The chronological use of imported mycenaean pottery in the levant: Towards a methodological common ground

Mycenaean pottery found in the Levant is heavily used for determining the absolute chronologies of both the Levant and the Aegean world in the 15 ^th-12 ^th centuries B.C. On one hand, archaeologists working in the Levant have almost complete trust in the chronology given by Mycenaean pottery. On the other hand, very high value is given in Aegean archaeology to Levantine find contexts as means to date Mycenaean pottery. How can we avoid the danger of circular arguments? Are all contexts equally reliable? Are all the chronological arguments resting on imported Mycenaean pottery methodologically sound? In the absence of an existing methodological framework for the study of chronology, this article attempts to map some of the methodological problems related to the use of imported Mycenaean pottery in establishing absolute chronology.