The Oldest Civilization of Greece: Studies of the Mycenaean

THE OLDEST CIYILIZATIOIV or GREECE, STUDIES OF THE MVCENiEAN AGE BY H. K. HALL, M.A. ASSISTANT IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EGYPTIAN AND ASSYRIAN ANTIQUITIES, BRITISH MUSEUM LONDON: DAVID NUTT philadp:lphia : J. b. lippincott co. 1901 GENtR^^ All rights ieset-iied TQl nATPI MOY AHAPXAI PREFACE " The series of " Studies of the Mycenaean Age in this volume contain the notes which are comprised of of made during the course some years' study the ''Mycensean Question," expanded and thrown form. The chief of into a connected problems dealt with "MycenaBan" archaeology are separately, the time far but at same are also, as as possible, of connected in order to form a homogeneous study it stands Here the Mycenasan Question as to-day. and there it has been found impossible, when dis-cussing clear of some one problem, to steer trenching the domain of another of upon ; repetition argument and it has, however, been as far as possible avoided, is hoped that these chapters will be of use both to the scientific archaeological student and to the layman who interests himself in the most fascinating search which evfer yet allured the seeker after for-gotten history the search for the origins of Greek " civilization. in mind that this search is It must ever be borne still being pursued amid the clouds. We are not on firm earth when we are dealing with things Myce-naean, and have still to walk warily. It must be " the " remembered that all statements as to history X PREFACE of Greek civilization before the eighth century B.C., needs be seek to must more or less hypothetical ; we explain the prehistoric monuments of Greece by more or less probable hypotheses and theories. Our explanation of the development of pra3-classical Greek culture is, therefore, merely a collection of theories and hypotheses. And although the majority of students of the Mycena3an Question are agreed with regard to the greater ])art of these explanatory in hypotheses, yet many more or less important respects they differ from one another, with the of result that at j^resent the statements any one author on ''Mycena3an" subjects must usually be taken as representing primarily his own view, for is the which he alone is responsible ; he not tellingto his world a well-known story anew, but is giving own particular explanation of certain ])henomena which otherwise. others might very conceivably ex[)lain I remark With regard to the plan of the book^ may that I have not considered it necessary to give any long descriptions of Mycenaean palaces and tombs or the charac-teristics to enter into any lengthy disquisitionson and peculiaritiesof Mycen^an art : I assume less familiar that my readers are already more or with the sixth volume of MM. Perrot and Chipip:z's Histoire dc rArt, with ScHUCHHARrrr's Epitome of Schliemann's works, or with the Mycencmn Age of Messrs. Tsountas and Maxatt, in which the fullest description of the details of Mycenaean culture may be found. *' The term " Mycenaean I have used in its widest PREFACE XI " " sense, as covering the typical Cyclaclic deposits of Thera, Phyliikope, Kamarais, and the older of the settlement at Knossos, as well as the period palace of Knossos, the Mycenae-graves, lalysos, and Vaphio, the "Mycenaean period" in its narrower sense. " The term " Prae-Mycenaean I have used only with reference to the primitive epoch of the cist-graves; " the succeeding period of transition, the " Cycladic period of Mr. Myres, I have preferred to call " Proto- " Mycenaean." To apply the term " Prae-Mycenaean the to this transitional period seems to me to give impression that the culture of the Third City of of the Fourth Phylakope differed far more from that than is really the case. I have endeavoured to discuss the question of the relations of the Mycenaeans with the East and with the of Egypt as fully as is possible within compass this book. The question of Mycenaean relations with Sicily,Italy,and the West, I have merely referred to as shortly as possible. The discoveries of Signor Orsi and his fellow-workers in the Western field are so recent that their results can hardly yet be fully discussed. The chronological scheme which will be found at the end of the book is intended merely as a rough guide. The dates given in it are all approximate, and many are, of course, purely hypothetical. The period of the Aryan invasion must naturally be understood several centuries to cover ; perhaps earlier, perhaps later than the date given. The illustrations are, in general, intended to be rather helps to the better understanding of the xii PREFACE subject-matter by the layman than contributions to the knowledge of the subject already possessed by the archaeologist the latter will, however, I ; hope, find the illustrations *' to chapter vi., on Mycenae and Egypt," useful to him. In the "List of Illus-trations " will be found explanatory notes appended to the titles of the figures, In conclusion, I wish to thank friends, many esi)ecially Dr. E. A. Wallis Budue and Mr. L. W. King, of the Egyptian and Assyrian Department, and Mr. H. B. Walters, of the Greek and Roman of