Tiryns

Tiryns perhaps originally ruled by Mycenae, but later became center of independent state

"Within the Argolid, we now have possible evidence for the existence of independent Linear B archives at Mycenae and Tiryns, and it is thus possible that these two sites may have been the capitals of independent kingdoms" (Dartmouth Project, lesson 25)

"The fortifications and palatial architecture of Tiryns are at least as impressive as those of Mycenae in the later Mycenaean period. Now that Linear B tablets have been discovered at both sites, a fact suggesting that the two may well have maintained independent administrative archives, there seems to be no compelling reason to assume that Tiryns was controlled by Mycenae at this time. If the two were in competition, their similarities in defensive architecture may even be viewed as evidence for a 13th century B.C. 'arms race'!" (Dartmouth Project, lesson 21)

"whereas it seems unlikely that Tiryns was not a part of a Mycenaean kingdom in LHIIIA and B." (Aegaeum 28, p 23)

Tiryns was the port of Mycenae

"You can see Tiryns from Mycenae. Some kind of friendly relationship. Tiryns not nearly as large outside the citadel. The port of Mycenae. Now about 1 mile from sea, but water used to come nearly up to Tiryns." Class notes, lecture 22

Tiryns continued to flourish after its initial destruction

"At Tiryns, recent excavations by the Germans suggest that the Lower Town outside the walls (Unterstadt) was extensively rebuilt in the early LH IIIC period after the flash flood that had overwhelmed most of its LH IIIB predecessor and required the construction of the great dam to the east of the site" (Dartmouth Project, Lesson 29)

[I]n the Argolid, Laconia and East Locris the number of inland sites decreases rapidly, while some coastal sites continue, and Tiryns expands. (Aegaeum 28, p 20)

"[I]n IIIC Tiryns is the sole former palatial site which seems to grow in population" (Aegaeum 28, p 23)

Tiryns destroyed by earthquake
In the Argolid at least, another major earthquake can be identified. (Aegaeum 28, p 19)

"Earthquakes have been blamed for the destructions at Mycenae and Tiryns." (Cambridge Companion, 397, LH IIIIB1)

"Of even greater potential significance is the strong conviction of the German excavators that the destruction at Tiryns was caused by an earthquake rather than being due to human agency." (Dartmouth Project, lesson 28)


shortage of tin drives iron age...probably not (at least not in transition to LH IIIC)
"A more recent theory claims that the development of iron technology was driven by the disruption of the copper and tin trade routes, due to the collapse of the empires at the end of the Late Bronze Age.[12] These metals, especially tin, were not widely available and needed to be transported over long distances; whereas iron ores are widely available. However, there is no archaeological evidence that would suggest a shortage of bronze or tin in the Early Iron Age.[13] Bronze objects continued to be abundant, and these objects have the same percentage of tin as those from the Late Bronze Age." (Wikipedia, "History of ferrous metallurgy", citing Muhly, James D. 'Metalworking/Mining in the Levant' pp. 174-183 in Near Eastern Archaeology ed. Suzanne Richard (2003), pp. 179-180.

"Bronzesmiths of the postpalatial period were able to keep up a high standard of their craft. In fact, weaponry reached a pinnacle of achievement." (Cambridge Companion, p 401)


shortage of food?

"The great drainage system of the Kopais, on which a vast amount of labor was expended, was also destroyed, perhaps causing food shortages." (Aegaeum 28, p 19)

"The agricultural basis of the palace states was taken beyond its limits by overexploitation of arable lands and soils. Wheat and barley were of low quality and contaminated by weeds." (CC, p 389)

"One reaction may have been increasingly desperate efforts to produce, suggested particularly by the evidence that the palace at Pylos was being turned more and more into a perfumed oil factory and by the deficits in its taxation system, which may have been trying to extract more than the territory could produce. There could have been increasing tensions between the Mycenaean states as they tried to secure a share of diminishing resources, perhaps to be detected in the thirteenth-century destructions at various sites." (Dickinson 307)

Pylos shortages

"The scarcity of raw materials, and of copper in particular, for specialized workers within the kingdom of Pylos is clear from Linear B texts found at that site. Although no comparable documentary evidence has been found at other Mycenaean centers, this shortage of imported raw materials and the breakdown in exchange networks which such a shortage implies is usually considered to have existed throughout the southern Aegean by the end of the 13th century B.C." (Dartmouth Project, Lesson 28)

Rebuilding

"Why, for example, should earthquakes cause permanent change at some stages of Aegean culture but purely temporary interruptions of development at others, and, more generally, do historical analogies suggest that such natural events hve really marked effects on historical development?" (Dickinson 296)

Dartmouth 28 repeatedly evaluates theories in terms of whether they explain why the palaces were never rebuilt.

