Iron Age and Geometric Period

Question 1

Describe the signs of the collapse of the Bronze Age

Answer 1

Signs:
* Depopulation and abandonment
* Mass migration
* Damage to infrastructure
* Trade disruption
* Writing disappears
* Luxury goods become scarce

Question 2

What are the combination of causes for the collaps of the Bronze Age?

Answer 2

• Natural disasters
• Internal social upheavel
• Invasions
• Eocnomic problems and disruption of trade routes

Question 3

What are the inventions of the Iron Age?

Answer 3

• Imported iron technology
• Greek alphabet (originated in Phoenicia)
• Improved potter’s wheel
• Emergence of polis
• Emergence of Panhellenic sites
• New style of pottery: Geometric style

Question 4

Describe protogeometric pottery.

Answer 4

• Assembleges come from Attica
• Burial practices changes to cremation
• Decorations: black slip, bands, curving lines, concentric cirlcles and half-circles drawn with compass

Question 5

Identification

Answer 5

Protogeometric Attic Cinerary Amphora
* From Kerameikos
* 1000-900 BCE
* Houses ashes of diceases
* Long neck, horse figure resting on band, circles on choulder, black slip on neck and mouth, short handles

Question 6

Identification

Answer 6

Early Geometric Bural Amphora
* Early geometric period found in Attic
* Meander/Greek key
* Cinerary urn
* Assemblage includes two pitchers, three cups, pyxis, carbonized figs, grapes, horse bitsw, axes, knives, spearheads
* Iron sword bent around neck
* Handles located on neck and should= male

Question 7

Identification

Answer 7

Dipylon Amphora
* Found in Dipylon Cemetery, Kerameikos from Late Geometric period
* Painter is Dippulon Master
* Large belly-handled (female aristocrat)
* Size: 1.55m high
* Made in 3 sections
* Registers
* Funeral scene placed between handles

Question 8

What is a prothesis?

Answer 8

• Funerary rite of laying of the body

Question 9

Identification

Answer 9

Dipylon Krater
* Funerary monument
* Mourning scene, prosthesis
* From late geometric period
* Bottom register depicts memorial games to honour war heros

Question 10

Describe a toumba structure.

Answer 10

• Wooden shrine with 2 shaft graves (1. Four horses, 2. Cremated male and inhumed female)
  *

Question 11

Identification

Answer 11

Centaur Figurine
* Eubean terracotta figurine
* Lefkandi, around end of 1000 BCE
* Head and body found in separate graves
* Hole is for venting while in kiln

Question 12

Descibe middle geometric pottery

Answer 12

• Belly is primary decorative zone
• Decorative registers
• Circles, meander, other patterns

Question 13

Describe late geometric pottery

Answer 13

• Large burial vessels as grave markers for elite burials
• Simple silhouttes and figures in profile
• Battle and funerary scenses are common
• Motif patterns: zigzags, meander, swastika, triangle, circles, linear balnds
• Decorations cover entire vessel, little blank space