The Middle Bronze Age on Mainland Greece is also known as the Middle Helladic period. The chronological framework of this period extends from the beginnings of the second millenium - roughly 1900 - until 1550 BC, that is until the beginnings of the Mycenaean period. The Middle Helladic period is considered as the dark period of the cultural decline. The remains of the material culture reveal a clear retrogression while the information available on the social stratification and economy are so few and problematic in interpretation that this period is considered as the "Middle Age of Greek Prehistory".

About 1900 BC, the period during which the first palaces of Crete were being built, Mainland Greece was entering a long period of decline during which economic features changed radically. A large number of metals and imported products became particularly rare while composite forms of economic administration, e.g. the administrative buildings and the sealing of products, were abandoned. The economic decline of the Middle Bronze Age affected the social stratification as well. The changes in social stratification appear in a series of completely new burial customs which show the prevalence of social equality. Conversely, as far as Middle Helladic art is concerned, although it did not reach the high artistic standard of its contemporary Minoan art, it is characterized of significant technological innovations and of the appearance of new serviceable articles. The number of these objects increased and their quality was improved considerably toward the end of this period.

The profound cultural innovations of the Middle Helladic period were initially interpreted as a result of violent population movement and troubles provoked by the coming of the first Indo-European races. However, this matter does no more constitute one of the main objectives of this study since the archaeological evidence does not support the massive transfer of foreign cultural elements.

During the last period of the Middle Bronze Age (1650-1550 BC), despite the fact that the traits of the Middle Helladic culture were maintained, more intense contacts are observed with the Cyclades and Crete, an unexpected concentration of wealth and the creation of a prominent social class. Through these new phenomena, a harmonical and gradual evolution from the Middle Helladic toward the Mycenaean civilization is discerned. Thus, although the Middle Helladic period is considered as a period of economic and social decline it was the time during which the mainland features merged with the insular influence, that is all the Aegean elements which led to the creation of the Mycenaean civilization were mixed in a creative way.