Labouring with large stones

This book explores the cost, expressed in labour, of constructing fortifications during the Late Bronze Age in Greece (ca. 1600 – 1050 BCE). The underlying question for this study is whether the cost of large scale constructions, built with large, unwieldy blocks, may have overstretched the (economic) capabilities of communities, leading to their collapse.

In order to determine the labour costs, the building process is deconstructed and for each sub-process, the costs are determined. The costs for these sub-processes are based on the amount of material that is required and the speed with which the tasks associated with these processes can be performed. However, a simplistic number expressing the labour (in person-hours, for example), gives limited insight into the impact such building projects may have had on the communities. Hence, elaborate comparisons are made to put these labour costs into context. This involves, for instance, comparisons between different fortifications, different building styles, as well as between types of structures. It is in these comparisons where the true strength of labour cost studies lie.

This study on its own cannot definitively answer the question whether these construction projects led to the downfall of the Mycenaean communities. However, based purely on the results of the labour cost analyses, it is shown that, despite the impressive nature of the walls, both due to their size as well as due to the size of the stones used, communities seem to have been able to cope with the stress it may have put on their economies. This study, therefore, provides insights into building processes, the impact of material and building styles on construction costs as well as the large varieties that exist within a context collectively known as ‘Mycenaean’.

Contents

English Summary

Nederlandse samenvatting

Acknowledgments

List of figures

List of tables

Glossary

1 Introduction

2 Late Bronze Age Greece

3 The fortifications of Mycenaean Greece

4 The case studies

5 Methodology

6 The data: measurements of blocks, fortifications and houses

7 Labour costs of fortifications and domestic structures

8 Interpreting the results of a labour cost study

9 Conclusions

Bibliography

Curriculum Vitae

Appendices

Appendix 1 Overview of the calculated volumes of material for domestic structures

Appendix 2 Overview of the calculations of the volume of the blocks according to the scenarios used

Appendix 3 Overview of the quarrying calculations

Appendix 4 Overview of the transport calculations

Appendix 5 Overview of the assembly calculations

Appendix 6 Overview of the calculations of the total costs