Friend or foe: Mycenaeanisation at Phylakopi on Melos in the Late Bronze Age
Published in Rosetta, Papers of the University of Birmingham 16, 2014
Abstract
This paper addresses the stimulus and process(es) of cultural change on the Cycladic island of Melos in the Aegean Sea, which sees successive phases of foreign influence and particularly intense Mycenaean interaction during the Late Bronze Age. First, the previous arguments are discussed and reviewed, before the use of interpretative models is rejected. It is argued that interpretative models ascribe uniform behaviour across varying cultures and periods, which does not consider the historical and regional contexts of culture change. Secondly, it is argued that a more contextual approach is required, which asserts the prominent role of Minoan Crete in the transformation of society at Phylakopi. Thirdly, the validity of the process of “Mycenaeanisation” is challenged and it is posited that there was significant negotiation with Mycenaean influence at Phylakopi, as well as a host of other localities in the Aegean.
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Recommended citation: Nuttall, C. (2014). “Friend or foe: Mycenaeanisation at Phylakopi on Melos in the Late Bronze Age”, Rosetta 16, 15–36.
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