Early Greece: The Bronze and Archaic Ages

In his book, Finley recreates the ancient world of Greece from the Bronze through the Archaic Age. He does this, as historians before him have done, by examining the broad periods of history as they are associated with the tools and natural materials used in each. Then, once more knowledge is gained through further study and research, the periods in history can be broken down even further. The focal point of the book shows that, by studying ancient history and generalizing the past, one can use archeological evidence to construct a society for each place. Detail is added when facts are discovered and verified. Archeological findings are often things the ancients used, such as tools and pottery that they made out of natural substances in their local area. Historians and archeologists formulate answers to questions about who lived where, when, and why, and to discuss their relationships to other contemporaries. The author examines section by section Greece and examines it. The culture is revealed based on archeological discoveries that provide a basis for historical theories. Key to a location's survival is its relationship to other contemporary places, and exchange of goods and survival allows for growth both intellectually and technologically. Finley originally published this book in 1970. He republished it in 1981 to incorporate new archeological discoveries. He has examined the ancient Greek world chronologically from Early Minoan to the Persian Wars from the social, economic, and political aspects. Archeological evidence is valuable for describing and dividing changes in antiquity. Divisions were created as advancements occurred. One example of an advancement cited by Finley is the burial ritual. Much can be learned about a society by studying the way they bury their dead. The Cyclades included marble idols in the graves. The Cretans did nothing majestic with their tombs. The gold disks the Mycenaeans buried in their shaft-graves and the later pottery found in Mycenaean Tholos-tombs help to date the burial sites. By studying advancements in burial designs of these different groups, one can decipher the stages of development for a group of people. After determining who was buried in the tombs, one can interpret who and what traits were more honored by the more decorative ornamentation found. When read along with a more in-depth and inclusive textbook designed to instruct the unfamiliar student with ancient times, this book is most helpful. It includes many terms assumed to be familiar but which are not, and therefore, definitions of these terms are needed. By reading a supplementary list of terms and committing to memory many of the characters names, approaching the text became easier.