Table Of ContentM
U
L
L
TOWARDS THE BORDERS OF THE
BRONZE AGE AND BEYOND
T
O
The Late Bronze Age from about 1600 to 1150 BCE was a time of W
A
unprecedented economic activity in human history based on the R
D
supply and production of the eponymous alloy bronze on an almost S
T
industrial scale. The supply networks for copper and tin during this H
E
period stretched over large parts of western Eurasia and included long B
O
R
distance maritime transport.
D
E
R
The palatial centres of Mycenaean Greece were positioned at a S
O
unique geographical interface between the cultural hotspots of the F
T
H
eastern Mediterranean as well as the metal supply sources in the
E
B
western Mediterranean, northern Europe and the Black Sea area. R
O
There are archaeological and historical indications that Mycenaeans N
Z
somehow contributed either directly or indirectly via intermediaries E
A
to the exchange of goods in the second half of the 2nd millennium G
E
A Jörg Mull
BCE. However, and partially due to limitations of archaeological N
D
and historical evidence, the degree to which the Mycenaean Greeks B
E
conducted long distance commercial journeys themselves to Y
O TOWARDS THE BORDERS OF THE
participate in the metal trade of the period is still disputed. N
D
Mull analyses the large corpus of the Greek myths, some of which are
likely to go back to Bronze Age roots and which contain evidence of BRONZE AGE AND
long distance journeys of Mycenaean pioneering adventurers. Mull,
after an education in classical languages, became a trained economist
with almost 30 years of experience in international business. From
this unusual vantage point he provides a fresh perspective on what is BEYOND
known about travel and trade during the Late Bronze Age, a discipline
so far dominated by archaeologists and historians.
ISBN 978-94-6426-077-9 Mycenaean Long Distance Travel
ISBN: 978-94-6426-077-9
and its Reflection in Myth
9 789464 260779
TOWARDS THE BORDERS OF THE
BRONZE AGE AND
BEYOND
TOWARDS THE BORDERS OF THE
BRONZE AGE AND
BEYOND
Mycenaean Long Distance Travel and
its Reflection in Myth
Jörg Mull
© 2022 Jörg Mull
Published by Sidestone Press, Leiden
www.sidestone.com
Imprint: Sidestone Press
Lay-out & cover design: Sidestone Press
Photograph cover: Replica of “Argo”, the mythical ship of Jason and the
Argonauts at the port of Volos town, Magnessia, Thessaly, Greece. Photo:
Iraklis Milas (stock.adobe.com)
ISBN 978-94-6426-077-9 (softcover)
ISBN 978-94-6426-078-6 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-94-6426-079-3 (PDF e-book)
Contents
Abstract 7
Acknowledgements 9
1. Preface 11
2. Introduction 13
3. References to Time and Dates in the Bronze Age 17
4. The Historical and Archaeological Framework of Travel 21
and Mobility in the Bronze Age
5. The Economic Background of Bronze Age Long Distance Travel 33
6. Shipbuilding in the Bronze Age 43
7. Evidence for Mycenaean Long Distance Journeys in the LBA 49
8. Reflections of Mycenaean Long Distance Travel in the 57
Mythological Record
8.1 Definitions, Structures and Functions of Myth 57
8.2 Myth and History 58
8.2.1 Approaches to the Historicity and the Origins of Myths 58
8.2.2 The Transmission Processes During the ‘Dark Ages’ 60
8.2.3 Transposition and Re-Interpretation of Myth during the Archaic 61
Age of Greek Colonial Expansion
8.2.4 Epic Poetry, Canonization and Local Variants 62
8.2.5 Early Geography and the ‘Historization of Myth’ in the Archaic, 64
Classical and Hellenistic Periods
8.3 Genealogies – Mythical Timekeeping 70
8.4 The Content and Narrative Style of Greek Travel Myths – Quests and 72
Journeys in the LBA
8.5 The Historicity of Greek Travel Myths – Conclusions and Vantage Point 75
9. Mycenaean Contacts with the Civilizations in the Eastern 77
Mediterranean
9.1 Mycenaean Contacts with Anatolia 77
9.1.1 Archaeological and Historical Evidence of Mycenaean Contacts 77
with Anatolia
9.1.2 Reflections in Greek Myths 79
9.2 Mycenaean Contacts with the Levant 82
9.2.1 Archaeological Evidence of Mycenaean Contacts with the Levant 82
9.2.2 Reflections in Greek Myths 84
9.3 Mycenaean Contacts with Cyprus 87
9.3.1 Archaeological Evidence of Mycenaean Contacts with Cyprus 87
9.3.2 Reflections in Greek Myths 88
9.4 Mycenaean Contacts with Egypt 89
9.4.1 Pictorial, Historical and Archaeological Evidence of Mycenaean 89
