28/09/2015

AegeanChronology

CLSX525/HA505

AegeanBronzeAgeChronology
lastupdate:13January2013
ReturntotheSyllabus
Notes :

AlldatesareBCEandveryapproximate
Chronologicalperiodshaveabbreviationsintwoparts:
1.a2letterprefix(e.g.,EH,MC,LM)
the1stlettersignifiesthemajorperiod:Early,Middle,LateBronzeAge
the2ndlettersignifiestheplace:Helladic(themainland),Cycladic(theAegeanislands),
andMinoan(Crete)
2.andthenaRomannumeral,followedsometimesbyletters,todenotesubperiods

Examples
ThewholeBronzeAgeisdividiedintoanEarly,Middle,andLatephase:ifwe'retalkingabout
theEarlyBronzeAgeinCrete,thatisthenabbreviatedEM,ontheMainlandEH,andinthe
AegeanislandsEC
Eachofthesemajorphasesisthensubdivided:I,II,III
Thus
EHIIisthemiddlephaseoftheEarlyBronzeAgeontheMainland
EMIIA=thefirsthalf(A)ofthesecondphase(II)oftheEarlyBronzeAge(E)inCrete
(M)
LHIIIA1=thefirsthalf(1)ofthefirstsubphase(A)ofthelatestphase(III)oftheLate
BronzeAge(L)ontheMainland(H)
STONEAGES
70,000

Palaeolithic(lower,
stonetoolsPlatyvolosskull
middle,upper)

15,000

Mesolithic

boatsobsidianfromMelos

Neolithic(Early,
Middle,Late,
Final)

the"agrarianrevolution"(domesticationofplantsandanimals,settled
lifeinvillages,handmadepotteryFranchthiCave(MiddlePalEN)
Dimini[MN]
Sesklo[LN]
smeltingofcopper("Chalkolithic")

6,000

http://people.ku.edu/~jyounger/aegeanchron.html

1/4

28/09/2015

AegeanChronology

BRONZEAGE

2800

28002600:EBAI(EMIatDebla)
26002200:EBAII(protourban[greathousecentralized
government])
EMII:Vasilike
EarlyBronzeAge
EHII:Lerna,CorridorHouse("HouseoftheTiles"),destroyed
byfire
22001900:EBAIII:"Anatolian"potterypotter'swheelGreeks?
MiddleHelladic(mainlandGreece)
smallvillages,intramuralburials(AyiosStephanos)

1900

MiddleBronze
Age

MiddleMinoan(Crete)
19001800:MMIA:writing(CretanHieroglyphic)
18001700:MMIBII:"Protopalaces"
17001600:MMIII:NeopalatialCreteLinearA
Mainland
16001500:LHI,"ShaftGravePeriod"
Crete
16001525:LMIAend,eruptionofSantorini(ca.1625see
below)
15251470:LMIB,destructionofalmostallCretansites
14701400:LMII:GreektakeoverofCrete(FinalPalatial)

1600

LateBronzeAge
MycenaeanEmpire
14001375:LBIIIA:earlypalaces(Menelaion[SP],Mycenae,
Tiryns,Thebes,Pylos)
13751325:LBIIIB:destructionofKnossosinCrete(Post
Palatial)
13251225:LBIIIC:destructionofallotherMycenaean
centers

1200
1100

endoftheAegean
allstateinstitutionscollapseSeaPeoplesinvadeEgypt
BronzeAge

BRONZEAGE:indetail
Notes:lowdates(highdates)MY=Mycenae,PY=Pylos,SP=Sparta,TI=Tiryns,TH=Thebes
EarlyBronzeAge
2800 EMI

Pyrgosware

EHI

Lerna

Myrtos"Goddess"Vasilikeware
2200 EMII
http://people.ku.edu/~jyounger/aegeanchron.html

EHII

firedestructions
2/4

28/09/2015

AegeanChronology

firedestructions
2100 EMIII earlyKamaresware

EHIII earlyGrayMinyanAnatolianwares

MiddleBronzeAge
1900
(1950)

MMIA Hieroglyphicwriting

MHI GrayMinyan

1850
(1900)

MMIB ProtoPalaces

1800
(1850)

MM
IIA

MHII YellowMinyan

1700
(1800)

MM
IIB

1650
(1775)

MMIII

LinearA

heightofKamaresware

MM
III

tumuli,GraveCircleB
(MY)

firedestructions
NeoPalacesinCreteAyiaIrini(Kea)
temple

LateBronzeAge
Floralstylepottery
1550
(1700)

LMIA

TheraEruption
(ca.1625)

GraveCircleA
LHI

FortheeruptiondateofSantorini(Thera),see
noteatendoffile.

LMIB

Marinestylepottery
AyiaIrinistatues
LHIIA
firedestructions

Vapheiotholos

1425
(1550)

LMII

Knossossurvives
LHIIB
Palacestylepottery

LinearB

1400
(1490)

LMIII
A1

KNChariottablets
LHIII
ATSarcophagus
A1
ArchanestholosA

MYAtreustholos

1325
(1410)

LMIII
A2

1450
(1610)

LHIII
A2

PhylakopiWestsanctuary
MYcitadelwalls

Knossosdestroyed
inscribedstirrup
LHIII
1275(1365) LMIIIB jarstoTH
B1
"dollies"
larnaxburials

MY:Clytemnestratholos,westenceint,Lion
Gate
THKadmeiondestroyed
MYdestructionsoutside

1250
(1300)

destructions:MY(inside),TI,THNewPalace
Phylakopisanctuary

1200

LHIII
B2

LMIIIC

LHIII
C1

LMIIIC MGUAs
http://people.ku.edu/~jyounger/aegeanchron.html

Pylosdestroyed
earthquake(Phylakopi)

LHIIIC
3/4

28/09/2015

AegeanChronology

1150

mid

refugesettlements

mid

Phylakopi&Tirynsconstrict

1100

LMIIIC
Phylakopi&Tirynsabandoned
late

EruptionofSantorini(Thera):
Science312(28April2006),54765:"ChronologyfortheAegeanLateBronzeAge17001400B.C.,"by
SturtW.Manning,ChristoperB.Ramsey,WalterKutschera,ThomasHigham,BerndKromer,PeterSteier,
andEvaM.Wild.
Inshort:theearlydatefortheeruptionofSantorini(mid16thc.BCE,~1560)isnowmoveduptothelate
17thc.(16211605BCE).
OneteamledbySturtManning,newdirectoroftheAegeanDendrochronologyProjectatCornell,produced
127newC14datesfromAkrotiri(andotherAegeanBAsites:seeds,groupsofseeds,twig)thatspana
periodfromca.1700to1400BCE.Thesenewdatesalsodatetheeruptiontobetween1660and1613with
95%confidence,andwithin16391616with68%confidence.
Anotherteam,ledbyWalterFriedrich(UniversityofAarhus),radiocarbondatedtheolivebranch
(discoveredin2002byTomPfeiffer,completewithremnantsofleavesandtwigs,buriedaliveinthe
eruption)to16271600accordingtoitsoutermostring,againwith95%confidence(16211605withslightly
lessconfidence).
AlthoughPeterKuniholm,pastdirectoroftheADPCornell,cautionsthatitismoredifficulttodateolive
ringsthanconifersoroaks,nonethelessthedateseemstrustworthy.
JohnYounger

http://people.ku.edu/~jyounger/aegeanchron.html

4/4