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Problems of the Twelfth Century BC in the Dodecanese

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2013

Colin MacDonald
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Abstract

Three islands of the Dodecanese (Rhodes, Kos, and Kalymnos) have produced a substantial amount of published evidence which sheds light on population fluctuations and external relations during the twelfth century BC. The burial evidence from the Ialysos cemeteries indicates that the population may have increased fivefold after LH IIIB. A corresponding decrease may have occurred in southern Rhodes indicating a synoecism of the island. If this is so, the reasons may be related to the increasing prosperity of the main town, Ialysos. This is a period of regional diversity. Distinctive island pottery styles developed under marked Minoan influence. However, mainland influence was stronger, broader, and more constant. None of these islands appears to have contributed to the development of IIIC styles elsewhere nor actively participated in maritime trade. Rhodes and Kos acquired objects from the east Mediterranean and Europe. At this time, there is evidence for a revival of sea travel within and beyond the Aegean. Rhodes, in particular, benefited from this but may primarily have been a passive recipient. The resulting prosperity could have been one factor which drew people to the area of Ialysos in a process of synoecism.

Type
Research Article
Information
Annual of the British School at Athens , Volume 81 , November 1986 , pp. 125 - 151
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1986

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References

Acknowledgements. This article is a revised version of part of my D.Phil, thesis entitled: ‘The Relationship of Crete and Mainland Greece to the Islands of the South Aegean during the Late Bronze Age’. I am indebted to my college, Christ Church and to my supervisor, Mr M. R. Popham for their help. In Athens, I have benefited greatly from discussions with Dr H. W. Catling. In addition, I thank the following for their assistance: Dr R. L. N. Barber, Mr G. Cadogan, Mr and Mrs E. Kako-voyannis, Miss P.-A. Mountjoy, Dr S. Sherratt, Miss S. Wall. The illustrations are reproduced with the permission of the Italian School of Archaeology.

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9 RBA 90.

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43 Kos: ET 1:2 and 15:6. Naxos: Kardara, op. cit. pls. 21 3.934. Perati: Perati II colour pls. ii–iv: 569, 746, 1210. Kerameikos: Kraiker, W. and Kübler, K., Kerameikos I (1939) pl. 5.Google Scholar Delphi: Fouilles de Delphes V (1908–9) fig. 26. Troy (?): on display in the National Museum Athens. As is usual with OSJ's, each is idiosyncratic and cannot necessarily be assigned to the same workshop, although they may be expected to be broadly contemporary. Vase 746 from Perati Tomb 100 belongs to Phase 2 and should belong to an advanced stage of LH IIIC.

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57 I am most grateful to Penelope Mountjoy who, having seen my colour slides of the imports from Kalavarda-Aniforos, considered them to be East Attic on the basis of the colour of the clay and paint. It has also become clear through discussions with her that some of the vases under discussion could be late IIIC, i.e. post-Granary Destruction. This problem requires attention since it affects any historical discussion of the Dodecanese and the question of a gap in occupation between the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages.

58 RBA 90.

59 MPI pl. 14.12–14.

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61 PBF vii. 2 fig. 1.

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63 Ialysos II 328 figs. 76–7.

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77 Op. cit. 106.

78 Mee has discussed Kos and Kalymnos in detail in DBA. The Serraglio was not then published.

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103 Ibid. fig. 362.

104 Ibid. fig. 365.

105 LT 44: 7; Eleona/Langada fig. 335. Ialysos NT 87:5.

106 e.g. Lefkandi Phase 2: BSA 66 (1971) 342 fig. 4.8.

107 Sherratt, op. cit. 298–344.

108 Perati II colour pls. ii.1210, iii.569, vi.746.

109 Eleona/Langada 302.

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111 Eleona/Langada 137 figs. 122–5.

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123 Eleona/Langada 112 fig. 93; Serraglio fig. 47; lalysos I fig. 106. Gerokomeion, : SIMA 55 (1978) fig. 328bGoogle Scholar; Perati III pl. 128c. M157.

124 e.g. LT II, lalysos NT 32 and Perati Tombs 5a (Perati III pl. 52) and 123. Iakovides noted this in Perati II 284.

125 LMS 176.

126 Zervoudakis, H., ADelt B2 (1971) 550–1Google Scholar; Konstantinopoulos, G., AAA 6 (1973) 124Google Scholar; Catling, H. W., AR (1983–1984) 70 fig. 135.Google Scholar

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129 For distribution cf. RBA 41 n. 345 50. To this list may be added one from each of the following sites: Serraglio (unpublished); Mouliana, (AE 3 (1904) fig. 6)Google Scholar; Kea, (CVA Germany, fasc. 40. Bonn, fasc. 2 (1976) pl. 36.1–2)Google Scholar; Emborio, Chios (M. S. F. Hood, Prehistoric Emborio and Ayia Gala II (1982) fig. 274).

130 Perati II 252.

131 AR (1982–3) 28.

132 PAE (1969) p1. 274b; ADelt 23A (1968) pl. 74a–b.