Covering approximately the century between 1300 and 1200 BC, the Late Minoan IIIB phase remains a blurred episode of Minoan civilisation. Archaeological data present a contradictory picture: on the one hand, they suggest a time of prosperity, with favourable conditions of subsistence and growth; on the other hand, there are signs of trouble illustrated by a series of abandonments of century-old occupied settlements. Did these processes take place simultaneously, in succession or were they punctual? Can we make sense of the various Late Minoan IIIB developments from a chronological perspective? How can a region-by-region analysis inform us about the various island communities and their histories during the 13th century BC? The international workshop which the present volume refl ects took place at the UCLouvain in Belgium on the 24th and 25th of October 2013. It specifi cally addressed these questions and focused on the gradual transformation of Cretan society throughout the 13th century BC by concentrating on a single aspect of its material culture: the pottery.
It was our intention to bring together a number of ceramic experts in charge of the study of Late Minoan IIIB pottery deposits in a selection of Cretan sites. We wanted them to discuss, confront and contextualise their respective assemblages. The gathering was successful in many ways and not in the least because not only we managed to progress on a variety of thorny issues but it was also a real treat to assist in the thrilling exchanges between the inspiring personalities who compose the 'family' of Minoan (and Mycenaean) pottery specialists.
1. The Late Minoan IIIB Phase on Crete 11
The State of Play and Future Perspectives
Charlotte Langohr
2. The LM IIIB Settlements at Khania, West Crete 37
Birgitta Hallager
3. To Be or not to Be in LM IIIB Knossos 53
Eleni Hatzaki
4. Historical Pointers from New Evidence 79
The Situation in Central Crete during LM IIIB. The Case of the Aposelemis Gorge
Athanasia Kanta
Danae Z. Kontopodi
5. The Late Minoan IIIB Pottery of the Gouves Potters' Quarter and Workshops 103
Despina Chatzi-Vallianou
6. Sherds of a Century: the LM IIIB Pottery from the Pediada Survey Project 153
Elements for the Distribution and the Character of Life in Central Crete, during the 13th c. BC
Kostas Paschalidis
Nikos Panagiotakis
Marina Panagiotaki
7. Late Minoan IIIB Pottery at Sissi and Malia 193
Assessing Local Ceramic Sequences, Regional Traditions and Interregional Interaction
Charlotte Langohr
8. Late Minoan IIIB at Kommos 243
An Abundance of Deposits, a Dearth of Clear Sub-Phases, and Probably a Gradual Desertion
of the Site
Jeremy B. Rutter
9. Haghia Triada in Late Minoan IIIB 283
Storage and Banqueting in Postpalatial Crete
Anna Lucia D'Agata
10. LM IIIB Pottery at Phaistos 313
Elisabetta Borgna
11. Preliminary Observations on LM IIIB Pottery from Kannia 331
Nicola Cucuzza
12. Late Minoan IIIB Pottery from the Cemetery at Myrsini-Aspropilia 341
R. Angus K. Smith
13. Postpalatial Palaikastro 355
The Settlement and its Ceramics in LM IIIB
Tim Cunningham
14. Chronological table 397
15. Map of Crete 399