THE EARLY AGE OF GREECE VOL.I by W.Ridgeway 1901

I
WHO WERE THE MAKERS ? 91
92
C(. Sciiii.'lihiinlt. o/>. ill., p. lit I. fii'st condition, it will be admitted that if we tind Myeenean
WHO WERE THE MAKERS ?
the distinct voice of all Greek history avers that these same
Argolis
peoples, whom occupied in historical times we great fortresses
found in Crete, once occupied positions
of
Mycenae and Tiryns. It Avould be no less absurd to ascribe
primary importance in Peloponnesus, the conclusion is irresistible
that it was one of the same three races who produced the
from the graves of Mycenae to a rude and barbarous race, by
the beantiful works in gold, silver, bronze, pottery and ivory
Mycenean remains of Peloponnesus.
whoso constitution the use of the precious metals was forbidden
If then the conclusion is so strong with reference to the
and who in their manner of life are still a proverb for homely
authorship of the IVIycenean remains found in two of the most
simplicity. Though the Acheans of the Homeric poems are
important regions where objects of that peculiar civilization
in the early Iron Age and aie using iron freely for all the
are found, then there is a high probability that the same kind
purposes of life, yet bronze is much employed. With the
of remains, no matter where they are found, is the product of
Doiians who coniiuered the Acheanis iron is almost the only
one of these three races. If we can then, by means of the
metal in use. Not even money of bronze was used in Sparta,
criteria afforded us by the Greek writers, ascertain which of
but only bars of iron. How can we reasonably suppose such a
these three races produced the Mycenean objects found in one
people to have built the acropolis tombs of Mycenae, where not
or more of the areas given above, we may reasonably conclude
a scrap of iron has been discovered ? If necessary the geographical
ai-gument might
that this race is the creator of this great civilization.
We used, but it will be sufficient if I
shall n(j\v work backwards from the better known to
point out that there is not a jot of evidence that the Dorians
the less known. Of our three claimants for the pre-historic
ever occupied the Tnmd, where M3'cenean remains have been
glories of Argolis and Laeonia, the Dorian comes latest. He is
f(^und in quantity. The claims of the Dorian must give way
the occupant of both in the classical days of Greece; behind
before those of the Achean, who is porti-ayed in the Homeric
him stands the Achean, a renniant of whose race in historical
poems as dwelling surrounded with costly articles of gold,
times still occuj)ies the district of Achaia, and in the evil days
silver, bronze and iv