The Smith and the State: Relationships between Metallurgical Production and Mycenaean Palaces in Late Bronze Age Greece

Taylor Stark, PhD candidate, University of Toronto (Classics)

It is generally thought that the Mycenaean palaces in Late Bronze Age Greece (ca. 1600 – 1150 BCE) held near-universal control over specialized crafting industries, including metal production. This view is derived from the textual evidence of the Linear B tablets. However, a comparison of various archaeological metal production assemblages reveals that smiths interacted with political authorities in far more complex ways than has been assumed. As such, this talk presents a more nuanced understanding of the diverse relationships that existed between craft production and the palaces, which in turn has broader implications for our view of Mycenaean states as definable entities which are universally comparable in their function and interests.

Zoom link: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/82140037593

.Co-sponsored by the University of Toronto Department of Classics.