Week 5 contrasted week 4 in that it was very busy, but just like previous weeks it was super fun. The week started with my typical class schedule of Myth and Reception on Monday and then Digital Archaeology and Alex’s class on Tuesday. Both of my CYA classes were once again very enjoyable. We had a field trip for Myth and Reception where we went to the Acropolis and talked about Athena. We also had a field trip for Digital Archaeology where we went out into a field and learned how to accurately hand sketch archaeological finds such as walls and we also got to fly a drone outside. Alex’s class consisted of a visit to the National Archaeological Museum and I learned a bunch there. We were treated to some teaching from two PhD students from the University of Cincinnati and they, in tandem with Alex, showed us around some of the museum. The main area of the museum that stuck out to me was where the items found in the Mycenae shaft graves like Grave Circle A and Grave Circle B were shown. There were 19 burials and 6 tombs used in the Mycenae shaft graves throughout 1650 BCE – 1400 BCE and they housed incredible amounts of wealth. It is unclear exactly how Mycenae got so wealthy during this time period, but the level of wealth showcased in the graves was unprecedented for the time. One really interesting artifact is called the Mask of Agamemnon. Although Agamemnon was likely not a real person, the golden mask is still referred to as his mask. The most intriguing part about the Mask is that there is some debate about whether it is fake or not. The gold used in the real masks are 90% gold alloy and there has been speculation that the Mask is actually 100% gold. This speculation could certainly be tested, but no one will do it since the Mask is very much the centerpiece at the Museum.
Additionally, the items from the shaft graves at the National Archaeological Museum stuck with me because of the concentration of wealth that they demonstrate. The people buried in the graves were absolutely covered in gold when they died. There was gold baby armor, gold death masks like that of Agamemnon, and even more gold on their clothing. There were also plenty of items that did not come from anywhere near Greece such as Amber from the Baltics and Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan. These items demonstrate vast trade networks and incredible amounts of wealth concentrated in the hands of a few people. This Mycenaean wealth concentration caused me to think about today’s wealth concentration in America. Seeing the parallels between Mycenae and contemporary American society made me wonder if it is not greed causing today’s wealth disparity, but rather that wealth disparity is a natural byproduct of a more complex, growing society and economy. Mycenae was very much the first advanced civilization within Greece. Their economy was complex with deep trade networks and different classes of people. As an economist, I would like to think that the Mycenaeans were all maximizing their utility (happiness) by making the best decisions given their constraints and the wealth accumulation happened as a byproduct. I also would like to think that the same phenomenon has happened in America. Still, things are obviously incredibly complicated in today’s society and wealth disparity is a very serious issue, but the parallels between the Mycenaean civilization and contemporary America are striking. The similarities truly make the ancient pre-history of the Mycenaeans feel alive. The visit to the National Archaeological Museum was great and really had me thinking about some important issues.
Wednesday consisted of a typical Myth and Reception class in which we talked about Artemis, Apollo and Hermes. Then, on Thursday I also had typical classes for Digital Archaeology and Alex’s class. It was an early night for me on Thursday since we had an early departure on Thursday for our trip to the Peloponnese!
Our trip was jam-packed with visits to different sites, museums, and towns. On Friday, we first visited Mycenae and got to see the actual shaft graves that I mentioned above. We then went to Tiryns and got a great lecture from MJ, one of our TAs. We finished the day at the Fortress of Palamidi which had a beautiful view. Our night was spent in Nafplio and I visited the beach there and had a great dinner.
On Saturday, we visited various excavations in Pylos, the Palace of Nestor, and the Castle of Pylos called the Niokastro which means “new castle.” We also stopped for lunch in Pylos where I had a delicious “gyro burger” and the view was incredible.
Sunday was our final day of the trip and was yet another full day. We started off in Olympia where we learned about the ancient Olympic games as well as the rituals and festivities that accompanied them and Olympia in general. We had a great lecture from Sam, the other one of our TAs. Sam told us about the ancient Olympic games and what went into being an athlete and a spectator at the games. As a washed-up division 3 athlete, I found the discussion on the ancient Olympic athletes very interesting. They had to train for 10 months prior to the games and they really only were competing for the prestige and honor of winning. There was no real monetary incentive to winning and their motto for winning is very reminiscent of Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights in that “if you ain’t first, you’re last.” They did not reward second or third place like we do in today’s games. If you failed to get first place, you “slinked” back home in shame. Furthermore, some of the events were brutal. The only rules in wrestling were no eye gouging or finger breaking. There are depictions of wrestling victors with major deformities after competing. Hearing about everything that went into being an Olympic athlete back then causes me to relate to the ancient Greeks even more. I do not condone the brutality of the games, but I respect the competition and drive to win that those athletes clearly had. I find that today’s athletics are primarily about the prestige and honor of winning, which is reminiscent of the ancient games. Some athletes today are truly obsessed with winning and it seems like the Greeks were no different. As an athlete at heart, I love to see the competition and would have loved to compete in an atmosphere like the ancient games. I am, however, glad that society has progressed past the savageness of the ancient Olympic games as there are many rules in place to protect athletes these days. The similarities between ancient and modern athletics causes me to relate to the ancient world even more. I can imagine myself competing, watching, and thoroughly enjoying those games and all the festivities that accompanied them. It seems like today’s society is not so different from ancient Greek society after all. It was a great visit to Olympia!
After Olympia, we had a delicious lunch at one of Alex’s favorite tavernas in Greece. I had an incredible traditional dish of pork and potatoes. Our last visit on Sunday was to Nemea which was another location of the Panhellenic games like those held in Olympia. After Nemea, I was exhausted and glad to be headed home to Athens. It was a great trip to the Peloponnese. We did a ton and I feel like we definitely maximized our time. Overall, yet another great week here in Greece!