Der lange Schatten der Palastzeit. Die nördliche Unterstadt von Tiryns: ein Großbauprojekt palast- und nachpalastzeitlicher Entscheidungsträger

Abstract

The German-Greek excavations in the Northwestern Lower Town of Tiryns, which were concluded with the campaigns of 2017 and 2018, have led to new insights concerning cultural and environmental change in the Mycenaean palatial and post-palatial period. Geoarchaeological and sedimentological investigations disprove the theory that a catastrophic flood prompted the well-known river diversion of during the late Mycenaean palatial period. The fluvial sediments encountered to the north of the acropolis were not deposited all at once, but accumulated gradually in up to 150 flood events between the mid 14th century and the end of the 13th century B.C. Evidence of an extensive levelling layer indicates that the desire to build on the site was an important motive for diverting the river – a plan which then could not be carried out during the palatial period. The undeveloped area was temporarily occupied by artisans who produced furniture of wood and ivory as well as other luxury goods for the palace. Construction at the site started in the beginning of the phase Late Helladic IIIC Early and followed a building plan – maintained in both 12th century building horizons – consisting of rectangular modules with identically aligned courtyards and houses. The carefully conceived character of the thus created town planned from scratch shows that the latter is based on the legacy of final palatial period planning and also probably constitutes the only major construction project that was implemented in Greece in LH IIIC. The inhabitation of the Northwestern Lower Town faltered after a few generations, however, and was abandoned long before the end of the Mycenaean period.