So this is neat, and a really long read. This guy was right at the time between theMycenaeans and the Minoans "to whom we can trace our cultural heritage since 1450 B.C." and so he has a bunch of stuff that shows some blending of the two times. Shows some different ideas about the roots of Western civilization. This one grave apparently has so much stuff someone will work on it for the rest of their career!<p>"There are more than 1,500 objects in all, and although the most precious items aren’t here (they are under lock-and-key elsewhere), the scale of the task she faces to preserve and publish these objects is nearly overwhelming. She surveys the room: a life’s work mapped out before her."<p>This is a drawing of what it looks like in the grave:<p><a href="http://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/871131223215308800/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-871131223215308800;1043138249'" rel="nofollow">http://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/871131223215308800/1024/10...</a>
Mentioned in the article, but not delved in to much, is the role that the pre-Greek Alphabet script Linear B played in our current understanding of the Mycenaeans, from the tablets found at Knossos and elsewhere. If you're interested in how this puzzle has come together over the decades, and enjoy stories about patient dedication to patterns and problem solving, John Chadwick's 'The Decipherment of Linear B' is an excellent read, documenting the work of Michael Ventris as he solved the SAT/constraint problem of mapping the Linear B script to the Greek language.
I'm not even done reading this article, but it's already given me a great deal to think about. I work with technology every day, and my gaze is (understandably?) forward looking. I'm beginning to think that I don't really know anything about history. And I'm beginning to feel like that's a mistake.<p>Let's say I wanted to test this theory and begin to address the deficiency. Anyone have some suggestions on where to start? What should I start reading?