From Wanax to Basileus. Archaeological Evidence of Military and Political Leadership in Late Mycenaean Society

Between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 12th centuries BC the Mycenaean polities centered on the palatine socio-economic and socio-political structures came to an end. Whatever the causes of this general collapse, different outcomes can be observed. In this paper the discussion is focused on two specific regions of the Mycenaean world, Argolid and Achaea, which especially in the last decades offered a very rich set of archaeological data. Both in Argolid, where in the case of Tiryns it is possible to observe a long-lasting continuity of life after the destruction of the palace in the upper citadel, and in Achaea archaeological sources suggest the presence of socio-political structures able to manage the new socio-economic scenario. The military character of these post-palatial elites is clear in Achaea; but also at Tiryns – where the memory of the recent palatial past was stronger – the importance of warfare activities for the emerging elites is highlighted in significant ceremonial contexts, such as the rituals linked to the deposition of the Tiryns treasure.