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Contact between Egypt and the Aegean during the Late Bronze Age, especially the relationship between Minoan Crete and New Kingdom Egypt, has been the subject of much study. The relationship between the Greek (Mycenaean) mainland and Egypt is generally regarded as a more elusive topic, and most scholars seem to consider interaction between the two a matter of irregular exchange via middlemen (e.g., on Cyprus, in the Levant), rather than direct contact. This paper seeks to stimulate new thinking on this subject by positing the possibility that exchange between the two was more than a haphazard phenomenon, arguing that it was, instead, a highly organized system that involved the active engagement of the ruling elite at Mycenae as well as the pharaonic court. Using both archaeological and paleobotanical data and focusing my examination on the import into Egypt of Mycenean pottery, particularly stirrup jars, which are known generally as containers for olive oil, I demonstrate that olives and/or olive oil were a crucial part of this Late Bronze Age interstate connection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of an assemblage of Middle Minoan (MM) IB pottery from a closed deposit known as the "Lakkos" at the Minoan palace of Petras in eastern Crete. The various ware groups are discussed with the aim of improving our understanding of the Protopalatial ceramic sequence in this part of Crete and the function of stylistic variation in a palatial context. Recent studies of the earliest palaces have shifted discussion away from the traditional view of the palace as an economic center by emphasizing evidence for regionally diverse sociopolitical configurations during the period. The MM IB-IIB palace is viewed not as a monolithic institution controlling contiguous territories but as a venue for the articulation of dominant ideologies in contexts suggesting a wide range of sociopolitical interactions within and outside the palace. Current approaches consider various forms of data, including elite or distinctly palatial styles of pottery, which are taken as symbolic referents in public rituals. My analysis of the Petras Lakkos pottery is informed by this paradigm shift: I argue that styles of pottery and stylistic relationships between pottery, seals, hieroglyphic documents, and peak sanctuary figurines are related to the visual expression of the identities of competing corporate groups. Drinking sets in different ware groups identify distinct social units or ritual roles in a phase immediately prior to the foundation of the palace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Importance of social models and analytical methods for the study of ancient Minoan households and evaluation of the alternative interpretations put forward for the Early Minoan community at Fournou Korifi, Myrtos.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Excavation of a large multiroomed structure during the Late Geometric/Early Orientalizing period on the Kastro, an Iron Age settlement in Crete.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Vrokastro Archaeological Survey Project located near the Bay of Mirabello in eastern Crete; Reconstruction of the demographic and agricultural patterns of the Turkish and modern periods.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Distinctive architectural features at the `cult' villa at Makrygialos which give the building a palatial character not normally attested at other Minoan villas.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Evidence for wine-making in Bronze Age Crete.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Information on subsistence practices in Vronda and Kastro sites in east Crete during the transition from a Minoan postpalatial to an early Iron Age economy.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Vernacular house types on Crete from LM III through the Early Iron Age.

Presents an abstract of a paper discussed during the 1993 Archaeological Institute of America's annual meeting. Appearance of sturdy stone walls capable of retaining a massive fill in Crete during the Early Minoan IIA period which gave the Minoans unprecedented ability to modify the landscape.