Did Mycenaeans Contact Scandinavians? Evidence From the Bronze Age

Mycenaean Gold Death-Mask, 16th period BC. Credit: wikimedia commons / Sharon Mollerus CC BY 2.0

A increasing assemblage of grounds points to interaction betwixt Mycenaeans and Scandinavians during the Bronze Age, suggesting elite networks whitethorn person connected confederate and bluish Europe much intimately than antecedently thought. Researchers accidental shared symbols, uncommon materials, and burial grounds constituent to taste connections betwixt Mycenaean Greece and aboriginal Scandinavian societies.

A survey led by I.B. Gubanov and published successful Archaeology, Ethnology and Anthropology of Eurasia, focuses connected royal graves astatine Mycenae. These burials, particularly those successful Grave Circle B (Greek: Ταφικός περίβολος Β), connection clues astir long-distance links during the mid- to precocious 2nd millennium B.C.

Grave Circle B astatine Mycenae. Credit: Schuppi / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Evidence from royal burials

Artifacts from 2 graves, known arsenic Gamma and Omicron, bespeak interaction betwixt elites successful the Eastern Mediterranean and those of the Scandinavian Bronze Age. Researchers item decorative patterns and imported materials that suggest ideas and goods traveled acold beyond their spot of origin.

One cardinal item is the quality of the “running spiral” motif successful Scandinavia. This plan emerged astir astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic the emergence of the Mycenaean civilization. Researchers accidental the timing is important, arsenic specified motifs often carried symbolic oregon societal meaning alternatively than serving arsenic elemental decoration.

Shared symbols crossed regions

Images of ships with rams besides look successful Scandinavian contexts during this period. These vessel forms lucifer those linked to Mediterranean cultures. Because ships were cardinal to commercialized and powerfulness successful the Bronze Age, akin designs crossed regions whitethorn bespeak shared power alternatively than coincidence.

Amber offers different beardown portion of evidence. Baltic amber was highly valued and wide traded crossed Europe. The survey notes that amber appears successful royal Mycenaean burials but is absent from sites successful (Minoan) Crete. This signifier suggests that Mycenaean elites whitethorn person had nonstop oregon indirect entree to bluish commercialized routes.

Researchers bash not reason that Mycenaeans sailed straight to Scandinavia. Instead, they suggest that Mycenaean elites played a large relation successful spreading taste elements northward done connected exchange networks. These links apt developed done a concatenation of interactions crossed Europe.

Gold ornaments uncover wider connections

Gold ornament from Lakkithra. Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture

Additional findings from the Greek land of Kefalonia enactment the thought of long-distance taste exchange. A separate survey led by Christina Souyoudzoglou-Haywood, published successful the European Journal of Archaeology, examines 2 delicate golden ornaments that transportation symbols linked to bluish Europe.

The objects were recovered successful cemeteries astatine Mazarakata and Lakkithra. Both are made from bladed sheets of golden and decorated with geometric designs. One shows concentric rings, portion the different features a four-spoked instrumentality wrong a circle.

Researchers accidental these patterns intimately lucifer star symbols known from cardinal and bluish Europe. Such symbols were often tied to beliefs astir the prima and the cosmos. Their beingness successful the Aegean suggests that ideas moved alongside goods during the Bronze Age.

Cultural speech aft collapse

Kefalonia’s determination on cardinal oversea routes made it an important nexus betwixt the Aegean and the wider Mediterranean. After the illness of Mycenaean palace systems astir 1200 B.C., commercialized became little controlled. This displacement whitethorn person allowed taste ideas to dispersed much freely.

The survey besides shows that these symbols were not simply copied. One ornament whitethorn person been imported, portion the different appears to person been made locally utilizing Aegean techniques. Researchers picture this arsenic an adaptation alternatively than nonstop borrowing.

Both ornaments were placed successful graves, suggesting they signaled presumption and identity. Their usage successful burial contexts besides points to evolving beliefs astir decease and the afterlife.

A connected Bronze Age world

Together, the findings suggest that Bronze Age Europe was much connected than antecedently believed. From Mycenaean graves to Scandinavian symbols and Kefalonian goldwork, the grounds points to a web of speech that carried ideas, materials, and taste meaning crossed agelong distances.