Problems in Greek Prehistory (ANCW40007)

The earliest alphabetic writings in the Greek language date to the eighth century B.C.E. But the culture we encounter in these texts is clearly the product of recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, and ongoing interaction with other cultures of this region. It is also a culture in the process of becoming Greek: only during the historical period do speakers of Greek begin to see themselves as sharing an identity. What, then, is “Greek Prehistory”—does it make sense to speak of Greeks in prehistory at all?

We will explore this question by studying the Minoans and Mycenaeans, and their place in the international systems of the Middle and Late Bronze Age, as well as the Aegean, Anatolian, and Levantine cultures of the Iron Age, whose intensive trade and colonization reshaped the region in this period. We will also look at how Archaic and Classical Greek-speakers constructed their own prehistory, and how their ideas have influenced modern scholarship. Our main concerns will be ethnogenesis, the development of the Greek language(s), and the dynamics of cultural exchange. We will explore current theoretical models for understanding these issues, and draw on evidence from archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, and the study of myth and literature.