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Changes [Feb 08, 2008]
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Early Helladic IIA - c. 2650-2200/2150 BCE
Early Helladic IIB - c. 2450/2400-2200/2150 BCE
Early Helladic (EH) III - c. 2200/2150-2050/2000 BCE
Middle Helladic I & II (MH) - c. 2000-1675 BCE
Late Helladic I - c. 1675/1650 - 1600/1550 BCE
Late Helladic IIA - c. 1600/1550 - 1490/1470 BCE
Late Helladic IIB - c. 1490/1470 - 1435/1405 BCE
Late Helladic IIIA1- c. 1435/1405 - 1390/1370 BCE
Late Helladic IIIA2 - c. 1390/1370 - 1320/1300 BCE
Late Helladic IIIB - c. 1320/1300 - 1190 BCE
Late Helladic (LH) IIIC and Submycenaean - c. 1190-1050 BCE
Like many archaeological chronologies, these Mycenaean phases are based upon the seriation of pottery found throughout the Mediterranean. They were originally developed by Wace and Blegen in 1918, but have subsequently been refined and altered. What follows is a breakdown of the pottery typologies that archaeologists currently use to define each phase of Mycenaean history.
EHI: This phase is associated with the Eutresis Culture and is characterized by red-slipped and burnished hemispherical bowls. These bowls can be flat-bottomed or pedestal-footed and represent the best-made pieces of the period. EHI cookware is dark-surfaced, with decorations that typically consists of simple incised or stamped rectilinear patterns. Other vessel forms include collar-necked jars (presumably for storage), deeper bowls, and wide-mouthed jars (both for cooking).
EHIIA: Associated with the Korakou Culture, two new classes of fine wares emerge gradually from EHI antecendents at the beginning of this period. The first and most common type is known as EH Urfirnis. It is an unburnished ware with a mottled slip that ranges from red and brown to black. Rarely do archaeologists find what is termed Patterned Urfirnis, where simple dark patterns are painted onto a light clay background. The second EHIIA type is Yellow Mottled or Ivory ware. In contrast to EH Urfirnis, Yellow Mottled is burnished and painted with a light slip. Frequently mottled, the style’s colors vary widely from yellow and pink to bluish-gray. The forms with which both these styles are associated consist of bowls, spoons, large dippers, sauceboats, and beaked jugs (askoi).
EHIIA cookware and storage vessels are not terribly distinct from those of EHI. Deep bowls are the primary cookware form. They are unburnished, dark-surfaced, of coarse fabric, and often have simple geometric patterns for decoration. Storage vessels are frequently only partially painted or have a single thin dark stripe around the rim.
EHIIB: While EHI and EHIIA are mostly phenomena of the Greek mainland’s interior, EHIIB is mainly found on the coast and shares much in common with the pottery of Western Anatolia (i.e. phases Troy II and Troy III). This phase is associated with a culture that has been variously labeled “Anatolianizing” or “Lefkandi I” and is equivalent to the EC IIIA phase of the Cycladic Culture. Ceramics of this phase are typically burnished with a red or black slip and come in forms that include wheelmade plates, bowls with inward-curving rims, and cups with one or two handles.
EHIII: Excepting Messenia and Laconia, where no EHIIA or EHIIB pottery has been found, EHIIA is followed directly by the Tiryns Culture of EHIII throughout the Peloponnese, the Argolid, and on Aegina. However, at Thebes and others sites in central Greece, under the EHIII strata lie ceramics from the Lefkandi I culture. A period of time therefore existed in which central Greek peoples had yet to adopt the Tiryns style, still using the Anatolianizing styles of EHIIB, while Tiryns was already widespread in southern Greece.
Three major styles were in use during EHIII: Patterned ware, Ayia Marina ware, and third class of fine gray burnished wares. Patterned ware used a light fabric and dark slip and was decorated with rectilinear patterns of hatches, crosshatches, and triangles. Ayia marina wares mainly differ from Patterned wares in that they consist of a light slip on a dark fabric. Smaller drinking and eating vessels (two-handled tankards, shoulder-handled bowls, and rim-handled cups) are burnished and finely painted. In contrast, larger storage pots (askoi, water jugs, large bowls) are unburnished and sloppily painted (labeled “Smear ware” by one scholar). The third class consists of gray burnished vases, tankards, kantharoi, and shoulder-handled bowls. While Patterned and Ayia Marina wares are almost all handmade, the EHIII gray wares are wheelmade and appear to be early prototypes for the MH Gray Minyan wares. Cooking wares of this period are frequently decorated with distinctive knob-like projections.
MHI: During MHI, decorated globular and ovoid vessels become rare and fine wares (vases, goblets, and kantharoi) become very angular in profile. Three main styles of decoration are prevalent during this phase. Minyan wares are monochrome (red, black, or gray), burnished, and manufactured from fine clays. Although there are zigzag and chevron patterns, Minyan decoration is more curvilinear that that of previous phases and incised paneled circles and semicircle “festoons” are common, but do not appear on all vessel forms. Vessels are stylistically divided into two halves or fields, with decorative elements being confined to the upper field.