(no subject)

Tiryns perhaps originally ruled by Mycenae, but later became center of independent state

"Within the Argolid, we now have possible evidence for the existence of independent Linear B archives at Mycenae and Tiryns, and it is thus possible that these two sites may have been the capitals of independent kingdoms" (Dartmouth Project, lesson 25)

"The fortifications and palatial architecture of Tiryns are at least as impressive as those of Mycenae in the later Mycenaean period. Now that Linear B tablets have been discovered at both sites, a fact suggesting that the two may well have maintained independent administrative archives, there seems to be no compelling reason to assume that Tiryns was controlled by Mycenae at this time. If the two were in competition, their similarities in defensive architecture may even be viewed as evidence for a 13th century B.C. 'arms race'!" (Dartmouth Project, lesson 21)

"whereas it seems unlikely that Tiryns was not a part of a Mycenaean kingdom in LHIIIA and B." (Aegaeum 28, p 23)

Tiryns was the port of Mycenae

"You can see Tiryns from Mycenae. Some kind of friendly relationship. Tiryns not nearly as large outside the citadel. The port of Mycenae. Now about 1 mile from sea, but water used to come nearly up to Tiryns." Class notes, lecture 22

Tiryns continued to flourish after its initial destruction

"At Tiryns, recent excavations by the Germans suggest that the Lower Town outside the walls (Unterstadt) was extensively rebuilt in the early LH IIIC period after the flash flood that had overwhelmed most of its LH IIIB predecessor and required the construction of the great dam to the east of the site" (Dartmouth Project, Lesson 29)

[I]n the Argolid, Laconia and East Locris the number of inland sites decreases rapidly, while some coastal sites continue, and Tiryns expands. (Aegaeum 28, p 20)

"[I]n IIIC Tiryns is the sole former palatial site which seems to grow in population" (Aegaeum 28, p 23)

Tiryns destroyed by earthquake
In the Argolid at least, another major earthquake can be identified. (Aegaeum 28, p 19)

"Earthquakes have been blamed for the destructions at Mycenae and Tiryns." (Cambridge Companion, 397, LH IIIIB1)

"Of even greater potential significance is the strong conviction of the German excavators that the destruction at Tiryns was caused by an earthquake rather than being due to human agency." (Dartmouth Project, lesson 28)


shortage of tin drives iron age...probably not (at least not in transition to LH IIIC)
"A more recent theory claims that the development of iron technology was driven by the disruption of the copper and tin trade routes, due to the collapse of the empires at the end of the Late Bronze Age.[12] These metals, especially tin, were not widely available and needed to be transported over long distances; whereas iron ores are widely available. However, there is no archaeological evidence that would suggest a shortage of bronze or tin in the Early Iron Age.[13] Bronze objects continued to be abundant, and these objects have the same percentage of tin as those from the Late Bronze Age." (Wikipedia, "History of ferrous metallurgy", citing Muhly, James D. 'Metalworking/Mining in the Levant' pp. 174-183 in Near Eastern Archaeology ed. Suzanne Richard (2003), pp. 179-180.

"Bronzesmiths of the postpalatial period were able to keep up a high standard of their craft. In fact, weaponry reached a pinnacle of achievement." (Cambridge Companion, p 401)


shortage of food?

"The great drainage system of the Kopais, on which a vast amount of labor was expended, was also destroyed, perhaps causing food shortages." (Aegaeum 28, p 19)

"The agricultural basis of the palace states was taken beyond its limits by overexploitation of arable lands and soils. Wheat and barley were of low quality and contaminated by weeds." (CC, p 389)

"One reaction may have been increasingly desperate efforts to produce, suggested particularly by the evidence that the palace at Pylos was being turned more and more into a perfumed oil factory and by the deficits in its taxation system, which may have been trying to extract more than the territory could produce. There could have been increasing tensions between the Mycenaean states as they tried to secure a share of diminishing resources, perhaps to be detected in the thirteenth-century destructions at various sites." (Dickinson 307)

Pylos shortages

"The scarcity of raw materials, and of copper in particular, for specialized workers within the kingdom of Pylos is clear from Linear B texts found at that site. Although no comparable documentary evidence has been found at other Mycenaean centers, this shortage of imported raw materials and the breakdown in exchange networks which such a shortage implies is usually considered to have existed throughout the southern Aegean by the end of the 13th century B.C." (Dartmouth Project, Lesson 28)

[At Pylos] Tablets originally appear to have listed around 400 bronzesmiths distributed over many locations, but only a small amount of copper is assigned to each bronzesmith, raising the possibility of a copper shortage at that moment. (Aegaeum 28 p 18)

Rebuilding

"Why, for example, should earthquakes cause permanent change at some stages of Aegean culture but purely temporary interruptions of development at others, and, more generally, do historical analogies suggest that such natural events hve really marked effects on historical development?" (Dickinson 296)

Dartmouth 28 repeatedly evaluates theories in terms of whether they explain why the palaces were never rebuilt.