Contacts with Egypt
9.4.2 Reflections in Greek Myths 95
10. Mycenaean Contacts with the Central and Western 105
Mediterranean
10.1 Evidence of Mycenaean Journeys to Italy and Sicily 105
10.1.1 Archaeological Evidence 105
10.1.2 Reflections in Myths 108
10.2 Evidence of Mycenaean Contacts with Sardinia 109
10.2.1 Archaeological Evidence 109
10.2.2 Reflections in Myths 110
10.3 Mycenaean Contacts with the Iberian Peninsula 111
10.3.1 Archaeological Evidence 111
10.3.2 Reflections in Greek Myths 116
11. Mycenaean Journeys to the Black Sea Area 123
11.1 The Historical, Archaeological and Epigraphic Evidence of 123
Mycenaean Contacts with the Black Sea Area
11.2 Reflections of Mycenaean Journeys to the Black Sea Area in 126
Greek Myths
12. The Mysterious Countries ‘Beyond’ 131
12.1 The Far South and East – The Ethiopians, the Red Sea and the 131
Indian Ocean
12.2 The Far West – ‘The Isles of the Blessed’ 133
12.3 ‘Hyperborea’ – The Mysterious ‘Far North’ 135
12.3.1 The Archaeological Evidence of Contacts from Mycenaean 135
Greece with Northern Europe
12.3.2 The Mythical Record of Mycenaean Contacts with Northern 141
Europe
13. Summary and Conclusions 147
14. References 151
Abstract
The Late Bronze Age from about 1600 to 1150 BCE was a time of unprecedented economic
activity in human history based on the supply and production of the eponymous alloy
bronze on an almost industrial scale. The supply networks for copper and tin, the
components of true bronze, during this period stretched over large parts of western
Eurasia and included long distance maritime transport.
The palatial centres of Mycenaean Greece were positioned at a unique geographical
interface between the cultural centres of the eastern Mediterranean as well as the metal
supply sources in the western Mediterranean, northern Europe and the Black Sea area.
There are archaeological, historical and epigraphic indications that the Mycenaeans
somehow contributed either directly or indirectly via intermediaries to the exchange
of goods in the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE. However, and partially due to
limitations of archaeological and historical evidence, the degree to which the Mycenaean
Greeks conducted long distance commercial journeys themselves to participate in the
metal trade of the period is still disputed.
Joerg Mull analyzes the large corpus of the Greek myths, many of which are likely
to go back to Bronze Age roots and which contain evidence of long distance journeys
of Mycenaean pioneering adventurers. Mull, after an education in classical languages,
became a trained economist with almost 30 years of experience in international business.
From this unusual vantage point he provides a fresh perspective on what is known
about travel and trade during the Late Bronze Age, a discipline so far dominated by
archaeologists, historians and linguists.
In his new volume, the transmitted mythical stories of Mycenaean explorers on the
metal trading routes of the Late Bronze Age are used as supporting evidence to answer
the still controversially discussed question regarding the Mycenaean involvement in the
exchange of goods, especially metals, during the Late Bronze Age. The analysis shows
that there is clear evidence of Mycenaean long distance travel and exploration contained
within the corpus of Greek myths with a focus towards the metal supply centres of the age
in Sardinia, southern Iberia and the Black Sea area.
Regarding the economic networks of the Late Bronze Age, within which these mythical
journeys likely took place, the academic and professional background of the author as
an economist and long-time business professional sometimes leads to new questions
being asked and new perspectives given on the existing archaeological and historical
research. With respect to the references contained in the myths, the book takes the
AbstrAct 7
ancient mythological tradition serious to an extent that the strictly scientific reader from
an archaeological or historical provenience will find unorthodox or even provocative. Yet
in this way the historical and archaeological background for mythical protagonists like
Heracles or Perseus becomes accessible to a broader audience.
8 tOWArDs tHE bOrDErs OF tHE brONZE AGE AND bEYOND
