Details
Oxbow says: All too often studies of the Mycenaeans as builders and engineers focus on the large, spectacular palaces and citadels and shed little light on other, minor sites. Based on fieldwork and observations carried out by both authors from the mid-1950s to the late 1990s, this volume brings together evidence for Mycenaean fortifications, highways, dams and canals both on the Greek mainland and the Aegean islands. The first part examines the main features and chracteristics of Mycenaean fortifications and ends with a detailed gazetteer of sites. The authors go on to summarise evidence and claims for Mycenaean roads designed for wheeled traffic, linking the most important sites with each other and the coast. Dykes, canals, dams and bridges complete this assessment of Mycenaean feats of engineering, along with discussion on how they were accomplished and their purpose, from being functional and practical, to displays of control, power and status. The footnotes, references and appendices provide useful source material.