Archaeology of Crisis: The Collapse of t

In this lecture, we’ll examine the “globalized” palace network that spanned the Eastern Mediterranean in the Late Bronze Age, paying especially close attention to the Mycenaean culture zone. We’ll think about the turmoil that resulted in the destruction or abandonment of all known palaces in the Eastern Mediterranean, follow the trail of some of the armed refugees that both fled from and caused yet more turmoil, and end up in Philistia, the new homeland of a subset of these migrants. In this region, now constituting of the Gaza Strip and Southern Israel, we’ll witness competition, conflict, and cooperation in an ancient setting, as these newcomers selectively intermarried with locals, negotiated cultural and political boundaries, shifted alliances, created a political confederation, and eventually faded from view. Through readings, discussions, and short informal presentations, we’ll explore the methodologies by which archaeologists seek to gain a nuanced understanding of the past. We’ll also be closely attuned to how present challenges and crises spark new historical paradigms.