ABSTRACT

The palatial society of the Greek Late Bronze Age underwent widespread social and physical collapse around 1200 bce. There were signs of mass destruction throughout Greece and several of the palaces and settlements were abandoned. However, two of the largest palaces, Mycenae and Tiryns in the Argolid, showed evidence of the rebuilding of houses in and around the palaces after the first major destructive fire. The century after the initial destruction of the palaces was a period of turmoil and was filled with more devastating fires at the palaces. In contrast to this image from the Argolid, the post-destruction occupation of the Palace of Nestor in southwestern Greece was limited to the small areas in the palace that had survived the fire. Despite the lack of evidence for habitation in the area, several of the tombs, which are the primary evidence of ritual during this period, were used after the collapse. This reuse of the tombs, some of which had not been used for several generations, beg the question of the relation of ritual to the collapse of the society and its role in attempts at stability and regeneration in a period of turmoil.