Aegaean Prehistory: Early Mycenaean Greece

The project "The Period of the Shaft-Graves at Mycenae and the Early Mycenaean Age" aims at a comprehensive monographic study which will treat the period between the 17th and the early 14th centuries BC in the Greek Mainland and in the Aegean. This important period has not been treated monographically Fritz Schachermeyr`s publication of the first two volumes of the first series of "Ägäische Frühzeit" in 1976, and since O. T. P. K. Dickinson`s famous book on "The Origins of Mycenaean Civilisation" of 1977. It is true that in the meantime several reports have been published which contain surveys of new discoveries and reports on recent research work concerning Early Mycenaean Greece. But they do not exceed the size of articles. Moreover they either view the Early Mycenaean Period as a part of Greek prehistory in general, or within the framework of the Mycenaean Civilisation in its entirety. It therefore appears necessary to dedicate again a major monograph to this period which witnessed the rise of the Mycenaean Civilisation and the early developments of this first high civilisation of the Greek Mainland. This book will offer an analysis and evaluation of the intensive research work which has been done by international scholarship during the last 25 years, and it will present an updated and comprehensive picture of the origins and of the first stretches of the Mycenaean Civilisation as it emerges from the new evidence. The book will contain the following sections: I. Bibliography 1975 - 2001 II. Analysis, synopsis and comprehensive description: 1. Chronology and Synchronisms 2. Archaeological Evidence 3. Social and Political Organisation 4. Economy 5. Arts and Crafts 6. Religion 7. Historical Evaluation of the Early Mycenaean Age III. The Development of the Early Mycenaean Civilisation in the various regions of Greece and the Aegean The publication will also comprise many illustrations and distribution charts. The project "The Period of the Shaft-Graves at Mycenae and the Early Mycenaean Age" will be performed and published by Dr. Michaela ZAVADIL. It is part of a major research program "Die Ägäische Frühzeit" which is carried out at the Mykenische Kommission of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

The project aims at a comprehensive monographic study which will treat the period between the 17th and the early 14th centuries BC on the Greek Mainland and in the Aegean. This important period has not been treated monographically since Fritz Schachermeyr`s publication of the first two volumes of the first series of "Ägäische Frühzeit" in 1976, and since O.T.P.K. Dickinson`s book on "The Origins of Mycenaean Civilisation" of 1977. In the meantime several studies have been published which contain either detailed treatises of special problems or view the Early Mycenaean Period as a part of Greek prehistory in general. It therefore appears necessary to dedicate again a major monograph to this period which witnessed the rise of the Mycenaean civilisation. This book will offer an analysis and evaluation of the intensive research work which has been done by international scholarship during the last 30 years, and it will present an updated and comprehensive picture of the origins and of the first stretches of the Mycenaean Civilisation as it emerges from the new evidence. The book will contain the following sections: I. Bibliography 1975-2005 II. Analysis, synopsis and comprehensive description: 1. Chronology and synchronisms 2. Archaeological evidence 3. Social and political organisation 4. Economy 5. Arts and crafts 6. Religion 7. Historical evaluation of the Early Mycenaean age III. The Development of the Early Mycenaean civilisation in the various regions of Greece and the Aegean. IV. Appendix: Since its beginnings the project "Aegaean Prehistory" has been carried out in close contact to excavators and researchers; they can submit contributions to the book, which will be published as an appendix. The publication will also comprise many illustrations and distribution charts.