Political economies of the Aegean Bronze Age : papers from the Langford Conference, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 22-24 February 2007

This volume brings together an international group of researchers to address how Mycenaean and Minoan states controlled the economy. The contributions, originally delivered at the 2007 Langford Conference at the Florida State University, examine the political economies of state (and pre-state) entities within the Aegean Bronze Age, including the issues of centralization and multiple scales of production, distribution, and consumption within a polity; importance of extraregional trade; craft specialization; the role of non-elite institutions, and the political economy before the emergence of the palaces. The contributors address these issues from an explicitly comparative perspective, both within and across Minoan and Mycenaean contexts. The conclusions reached in this volume shed new light on the essential differences between and among "Minoan" and "Mycenaean" states through their political economies. Table of Contents 1. Political economies of the Aegean Bronze Age ( Daniel J. Pullen ) 2. Beyond the social interaction and political evolution in the Bronze Age Aegean ( William A. Parkinson ) 3. Spirit of Minoan houses as major actors ( Jan Driessen ) 4. Making political economy and elite culture(s) in Middle Minoan Crete ( Ilse Schoep ) 5. From the kinship economy to the palatial the Argolid in the Second Millennium BC ( Sofia Voutsaki ) 6. Political economies in a comparative study of the rise of the state in pre- and protopalatial Knossos and Phaistos ( Joanne M. A. Murphy ) 7. Re-evaluating staple and wealth finance at Mycenaean Pylos ( Dimitri Nakassis ) 8. Seafaring in the Bronze Age evidence and speculation ( Cheryl A. Ward ) 9. Between and political economy in non-palatial Mycenaean worlds ( Thomas F. Tartaron ) 10. Citadel and a developing economy at Mycenae, the case of Petsas House ( Kim Shelton ) 11. Living from pots? Ceramic perspectives on the economies of Prepalatial Crete ( Peter M. Day, Maria Relaki, and Simona Todaro ) 12. Wedging combining competing models of Mycenaean pottery industries ( Michael L. Galaty ) 13. Political economies in the Aegean Bronze a response ( James C. Wright ) Political Economies of the Aegean Bronze Age, Papers from the Langford Conference, Florida State University, Tallahassee, 22–24 February 2007 2 Table of contents 4 Preface 5 List of Contributors 6 Abstract 7 1. Daniel J. Pullen: Introduction: Political Economies of the Aegean Bronze Age 8 Goals of the Volume 8 Political Economies of the Aegean Bronze Age 9 Contributions of this Volume 12 Note 16 References 16 2. William A. Parkinson: Beyond the Peer: Social Interaction and Political Evolution in the Bronze Age Aegean 18 Introduction 18 Modeling Interaction in Prehistoric Societies 20 Long-Distance Interaction Between States: World-Systems Theory in Perspective 20 Close-Distance Interaction Between States: Peer-Polity Interaction 22 Interaction Within States: Dual-Processual Theory and Context-Specifi c Models 23 Long-Distance Interaction and the Bronze Age Aegean 23 Long-Distance Exchange Contacts 24 Close-Distance Interaction in the Bronze Age Aegean 32 Interaction Within Polities: Obsidian Blade Production and Distribution 33 Conclusion: Scaling Interaction in the Aegean Bronze Age 36 References 37 3. Jan Driessen: Spirit of Place: Minoan Houses as Major Actors 42 Minoan Political Economy? 42 In Fair Verona.... 47 Continuity of Place 50 The Life Cycle of Houses 50 Heirlooms 53 Concentration of Value 54 From Space to Place 54 “La mémoire des pierres” 55 Minoan Houses 55 Multilocal House Groups? 62 Conclusion 64 Acknowledgements 64 Notes 64 References 66 4. Ilse Schoep: Making Elites: Political Economy and Elite Culture(s) in Middle Minoan Crete 73 Introduction 73 Models for the Production of Elite Culture 73 The Palace-Centered Model and Its Implications 73 Towards a Non-Palatial Model 75 Elite Culture and Peer Polity Interaction 76 Identifying Elite Culture on Crete: Towards a Methodology 77 Quartier Mu and the Identification of Elite Material Culture 78 Production 79 Consumption 80 Assessing the Level of Elite Material Culture of Quartier Mu in the Context of the Sett lement: Sub-elite versus Inner Elite Culture 81 Assessing Elite Culture Elsewhere on Crete 85 Conclusions 86 Note 88 References 88 5. Sofia Voutsaki: From the Kinship Economy to the Palatial Economy: The Argolid in the Second Millennium BC 93 Introduction 93 The Argolid in MH I–II 94 Processes of Change: From MH I to LH III B 100 The Palatial Economy in LH IIIB 107 Production of Valuables 107 Consumption in the Domestic Sphere 109 Internal Exchange and Distribution 109 Conclusions 111 Notes 112 References 113 6. Joanne M. A. Murphy: Political Economies in Ritual: A Comparative Study of the Rise of the Statein Pre- and