Western History Report: Exploring the Greek Dark Ages and Its Impact

The report delves into the Greek Dark Ages, a period following the decline of the Mycenaean civilization and preceding the rise of the Greek city-states. It analyzes the cultural and economic transformations during this era, including changes in art, such as the shift from complex Mycenaean designs to the simpler geometric styles of pottery. The report discusses the impact of these changes on society, the economy, and the development of Greek culture. The report also examines the role of technological advancements, such as the use of iron weaponry, and the emergence of independent regions, which would eventually lead to the formation of the Poleis. It also explores the living conditions of the population and the existence of communal structures. The report draws on archaeological evidence and scholarly references to provide a comprehensive overview of this pivotal period in Western history.

Running head: WESTERN HISTORY
WESTERN HISTORY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

WESTERN HISTORY
Culture in the Greek Dark Ages
The Greek Dark Ages is the period between the fall of the Mycenaean palatial
civilization at around 1100 BC to the establishment of Greek city-states or Poleis in Archaic
Greece at around 9th Century or 800 BC (Snodgrass, 2017). This age is also known as the
Homeric Age or the Geometric Age, owing to the geometric art style of the time. The age is
so named because after the fall of the palatial centres of the Mycenaean age, building of
monumental structures, practice of cave paintings and vital trade links were ceased
(Desborough, 1972). The earlier used Linear B script was also put out of use for its
redundancy with the fall of the economy. Whatever information that has been retrieved,
happened through excavating graves and burial sites for the goods that were stored within.
The style of art that has been found in pottery is called protogeometric and is far removed
from the Mycenaean, which was far more complex. The designs were only lines and curves
signalling a simple society (Coulson, 1990). Farming, weaving, metalworking and pottery
were still prevalent however at a lower amount of output and for local use. Faster potter
wheels, use of compass, hotter ovens and simpler designs led to less complex and simplistic
trends in art, which used fewer resources as well (Desborough, 1972). The cities of Greece
such as Crete and Attica recovered economically. The Ionic Greek dialect also gained
precedence as it was distributed over mainland Greece, all the way to the Anatolian coastline
(Coulson, 1990). Cyprus became a hotbed for iron weaponry as new deposits of ore was
discovered and smelting of iron gained popularity. Equipped with new technology, sharp
edged weapons became easier to make and became more readily available for the common
people. The population was likely divided into small independent regions who were
organized according to kinship and households, called Oikoi. These gave rise to Poleis later
on. The standard of living for both the rich and the middle class was quite humble but the
poor were still at the worse end of the struggle. There is evidence of settlements with

WESTERN HISTORY
structures, which could have worked as communal food storage complexes or sites of
religious significance.

WESTERN HISTORY
References.
Coulson, W. D. (1990). The Greek Dark Ages. A review of the evidence and suggestions for
future research.
Desborough, V. R. D. A. (1972). The Greek dark ages (pp. 11-41). London: Benn.
Snodgrass, A. M. (2017). The Dark Age of Greece: An Archeological Survey of the Eleventh
to the Eighth Centuries BC. Routledge.