Bronze Age Aegean Harboursides
J.W. SHAW Bronze Age Aegean Harboursides ABSTRACT R ecent excavations and exploration have contributed new and crucial information warranting a review of our earlier understanding of Bronze Age Aegean harboursides, especially of the topographical conditions and geographical locations selected by the Aegeans. Major sites which can be cited are Kea, Kommos, Zakros, and Amnisos. Further information derives from precious pictorial depictions of coastal towns and possible harbours, as in frescoes found at Kea and, especially, in the West House at Akrotiri, or in the recently published sealing from Chania. The paper will discuss this new material and address questions of defence, ship storage, relations with inland towns, trade, relative water-levels, and the nature of the possible harbour installations during the Middle and Late Bronze Age in the Aegean. Introduction With its often large, well-furnished buildings, the Akrotiri settlement (Fig. 1) appears relatively opulent in comparison with Ayia Irini on Kea (Fig. 2)or more densely built Phylakopi on Milos (Fig. 3). At Akrotiri, of course, there still remain unusual contrasts among the building groups. For instance, the agglutinative room-group B/D, which probably consisted of three or more residences, appears to be sprawling in comparison with the much larger, more carefully planned ashlar buildings, whether one considers the relatively small West House, or Ashlars III and IV which in size and with the care given to their construction compare favourably with the largest of the houses at Ayia Irini (House A) or at Phylakopi (the Mansion) or, for that matter, with large houses in the Knossos area.
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