(Social) Place and Space in Early Mycenaean Greece, pp. 421-452, 2021/05/26
International Discussions in Mycenaean Archaeology
October 5–8, 2016, Athens
At the onset of the Mycenaean era the southern mainland undergoes a pervasive transformation. The periodsees the introduction of new sumptuary practices, the emergence of elites and regional centres, the redefinition of personalidentities and a new receptivity to external influences. It is widely acknowledged that the Argolid, and Mycenaein particular, play a leading role in this process. While this is undoubtedly true, assigning a central position to Mycenaeand the Argolid entails the risk of treating Mycenae as representing developments across the entire region, and converselyof seeing the Argolid as a homogeneous entity already during the early Mycenaean period.In this paper, I would like to present differences and divergences within the Argolid during this period of fluid socialrelations, political realignments and shifting alliances. My argument will proceed in stages: I will briefly introduce thetheoretical debate on agency in processes of change, and address the methodological challenges that arise. I will thendiscuss the diverging trajectories of different communities across the Argive Plain, and the dissimilar responses by differentsocial parties such as age, gender, status and kin groups. The discussion will be based on contextual analyses offunerary data carried out under the Middle Helladic Argolid Project.The aim of this paper is to reveal the interplay between wider social processes and human agency, as different communities,groups and individuals experiment with new ideas and practices, attempt to carve their position in a changingworld and to find a balance between tradition and innovation.
Keywords: Agency, social change, mortuary practices, Mycenaean period, Late Bronze Age, Argolid, innovation, tradition
