Greece 1050-520 BC (Room 13)
1050 – 520 BC
Following the collapse of Mycenaean palace society and a period
of relative poverty and isolation, Greece experienced a cultural
and political renaissance. From the eighth century BC onwards,
renewed contact with the Near East, Anatolia, Phoenicia, Egypt, and
other peoples around the Mediterranean had a profound impact on
Greek culture. The linear Geometric style of pottery gave way to
'orientalising' motifs, such as animals and florals. A Greek script
based on the Phoenician alphabet was developed, Homer composed his
epic poems and a new political unit, the city-state (polis),
emerged. Competition between these states often resulted in wars
but also in athletic and musical contests such as the Olympic
Games.
Objects on display in Room 13 include sculpture, painted
pottery, jewellery, coins and other artefacts from Athens, Sparta,
Corinth, and East Greece.
Image captions (clockwise from top
left):
Black-figured amphora (wine-jar)
signed by Exekias as potter and attributed to him as
painter 540-530 BC
Bronze griffin head 650 BC
Black-figured bowl (dinos) and stand, signed by Sophilos as
painter; The wedding of Peleus and Thetis 580 BC
Marble head of a woman 550-520
BC