Problems in Phasing the Middle Bronze Age on the Mainland: Ceramics from MH and early LH Lerna and Ayios Stephanos

With this paper, I shall present a chronological chart of the ceramic wares and shapes characteristic of MH, from Transitional EH III/MH I, through early LH at the site of Lerna. I shall discuss the procedures I followed and the difficulties I encountered in phasing MH, not only at Lerna in the Argolid but also Ayios Stephanos in Laconia . When I first set up the phases and phase designations I decided to base them on the sequence established for Minoan pottery. This decision was made because Lustrous Decorated (LD) ware was a provincial Minoan product and demonstrated diachronic changes that mirrored those of Cretan pottery. It was also one of the few among the varied wares popular in MH  that was both time-sensitive and used at both sites continuously from early MH through LH. The significance of imports from the Cyclades and of the wide range of Aeginetan wares found at Lerna will also be discussed.

Carol Zerner