The Middle Helladic Pottery of Lefkandi Phases Iv–vi: An Introduction

Abstract

This paper presents a more detailed account of the pottery of Phases IV–VI in the Middle Helladic (MH) sequence at Lefkandi: Xeropolis than is available in the preliminary report. It is based essentially on an unfinished draft compiled by Roger Howell (the Howell manuscript). After an introduction on the background, there is discussion of the Howell manuscript, and then an analysis of the stratigraphy of Trench CC, the basis for the phasing of the pre-Mycenaean phases of Lefkandi; brief comments are also provided on those trial trenches that produced relevant material. The pottery of the three phases is then set out in detail, with attention to the relative popularity of wares and the shapes within those wares, and to possible imports, and they are argued to be classifiable as later ‘MH I’ (Phase IV), advanced ‘MH II’ (Phase V), and the early Mycenaean period, quite possibly starting in ‘MH III’ but continuing well into Late Helladic II (Phase VI). A summary sets out some distinctive characteristics of the Lefkandi sequence, as deducible from this material, and some general conclusions.

Sea Brought Onto Land: Seascape Imagery in the Cycladic Pottery From Phylakopi (Melos) in the National Archaeological Museum, Athens

“…It is worth noting that City II does not have any representations of active seafaring. This is despite the participation of Phylakopi in Aegean exchange networks, suggested by the appearance of MM (Hood 2007) and MH (Dickinson 2007) imports. This lack of seafaring representation could be explained as a result of a decline in the local importance of maritime movement as a source of social power in interpersonal dynamics.…”