the British for hints Department Museum, many and suggestions, and also Dr. A. S. Mukkay, Keeper of the Greek and Roman Department, for his kind to the silver from Enkomi, permission publish cup and the Fig. 24, pictographic inscription, Fig. 64. H. R. HALL. Fchrvanj 1901. CONTENTS THE NEW CHAPTER OF GREEK HISTORY" ARCH^OLOaiST AND HISTORIAN into of Greek civilization One of the domi-nant Enquiry origins " of modern Hellenic to the objects study " Owing results of archaeological research dis-coveries " Archaeological of the Nineteenth and Century " Egypt Assyria- New light thrown on Homeric "c. Schliemann's poems, " discoveries Discussion to " as " Mycenae chronological of culture Relics of the Heroic position Mycenaean " Age The before Back to Neolithic " Troy " " age Mycenae imes to this scheme Question to the Objections " " as trustworthiness of "science " Instances of archaeological " Absolute when uncertainty " certainty only possible a continuous tradition exists trust-worthiness literary " Comparative of and Egyptian, Greek, European or American archaeological theories Limitations of the " archaeological method in Greece One thing certain Greek civilization " : not isolated A an development " working hypothesis ' possible Pp. 1-2 1 . II THE HYPOTHESIS Doubtful and provisional character of the "Mycenaean Hypothesis" not emphasized The " sufficiently Usually " of Greek civilization Hissarlik " Chalco- beginnings " " xiv CONTENTS First lithic" " of Bronze period appearance " Pottery and The " Island-Graves and Building " Copper stone weapons " " Paraskeve and Ivory Cyprus" Hagia Kalopsida " On the Greek Mainland In " In Asia Minor Proto- Italy" " Period " "c. Kamarais Mycenaean Thera, Melos, " " Kahun The " Period" A local "Mycenaean proper " development peculiar to Greece " High development of Still in the arts " the Bronze Age " Export to Egypt, Central and The " Oriental Europe, Italy Achaians " influence " Western Theories traits " to as " origin - not Phoenician " Greek Date Certainly Certainly " " The Geometrical Period Art " of the In Dipylon " Attica and the Islands that " Probability Mycenaean culture con-tinued exist in Asia between to " Relation "Mycenaean" and "Geometrical" art Introduction of " Iron The " Homeric " The Return of the Age Herakleids " The Dorian Invasion The of the " Iron-using people Geome-trical the Dorians Asiatic period were " Mycenaean return- influence Geometrical art " " on " Sub-Mycenaean and Mixed " Kameiros Phoeni-cian styles Orientalizing styles" " influence " " Proto-Corinthian " Greek " vases art of the classical period begins with the Corinthian and Chalkidic of and styles vase-painting " Plausible con-sistent character of the Hypothesis . Pp. 22-47 III THE QUESTION OF DATE Evidence of Athens " strata " Rough dating superimposed " date in Greece Latest possible " Egyptian synchronisms and " XVIIIth The Dynasty objects at Mycenae lalysos " " " el-Amarna Tomb of Maket-Tomb Tell " Rekhmara " tin " "The Great Men of Kef " Mr. Torr's (1550 B.C.)" Later " evidence objections " Egyptian Chronology " Tell Tomb of Rameses III. " (1200 B.C.) el-Yahudiyeh " Vase of Tchet-Khensu-auf-ankh (1000 B.C.)" No later " Treasure of " evidence from " Egypt " ^gina (800 B.C.) Mycenaean survival in Asia and Cyprus (700 B.C.)" Date of CONTENTS XV culture Prse-Mycenaean period " Prae-Mycensean primitive Doubtful character of " Proto-Mycenaean dating " Thera Evidence Fouque's geological evidence from " with Xllth and from Egypt " Supposed synchronisms Xlllth Their date" B.C. " Proto- Dynasties " r. 2500-2000 Doubtful Mycenaean Yase-fragments from Kahun " this evidence And of that of the Cretan character of " of seal-stones " Better evidence Cyprian prae-MycenaBan vases from Khata'anah and of the Hagios Onouphrios culture find in Crete " Prae-Mycenaean probably contem-porary with Xlllth earlier evidence Dynasty " Supposed attainable from Kythera and Egypt weak " Earliest date Scheme of the evidence c. B.C. " Pp. 48-76 2500 . lY THE QUESTION OF RACE The " Achaian Greeks " Mycenaeans were primarily " Meaning of this Summarized Prof. " argument " Ridgeway's thereto Pelasgian Theory " Objections " Some Mycenaeans " Who Pelasgians Many Mycenaean Ork/ines Pelasgic " " " the ? " Non- were Prae-Mycenaeans Pelasgians " Aryan tribes Eteokretans Connected with " " Lykia " Lykians, Luhkl First mentioned Native Luka, " c. 1400 B.C. " name TrmmU not The " Non- {TepniXai)" Language Aryan of Asia Minor No Semites Aryan indigenous race " east of the Taurus not Semites " The Lydians (Maeonians) " invasion Thrace Aryan from " Phrygian and Mysian tribes and Maeonian Late date of this " kings, Aryan invasion " not Prae-Mycenaean Trojans Aryan Phrygians " Primitive culture of Asia Minor belonged to the non- Aryan indi-genous Primitive of race " Cyprians probably same stock " Which also possibly preceded the Semites in Palestine " Islanders " The Leleges Prae-Mycenaean " Connected with the Pisidians The In " of " Peloponnese Pelasgi Greece Both and the proper " Leleges Pelasgi belonged to same race as the indigenous tribes of Asia Minor, the Eteo-kretans, "c.

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