehensive descriptions, sketches, plans and illustrations of surface pottery. Archaeological evidence (in a large part hitherto unpublished) is analysed in detail to reconstruct changes in settlement patterns alongside the political, social, ethnic and economic aspects of the Dark Age society in Crete. The problem of the function of defensible and fortified sites during the Dark Age is examined against a more general background of similar sites on the island from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age. The phenomenon of defensible settlements founded c. 1200 B.C. is discussed here in a wider Mediterranean context with reference to other Aegean islands, Cyprus and the Levant. One chapter presents the historical written sources from the Near East and Egypt which contain references to events that might have caused the dramatic changes suggested in archaeological evidence towards the end of the Bronze Age.

Shortly before 1200 B.C. the Aegean, and soon afterwards much of the East Mediterranean, was shaken by disturbances and destructions which considerably changed the settlement patterns, as well as the political and social structures of those lands. This led to the decline of the Mycenaean world which eventually caused the so-called Dark Age in Greece. Crete, being an island located on the cross-roads between the Greek Mainland, Sicily and South Italy, and the Levant, may have been particularly affected by the problems referred to in ancient written sources under the name of "the Sea Peoples". The Dark Age in Crete is potentially better represented than in other areas of the Aegean and explorations in the mountainous hinterland of the island have shown site numbers and a density of habitation only vaguely suggested by the excavated samples of sites. This book is based on fifteen years of field research presenting about 120 defensible sites with comprehensive descriptions, sketches, plans and illustrations of surface pottery. Archaeological evidence (in a large part hitherto unpublished) is analysed in detail to reconstruct changes in settlement patterns alongside the political, social, ethnic and economic aspects of the Dark Age society in Crete. The problem of the function of defensible and fortified sites during the Dark Age is examined against a more general background of similar sites on the island from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age. The phenomenon of defensible settlements founded c. 1200 B.C. is discussed here in a wider Mediterranean context with reference to other Aegean islands, Cyprus and the Levant. One chapter presents the historical written sources from the Near East and Egypt which contain references to events that might have caused the dramatic changes suggested in archaeological evidence towards the end of the Bronze Age.

This volume brings together a series of papers reflecting a number of lectures given at the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) in 2010-2012 in the frame of a seminar entitled La naissance des cités crétoises. Eight Cretan sites (Axos, Phaistos, Prinias, Karphi, Dreros, Azoria, Praisos, and Itanos), recently excavated or re-excavated, are considered in their regional and historical context in order to explore the origin and early development of the Greek city-state on the island.

This volume presents the Greek text of approximately 200 stone inscriptions, which detail the laws of ancient Crete in the archaic and classical periods, c.650-400 BCE. The texts of the inscriptions, many of which are fragmentary and relatively unknown, are accompanied by an English translation and also two commentaries; one focused on epigraphical and linguistic issues, and the other, requiring no knowledge of Greek, focused on legal and historical issues. The texts are preceded by a substantial introduction, which surveys the geography, history, writing habits, social and political structure, economy, religion, and law of Crete in this period.

A Companion that examines together two pivotal periods of Greek archaeology and offers a rich analysis of early Greek culture A Companion to the Archaeology of Early Greece and the Mediterranean offers an original and inclusive review of two key periods of Greek archaeology, which are typically treated separately—the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. It presents an in-depth exploration of the society and material culture of Greece and the Mediterranean, from the 14th to the early 7th centuries BC. The two-volume companion sets Aegean developments within their broader geographic and cultural context, and presents the wide-ranging interactions with the Mediterranean. The companion bridges the gap that typically exists between Prehistoric and Classical Archaeology and examines material culture and social practice across Greece and the Mediterranean. A number of specialists examine the environment and demography, and analyze a range of textual and archaeological evidence to shed light on socio-political and cultural developments. The companion also emphasizes regionalism in the archaeology of early Greece and examines the responses of different regions to major phenomena such as state formation, literacy, migration and colonization. Comprehensive in scope, this important companion: Outlines major developments in the two key phases of early Greece, the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age Includes studies of the geography, chronology and demography of early Greece Explores the development of early Greek state and society and examines economy, religion, art and material culture Sets Aegean developments within their Mediterranean context Written for students, and scholars interested in the material culture of the era, ACompanion to the Archaeology of Early Greece and the Mediterranean offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide that bridges the gap between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. 2020 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Winner!

Naked Male Figurines in the EIA Aegean -- Iconographic and Regional Patterns in EIA Bronze Figurines and the History of Ritual Action -- The Lost Wax Method of Production and EIA Bronze Figurines -- Bronze Figurines, Transformative Processes, and Ritual Power -- EIA Nudity and Ritual in Historical Perspective -- Method and Approach in the Archaeology of the EIA Aegean.