An exploration of all things Mycenaean as of 2007.

The author thoroughly covers the discipline and what is known. She begins with the story of the archaeology of the Mycenaeans, with Schliemann and the rest, and what had been originally thought regarding the origins of the Greeks. She then tells the story of the grave circles at Mycenae and how they set forth the chronology of the time; she proceeds to describe the shaft grave era, the Mycenaean conquering of the Minoan world, and the palaces and kingdoms of the Mycenaeans. She also addresses trade, foreign relations, and what can be known about Mycenaean life and religion. After describing the decline and fall of the Mycenaean world, she addresses the Homeric epics and what can and cannot be ascertained regarding their historical antecedents.

A good introductory work that is more expansive than Michael Wood's In Search of the Trojan War, and updating the state of the field to 2007. It would be great to have an even newer work that incorporates the recent finds in Pylos. ( )

http://tpi-reads.blogspot.com/2009/11/mycenaeans-by-louise-schofield.html ( )