The article discusses the significance of a recently discovered 3,500-year-old armor set from the Late Bronze Age in Greece. This discovery is challenging the existing narratives about the military power and cultural development of ancient Greece during this period.
The author notes that most high school history courses focus on Classical Greece, overlooking the earlier Bronze Age civilizations. The Dendra Panoply, a remarkably well-preserved set of bronze armor, provides new insights into the advanced military technology and organizational capabilities of Late Bronze Age Greeks, long before the rise of the Athenians and Spartans.
The article highlights that the Dendra Panoply, with its intricate design and high-quality craftsmanship, suggests a level of metallurgical expertise and military organization that was previously underestimated. This armor set, dated to around 1450 BCE, predates the Homeric epics and demonstrates that the Greeks of the Iliad were a formidable military power centuries earlier than commonly believed.
The discovery challenges the traditional narrative that the Classical Greek city-states were the first to develop sophisticated military capabilities. Instead, it suggests that the roots of Greek military prowess can be traced back to the Late Bronze Age, when the Mycenaean civilization flourished.
The article emphasizes the importance of re-evaluating our understanding of ancient Greek history and culture, as new archaeological discoveries like the Dendra Panoply continue to shed light on the complex and advanced nature of these early civilizations.
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by Erik Brown at medium.com 06-03-2024
https://medium.com/teatime-history/3500-year-old-armor-is-changing-our-ideas-of-late-bronze-age-greece-00605053bda4Deeper Inquiries