Description

So far no holistic study and synthesis of Late Minoan bronze-working has been published. This study is the first attempt to collect all available data and analyze the whole bronze-working process from raw materials to finished objects and present a comprehensive view of its development from the Neopalatial to the Postpalatial period. The aims of this study are (1) to collect all published data on bronze objects, evidence for raw materials and bronze workshops as well as scientific analyses related to Late Minoan bronze-working, and store them in codified databases; (2) to analyze this information and identify differences in the bronze object assemblages, selected object types, the finding contexts, the metalworking techniques, the alloy composition and the availability of copper between the Neopalatial, the Mycenaean Knossos and the Postpalatial periods; (3) to identify the causes of possible changes and differences between these periods; (4) to present an overview of the bronze industry on Crete and its development during the Late Bronze Age. Chronologically the study is centred on the Late Bronze Age, and metallurgically and geographically the scope of the research is limited to copper-based objects, archaeological evidence for their manufacturing and copper raw material found on Crete, as well as scientific analyses related to them. Chapter 2 contains a brief outline of Early and Middle Minoan bronze-working. The information sources used for collecting the data and the structures of the databases are presented in Chapter 3. Appendices II -V comprise the database parameters, abbreviations and printouts of the entire databases. The data analyses presented in Chapter 4 are based on bar-charts and curves produced from the databases; a preliminary overviewof the development of the Late Minoan bronze-working is presented in Chapter 5, before the summary and conclusions.