A recent analysis by archaeologist Nicoletta Antognelli Michel of the Technical University of Darmstadt has led to a groundbreaking interpretation in the field of Mycenaean iconography. Her research suggests that a specific group of human figures depicted on pictorial-style kraters from the Late Helladic period, known as Sword Bearers, may represent women instead of male […]
Mycenae
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
An Extinct Rhinoceros Bone Found in Mycenae Is the First Evidence of Fossil Collection in Bronze Age Greece
A team of researchers has revealed the existence of the first fossil of a large animal found in a secure archaeological context on the Greek mainland. This discovery, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, not only confirms the antiquity of human fascination with fossil remains but also provides tangible evidence of the intentional collection […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Mycenaean Civilization Was More Egalitarian and Less Elitist Than Previously Thought
A recent archaeological study has shed new light on the social structure of ancient Mycenaean communities, suggesting that these societies were less elitist and more egalitarian than previously believed. The research, published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology by Susan Lupack, is based on a detailed analysis of clay tablets written in Linear B that […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Mycenaean Purple Dye Workshop Discovered on Greek Island of Aegina
An archaeological discovery on the Greek island of Aegina has unveiled a Mycenaean purple dye workshop from the Late Bronze Age, offering new insights into the ancient production of this valuable pigment. This significant find was reported in an open-access study in the journal PLOS ONE by Lydia Berger from the Paris Lodron University of […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
Iliad-inspired Combat Tests Reveal 3,500-year-old Mycenaean Armor so Good it Could Protect for 11 Hours of Battle
A recent study has revealed that a 3,500-year-old Mycenaean armor, previously believed to be purely ceremonial, was actually suitable for use in combat. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of ancient warfare and its role in societal transformations during the prehistoric era. Researchers conducted experiments with Greek military volunteers who wore a replica […]
Posted inAntiquity
The fantastic cargo of the Uluburun, a Bronze Age ship of uncertain origin
In 1982 an amateur diver searching for sponges off the coast of the city of Kaç in Turkey came across something spectacular. The wreck of a ship sunk with all its cargo at the end of the Bronze Age, in the 14th century BC. The wreck and the ship were named Uluburun, after the strip […]