Protopalatial Knossos and Phaistos 119 Secular and Religious Rituals and Their Efficacy 119 Diagnostic Events 123 Evidence for Rituals at Knossos and Phaistos 124 Knossos: Vat Room Deposit 124 Phaistos 126 Large Scale Deposits 126 Conclusion 130 Acknowledgements 130 Notes 130 References 131 7. Dimitri Nakassis: Reevaluating Staple and Wealth Finance at Mycenaean Pylos 134 Staple and Wealth Finance at Pylos 137 A Quantitative Evaluation of Staple Finance at Pylos 140 Conclusions: Pylian Finance in Context 145 Notes 147 References 148 Appendix. Translated Texts 154 8. Cheryl A. Ward: Seafaring in the Bronze Age Aegean: Evidence and Speculation 156 Introduction 156 Prehistoric Maritime Activity and Watercraft 156 Sett lement and Sea Travel 157 Indirect Evidence 160 Direct Evidence of Seafaring: Shipwrecks in the Mediterranean and Aegean 162 Conclusion 165 References 165 9. Thomas F. Tartaron: Between and Beyond: Political Economy in Non-palatial Mycenaean Worlds 168 Introduction 168 The Southwestern Corinthia 171 The Northeastern Corinthia 173 The Saronic Gulf 179 The Saronic Harbors Archaeological Research Project 183 Conclusions 186 Acknowledgments 186 Notes 186 References 187 10. Kim Shelton: Citadel and Sett lement: A Developing Economy at Mycenae, the Caseof Petsas House 191 Introduction 191 What Came Before 193 What Came Aft er 194 Late Helladic IIIA 195 Petsas House: A Case Study of Industrial and Economic Activity during the LH IIIA Period 196 Kylikes 200 Conical Cups 202 Stirrup Jars 203 International Elements 203 Linear B 204 Great Destruction + Great Loss Brings Change 205 Acknowledgements 206 Notes 206 References 207 11. Peter M. Day, Maria Relaki and Simona Todaro: Living from Pots? Ceramic Perspectives on the Economies of Prepalatial Crete 212 Introduction 212 A Political Economy of the Prepalatial? 213 Some (More) Thoughts on Specialization 215 Starting at the Beginning: Specialization in “Non-complex” Society? 217 On the Way to Complexity: Prepalatial Pottery Production 219 The Prospect of New Evidence: From Contexts of Consumption to Contexts of Production 223 Discussion: The Socio-political Dimensions of Prepalatial Pott ery Production 225 Conclusion 228 Acknowledgements 229 Notes 229 References 230 12. Michael L. Galaty: Wedging Clay: Combining Competing Models of Mycenaean Pott ery Industries 237 Introduction 237 Pylos 238 Scale 239 Contexts of Consumption 242 Political-Economic Roles 245 Pylos in Regional Context 247 Acknowledgements 250 Notes 250 References 251 13. James C. Wright: Political Economies in the Aegean Bronze Age: A Response 255 Archaic States: Pristine and Secondary 255 The Microstate and the City-State Concept 257 The Form of Aegean Political Economies 260 References 267 1. Introduction: Political economies of the Aegean Bronze Age (Daniel J. Pullen) 2. Beyond the peer: social interaction and political evolution in the Bronze Age Aegean (William A. Parkinson) 3. Spirit of place: Minoan houses as major actors (Jan Driessen) 4. Making elites: political economy and elite culture(s) in Middle Minoan Crete (Ilse Schoep) 5. From the kinship economy to the palatial economy: the Argolid in the Second Millennium BC (Sofia Voutsaki) 6. Political economies in ritual: a comparative study of the rise of the state in pre- and protopalatial Knossos and Phaistos ( Joanne M. A. Murphy) 7. Re-evaluating staple and wealth finance at Mycenaean Pylos (Dimitri Nakassis) 8. Seafaring in the Bronze Age Aegean: evidence and speculation (Cheryl A. Ward) 9. Between and beyond: political economy in non-palatial Mycenaean worlds (Thomas F. Tartaron) 10. Citadel and settlement: a developing economy at Mycenae, the case of Petsas House ( Kim Shelton) 11. Living from pots? Ceramic perspectives on the economies of Prepalatial Crete ( Peter M. Day, Maria Relaki, and Simona Todaro) 12. Wedging clay: combining competing models of Mycenaean pottery industries ( Michael L. Galaty) 13. Political economies in the Aegean Bronze Age: a response ( James C. Wright)

this Volume Brings Together An International Group Of Researchers To Address How Mycenaean And Minoan States Controlled The Economy. The Contributions, Originally Delivered At The 2007 Langford Conference At Florida State University, Examine The Political Economies Of State (and Pre-state) Entities Within The Aegean Bronze Age, Including The Issues Of: Centralization And Multiple Scales Of Production, Distribution, And Consumption Within A Polity; Importance Of Extraregional Trade; Craft Specialization; The Role Of Non-elite Institutions, And The Political Economy Before The Emergence Of The Palaces. The Contributors Address These Issues From An Explicitly Comparative Perspective, Both Within And Across Minoan And Mycenaean Contexts. The Conclusions Reached In This Volume Shed New Light On The Essential Differences Between And Among Minoan And Mycenaean States Through Their Political Economies.