Middle and Late Bronze Age Metal Tools from the Aegean, Eastern ...

ideograms. 173 The Linear B ideograms (*120, *121) were originally interpreted to be
emmer wheat and barley, but Palmer argues that those exact designations are not secure,
although staple foods and grains are likely represented. 174 Killen believes that *120 and
*121 definitely represent wheat and barley but is uncertain which ideogram corresponds
to which cereal. 175
The diverse archaeobotanical data from the Aegean and the frequent mention of
grains in the texts seem to coincide with the region’s preference for the metal sickle. The
high occurrence of the tool within the Aegean is comparable to the pattern from the
eastern Mediterranean, but it is unclear whether the same cereals were cultivated in both
regions. A more detailed investigation of sickles, beyond what is presented here, may
reflect the types of grains harvested. Wulff notes that ethnography of Iranian agricultural
practices demonstrates that sickles were used “after the grain is fully matured, except
176
barley, which is pulled out by the roots.” Moreover, there are important functional
variations in morphologically-different sickles: “Two types of sickle are found [in
Persia], hooked grain-cutting sickles and a much smaller, almost straight one that is
actually a grass-cutting sickle but is sometimes also used for smaller plots of grain.” 177
Evidently, variations in the size and form of a sickle may reflect the diversity of the crops
harvested.
The dearth of metal digging implements (shovels, hoes/plowshares, etc.) in the
Aegean is surprising (Figs. 3.9a-c). Halstead argues that Cretan farmers employed ox-
drawn plows: “[There are] a number of indications of extensive plough agriculture in the
173
Killen 2004, 156-160;Palmer 2008, 622, 624ff.
174
Ventris and Chadwick 1973, 130; Palmer 2008, 621, 637.
175
Killen 2004, 156.
176
Wulff 1966, 271-272.
177
Wulff 1966, 272.
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