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Journal of Archaeological Science
Volume 35, Issue 8, August 2008, Pages 2307-2317
 
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doi:10.1016/j.jas.2008.03.006    How to Cite or Link Using DOI (Opens New Window)
Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

“Mycenaean” political domination of Knossos following the Late Minoan IB destructions on Crete: negative evidence from strontium isotope ratio analysis (87Sr/86Sr)

A. NafpliotiCorresponding Author Contact Information, a, E-mail The Corresponding Author

aWiener Laboratory, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, Athens, GR-10676, Greece

Received 6 October 2007; 
revised 29 February 2008; 
accepted 3 March 2008. 
Available online 23 April 2008.

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Abstract

Strontium isotope ratio analysis of human dental enamel and bone is applied to investigate a highly debated question of population movement and cultural discontinuity in Prehistoric Aegean Archaeology. The Late Minoan IB (ca. 1490/1470 BC) destructions on Crete are succeeded by cultural upheaval. The novel cultural features that appear at Knossos (Crete) in this period have forerunners in the Mainland. In Cretan context, the Linear B writing system, the funerary architecture and burial practices of the Mainland style are interpreted as evidence of an actual “Mycenaean” long-term settlement and political domination of Knossos. Human skeletal material from tombs that are associated with non-locals from the Mainland based upon the material culture is analysed to measure 87Sr/86Sr. The results of the analysis show that all the examined individuals from the Knossos tombs were born locally.

Keywords: Strontium isotope ratio; Population movement; Migration; Bronze Age Aegean; Knossos; Destructions; Cultural discontinuity; “Warrior” graves

Article Outline

1. Introduction
2. Materials
2.1. Archaeological context
2.2. Choice of samples
3. Methods
3.1. Principles of strontium isotope ratio analysis
3.2. The geological context
3.3. Distinction between locals vs. non-locals at Knossos
3.4. Procedure
3.4.1. Dental enamel and bone sampling
3.4.2. Sample preparation and measurement of 87Sr/86Sr
4. Results
5. Discussion and conclusions
Acknowledgements
References







 
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