Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry:Vol. 5, No 2 (2005)
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine all the archaeological evidence regarding weapons in Early Iron Age Thessaly. This involves the study of both offensive (swords, knives, spearheads, arrowheads, and sling bullets) and defensive (shields) equipment. This analysis shall serve as the basis for an attempt to throw some light on the nature of warfare in Thessaly during this crucial period of Greek history.
Since the works of Snodgrass in the 1960s(1964; 1967), very little has been written onEarly Iron Age (EIA) weapons and warfare. With the exception of Kilian-Dirlmeier’s(1993) fundamental study on swords, most of the material is published as part of excavationreports, which understandably do not go intomuch detail. Recently, Irene Lemos (2002)has successfully attempted to bring togethermost of the weapons evidence from the Aegean, but only for the Protogeometric period. In addition, the lack of any representational art and written sources still inhibit us from establishing a clearer picturefor EIA warfare, in contrast with the ampleevidence from the Late Geometric period onwards. In this paper, we are first going to present all the archaeological record regarding weapons in EIA Thessaly (fig.1). This shall befollowed by a discussion summarising the evidence and putting it into a greater context.
Ioannis Georganas
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry: Vol. 5, No 2 (2005)
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine all the archaeological evidence regarding weapons in Early Iron Age Thessaly. This involves the study of both offensive (swords, knives, spearheads, arrowheads, and sling bullets) and defensive (shields) equipment. This analysis shall serve as the basis for an attempt to throw some light on the nature of warfare in Thessaly during this crucial period of Greek history.
Since the works of Snodgrass in the 1960s(1964; 1967), very little has been written onEarly Iron Age (EIA) weapons and warfare. With the exception of Kilian-Dirlmeier’s(1993) fundamental study on swords, most of the material is published as part of excavationreports, which understandably do not go intomuch detail. Recently, Irene Lemos (2002)has successfully attempted to bring togethermost of the weapons evidence from the Aegean, but only for the Protogeometric period. In addition, the lack of any representational art and written sources still inhibit us from establishing a clearer picturefor EIA warfare, in contrast with the ampleevidence from the Late Geometric period onwards. In this paper, we are first going to present all the archaeological record regarding weapons in EIA Thessaly (fig.1). This shall befollowed by a discussion summarising the evidence and putting it into a greater context.
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