Product Description

Oliver Dickinson has written a scholarly, accessible, and up-to-date introduction to the prehistoric civilizations of Greece. The Aegean Bronze Age, the long period from roughly 3000 to 1000 BC, saw the rise and fall of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. The cultural history of the region emerges through a series of thematic chapters that treat settlement, economy, crafts, exchange and foreign contact (particularly with the civilizations of the Near East), and religion and burial customs. Students and teachers will welcome this book, but it will also provide the ideal companion for amateur archaeologists visiting the Aegean.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54656 in Books
• Published on: 1994-03-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 364 pages

Review
‘Provides an overview of excellence. This impressively researched and clearly written book covers the most important events between 3300 BC and 1000 BC … useful for students and experts alike.’ New Scientist

Customer Reviews

An excellent up-to date overview
I have been interested in the classical world for as long as I can remember and though aware of the Minoan and Mycenaen civilisations they never captured my interest. A recent visit to the Cyclades islands raised my awareness of the third 'Cycladic' culture and inspired me to purchase this book.

This book provides an up-to-date excellent overview of the development of the civilisations of the Aegean (Crete, the Cyclades, and Southern and Eastern Greece) in the Bronze Age.

Most of the chapters takes an aspect of the development of these civilisations (e.g. environment, religion, etc.) as its theme. Within that theme it compares developments in Crete (Minoan civilisation), the Cyclades islands (Cycladic civilsation) and mainland Greece (Helladic civilisation) identifying the differences between these and the evidence for cultural influence both between them and from outside sources (e.g. Egypt, the Hittite Empire, etc.).

The approach is critical and balanced dispelling many of the assumptions made by early researchers and presents an impression of these societies that is both much more complex and more real. This book is about bronze age people and their lives not volcanic eruptions (Thera)or invasion, archaeological 'human interest' rather than historical 'drama'.

An early chapter on 'dating' provides a necessary framework of reference but makes for dull reading. I'd recommend skimming through it to get a general impression. Then move on the other chapters and refer back when necessary.

An excellent work!
It is perhaps the most comprehensive book concerning this period of the Aegean. It is accurate up to the point of publishing and it can be considered as a standard for learning the period. The author is one of the well-known prehistorians of the region and a great teacher. This is the book that I use for most of my references. I strongly recommend it especially for academic use.