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Building Mycenaean Identity: A Systematic Analysis of Early Helladic III to Protogeometric Domestic Architecture in Mainland Greece for Evidence of Social Groups

In this study, I reconsider the term, "Mycenaean," and its social significance. As a starting point, I utilize the essential
qualities of the term's definition: a group of individuals living in mainland Greece during the Late Helladic period. Because the use of
this term implicitly distinguishes the organization of such individuals from the previous and subsequent epochs, I also seek a social
group that was organized uniquely relative to the periods that bookend it. With this stated goal, I consider identity during a broad
chronological period, Early Helladic III to Protogeometric, in mainland Greece and compare the reconstructed social networks
diachronically. In order to identify past social groups, I develop a new methodology that employs a behavioral approach to the analysis of
domestic architecture. The integration of social groups is maintained by the performance and recognition of shared practices in the
context and environment of interaction among the members. Thus, a high degree of correspondence of behaviors related to the daily lived-in
environment, i.e. domestic architecture, can reveal networks of individuals constituting a daily social group. With this, I examine 458
domestic structures excavated in mainland Greece each for evidence of 180 individual aspects of architectural construction and spatial
organization. I then consider the overall correspondence of such direct behaviors and behavior-guiding attributes, together named
Behavioral Aspects, and the mean values for individual construction techniques. With these data, I reconstruct social networks during each
phase of the study period and comment on social organization and architectural change during the study period. In the end, I identify a
Late Helladic social group that is uniquely organized relative to the preceding and subsequent epochs. In Late Helladic II to Late
Helladic IIIC, individuals in mainland Greece become integrated into a single social group. Prior to this period, the behavioral
correspondence analysis indicates the existence of two separate social groups that cohabitated many settlements. These groups were most
distinct in Early Helladic III, but became increasingly integrated over time. Following the Late Helladic IIIC period there is a
demonstrable fragmentation of the social network and a different spatial organization of the domestic architecture. This suggests a social
crisis of some sort and the incorporation of new behaviors and perceptions of built space during the Protogeometric period. Such a sudden
process of change appears to be the result of multiple causes, including isolation, population movement, and the introduction of outside
groups. With all of this considered, the unified social network and conservatism of building traditions in LH II to LH IIIC attest to a
unique social organization and stable social relations within mainland Greece, qualities of the defined "Mycenaean" social
group. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Classics in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of
Philosophy. / Spring Semester 2016. / February 25, 2016. / Bronze Age Greece, Domestic Architecture, Greek Archaeology, Greek Architecture, Identity, Mycenaean / Includes bibliographical references. / Daniel Pullen, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jack Freiberg, University Representative;
Christopher Pfaff, Committee Member; Andrea De Giorgi, Committee Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_360522
ContributorsJazwa, Kyle Alexander (authoraut), Pullen, Daniel J. (professor directing dissertation), Freiberg, Jack (university representative), Pfaff, Christopher A. (committee member), De Giorgi, Andrea U. (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Classics (degree granting department)
PublisherFlorida State University, Florida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text
Format1 online resource (777 pages), computer, application/pdf
RightsThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them.

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