Pylian Political And Subsistence Economy: Production, Mobilization, And Exchange Strategies
Open Access
Author:
Keire, Robin Maxwell
Area of Honors:
Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Mary Lou Zimmerman Munn, Thesis Supervisor Mary Lou Zimmerman Munn, Thesis Honors Advisor Mark Munn, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Pylos economy subsistence political Linear B exchange mobilization Mycenaean
Abstract:
Since the decipherment of the Linear B documents by Michael Ventris, Mycenaean scholars have attempted to model the economy of Pylos. Research into Pylos has long been dominated by excavations of the palace as well as the palace’s role in the economy as revealed by the Linear B texts. It has long been believed that the palace played a dominant redistributional role in the Pylian polity. However, little attention has been placed on individuals and regions outside the palace. This thesis, using textual and archaeological evidence, attempts to show the role of individuals and regions as the main driving force of Pylian economy, while the palace used mobilization and exchange networks to acquire goods from the distributed network of production.
