History - The Mycenaeans: A Captivating Guide to the First Advanced Civilization in Ancient Greece

The Mycenaeans

A Captivating Guide to the First Advanced Civilization in Ancient Greece

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What student of the Western world hasnt studied the ancient Greeks, a civilization so influential to contemporary civilization that countries around the globe continue to implement their political ideas and opulent architecture to the present day? Almost everyone has heard the stories of Athens, of Sparta, of Zeus and Hera and Poseidon. But who has heard of the Mycenaeans, the predecessors and creators of the foundations that made the ancient Greeks so great?

Anyone who has heard of the ancient Greeks is a little familiar with the Mycenaeans. Officially termed the Mycenaean Greeks, the Mycenaeans were a native civilization that lived on the Peloponnese, or the mainland portion of the Greek peninsula. They lived from approximately 1600 BCE to 1100 BCE. In historical terms, the abbreviation BCE stands for before common era and refers to the years before the modern Gregorian equivalent of year 1. So, to understand how long ago the Mycenaeans lived, someone needs to take the current yearfor example, 2019and then add the year listed before BCE. Since the Mycenaean civilization is officially measured as starting in 1600 BCE, then an individual can calculate that the Mycenaeans lived2019 + 16003,619 years ago.

Greece The Home of the Mycenaeans

The Mycenaeans were the first advanced civilization to develop on mainland Greece and were responsible for much of the urban organization and cultural development seen in the early ancient Greeks. The Mycenaeans created sprawling palatial states, unique and sophisticated works of art, and possessed a writing system that could be used to make records. For these reasons, they are considered a prime example of a thriving Bronze Age civilization.

The Bronze Age is a scholarly term used to classify civilizations that developed metallurgy far enough to be able to produce bronze weapons, armor, and tools on a regular basis. This technology gave civilizations like the Mycenaean Greeks a significant advantage above those who lacked such skills since the tough metal improved combat prowess and the ability to harvest crops. Through their use of bronze, the Mycenaeans were able to create a powerful military and establish numerous centers of power, including the prominent Mycenae, Pylos, Thebes, Athens (yes, that Athens), Midea, and Orchomenos. Some settlements outside of mainland Greece were on islands in the Aegean Sea as well as in the Levant and Italy.

The Mycenaeans were responsible for numerous innovations and technological advancements for the region, including architecture and military structure. They developed their own syllabic script called Linear B and also possessed the first ever written records of the Greek language. Perhaps more surprising for modern audiences, the Mycenaeans worshipped several of the deities famous in Greek religion long before the development of the Olympic pantheon. Although the Mycenaeans would eventually fall during something called the Late Bronze Age Collapse, their civilization would survive by adapting and eventually morphing into the ancient Greeks known so well in Western civilizations.

As the first Greek civilization, the Mycenaeans laid the foundation for future political development. Like their successors the ancient Greeks, the Mycenaeans developed a complex administrative system that relied on disparate settlements that shared a culture working together. These settlements were major urban centers like Mycenae, Pylos, Athens, and Thebes. Although there were a central king and dynasty centered in Mycenae, the other palatial states possessed strong governors who had their own militaries and economic interests. It was difficult to keep everything running smoothly, and yet the civilization managed to succeed for five centuries through careful organization of the all-important palatial states.

The Palatial States

The earliest mentions of the palatial states come from famous Greek epics and mythology such as the Iliad , which mentions the presence of independent states that operate under a similar culture. German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, among numerous others, confirmed the presence of these organized palace-operating polities in the 20 th century. Each Mycenaean palatial state possessed a palace from which governing and administration was done. The powerful political figures that inhabited the palace controlled the surrounding territories and often exerted influence over important industries like the making of textiles and weapons. Each palatial state was divided into subregions with their own provincial centers that were run by governors. These smaller provinces were further divided into districts called da-mo .

Palatial states featured their own military fortifications that formed a broad defensive system for Mycenaean territory. Although there was no single ruling dynasty, records indicate that Mycenae controlled up to three times as much territory as the other states and appeared to be the most powerful. This power allowed it to control adjacent settlements like Nauplion and Tiryns and is how the Mycenaeans earned their name. Archaeological records from Greece lack any evidence to support a unified Mycenaean state, but documents from the Hittites and Egyptians reference a state existing under a figure known as the Great King. At present, scholars believe the evidence suggests that there was a coalition of the palatial states similar to what the later ancient Greeks would use. The most likely centers of power would therefore have been Mycenae or Thebes, the largest and wealthiest of the states.