"In the framework of the long-lasting debate on the structure of the Mycenaean economy (e.g. Voutsaki and Killen 2001), the program aims at investigating the function of some recently individuated units, the so-called “édifices intermediaries” (i.e. Darcque 2005). This aspect of the problem has not been systematically investigated up to now. An integrated approach will be used, combining the evidence from both archaeological documentation and Linear B texts. The definition of such buildings will be discussed. Large part of the work will be dedicated to the integrated contextual analysis of the evidence from the “édifices intermédiaries” (archaeological and textual evidence) in some of the major Mycenaean sites, with preference for centres where the settlement around the palace is at least partly understood (especially Mycenae, Thebes and Tiryns). The aim is to build a typology for these structures, first for each site and then on a general level. A wider concluding analysis will assess the role of “intermediate units” within the general economic structure(s) of Mycenaean polities. This will contribute significantly to the ongoing debate on Mycenaean political economies and help to put it in a new light. The work on published evidence will be paralleled by the study and publication of an excavated plot from Mycenaean Thebes, with the permission of the 9th E.P.C.A. – Museum of Thebes. The project involves many different skills and scientific competences, from the knowledge of major Bronze Age Aegean sites and sequences, the interpretation of archaeological contexts, the detailed knowledge of archaeological materials and strong competence in Linear B texts and problem. Training is therefore a fundamental part of the project. The host institution, the Department of Archaeology of Sheffield University, with the Sheffield Centre for Aegean Archaeology, is extremely well-suited to support the candidate in this direction."