Examples of Matt-Painted vessels (http://www.utexas.edu/courses/classicaldig/Mycenae/9904120101.jpg)
The second MHI style consists of light ornaments on a dark fabric. Patterning similar to that of the Minyan wares is used, although vessels’ lower halves are more frequently found decorated. Matt-painted wares comprise the third style and are characterized by dark lusterless painted patterns on light backgrounds. The Matt-painted style is rather heterogeneous, with large regional differences in fabric composition, color, and surface treatment. Cooking wares of the period are very similar to those of EHIII, and remain the same during MHII. The most distinctive cooking form is a wide-mouthed jar or deep bowl often decorated with coarse incisions.
MHII: In MHII, style does not change much, but curvilinear elements become more prevalent and begin to appear on all vessel forms; spirals and wavy line designs are particularly conspicuous. Minyan and Matt-painted styles and forms are still common, but yellow monochrome and ribbed pedestal feet begin to appear on some Minyan vessels. In all cases, decoration becomes increasingly confined to the upper field of the vessel.
LHI: Pottery of the LHI phase shows heavy Minoan influence, sharing both forms (semiglobular cups, Vapheio cups, alabastrons, and piriform jars) and patterns with ceramics of the Late Minoan IA phase. One style (the LHI style) uses dark lustrous paint on a light ground to depict floral, marine, or geometric patterns. The favorite motif is still the spiral and abstract designs are most frequently seen, despite the Minoan influence. Pots continue to be divided into fields with separate design elements.
The Gray and Black Minyan monochromes of MH give way to the Mycenaean monochrome painted style, only really differing in that its color is restricted to red or black, while Yellow Minyan transitions seamlessly into Mycenaean unpainted. In both cases, the goblet is the most common shape. The Matt-painted style continues to be used to decorate large bowls and kraters.
LHIIA: LHIIA ceramics are very similar to that of LHI, exhibiting little change, although new motifs derived from LMIB do appear (see Furumark 1972, Vol. 1: 481). Compared with LHIIA, lustrous paint is increasingly used and regional variance in painting style is reduced. The most common motifs of the period are the papyrus, the “sacral ivory” and the “pointed arch” canopy. Matt-painted and true Minyan wares are all but absent from the assemblage.
LHIIB: LHIIB pottery is typified by the Ephyraean style, which is typically found on goblets, ewers, and jugs. During this phase, a large number of design elements seen are lacking Minoan precedents and are therefore assumed to be Helladic in origin. Furumark (1972, Vol. 1: 489) describes the dominant trend of this phase as a “linearization of filled surfaces:” lines are accentuated through exaggerated curvature and objects are thinned down so that the borders that define them nearly touch. Motifs also become more stylized and stereotyped “through the omission of details” (Furumark 1972, Vol. 1: 490). Curve-stemmed plants, such as lilies and ivy, as well as nautili, are the most common LHIIB designs. Every once in a while, a few pieces of Matt-painted wares are still found among the sherds of this phase.
LHIIIA1: During LHIIIA1, the popular goblet form of previous phases is altered to have a shallower bowl and a longer stem and appears to represent a transitional form approaching the later kylix form. The Vapheio cup similarly morphs into the Mycenaean mug, but is rarely seen during this period. Abstract motifs, including the new horizontal stripe design, become more popular at the expense of the now heavily stylized figure motifs. Curve-stemmed spirals are extremely common patterns. Monochrome and unpainted wares are still prevalent, while Minoan influence continues to decrease.
An LHIIIA shoulder-handled krater depicting a cuttlefish (http://faculty.evansville.edu/pt4/ar305/Mycenaean/CMycLHIIIAKrater01.jpg)
LHIIIA2: The kylix dominates by far the LHIIIA2 assemblages found in settlements, while stirrup jars, piriform jars, and alabastrons are associated with tombs. A new class of motifs comes into use that appears to have been derived from wall-paintings of the time. The LHIII flower is perhaps the characteristic design of this phase, but the whorl-shell is also quite popular. LHIIIA2 pottery styles undergo rigorous standardization and a small number of stock patterns are used, as the processes begun in LHIIB continue unabated.
An LHIIIB shoulder-handled krater (http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/art/pottery/pictures/LH3bpot.jpg)
LHIIIB: By LHIIIB, contemporary Minoan styles exert a minimal influence on Helladic wares. The kylix’s popularity begins to decline as the deep bowl takes it place. However, unpainted kylikes also appear during this phase. LHIIIB ceramics have been described as “strongly ornamental” (Furumark 1972, Vol. 1: 528): elements are ornately abstract, while symmetry and rhythm in composition are paramount. The motif stylizing movement reaches a pinnacle and contributes to the establishment of an extremely homogenous LHIIB style. Paneled patterns and the agglutination of old elements to make novel designs are hallmarks of this period.
LHIIIC: LHIIIC is marked by increasing diversification of mainland wares into regional styles, which Rutter (2000) suggests is partly due to breakdowns in central political authority. An early phase of LHIIIC is characterized by stylistic simplification, such that linear elements are frequently the only patterns present.
Unpainted wares become unpopular and there is a renaissance of sorts in painted pottery during the Developed phase of LHIIIC as representational painting becomes highly common. A number of distinct regional styles develop through Greece, but warrior scenes become a favorite subject throughout the Aegean. Some older motifs, such as the LHIII flower, the cuttlefish, and the rosette, also continue to be seen. However, by the Late or Submycenaean phase, “the exuberant decoration of the Developed phase has disappeared” (Rutter 2000). Simple patterns of single bands or solid color slips prevail on a limited number of vessel forms as the Dark Ages begin.
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