Mycenaean Overview
We turn now to the evidence for women's labor in Mycenaean culture, especially on clay tablets inscribed in the Mycenaean writing system scholars call Linear B, such as the tablet above, which lists women and their children involved in the textile industry and is now in the Ashmolean Museum Links to an external site..
READ
Before class, read:
Barber, The Golden Spindle Download The Golden Spindle. Barber's discussion of the evidence for women's work in the Mycenaean wool industry.
Cynthia Shelmerdine, Women in Mycenaean Economy.
Cécile Boëlle-Weber, Women in Mycenaean Religion.
These last two readings are a bit longer and harder than Barber. It is important that you read *some* of it to get the general understanding of the evidence we have and the ways in which it is analyzed. Similar approaches are used in both articles, so, depending on your time and interests, you could read both of them, read one of them to the end, or read some parts of each article.
COMPLETE AND SUBMIT - IN CLASS
During our class session, you will be doing a team discussion and writing activity that asks you to draw on the readings from Barber, Marinatos, Shelmerdine, and Boëlle-Weber, and also what I have presented. Please preview the Women's Labor in Linear B assignment before class (no need to do any writing in advance, but the collaboration will go more smoothly if you look through the assignment before class begins).