The Greeks An Introduction to Their Culture, 3rd edition

The Dark Age

Soon after the possible date for the sack of Troy came the collapse of the mainland
centres of Mycenaean civilization; the Bronze Age gave way to the Iron Age and
ushered in what has been called the Dark Age lasting from the eleventh to the eighth
century. The great palaces were destroyed and not replaced. Settlements became
smaller and fewer. The use of Linear B was lost. There was a general decline in art
and craftsmanship. The reasons for this collapse have been much debated. The

EARLY GREECE: HOMER AND HESIOD 9

FIGURE 7 Gold face mask of Agamemnon

Source:National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Inv. nr. 624 © Hellenic Ministry of Culture and
Tourism /Archaeological Receipts Fund