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Birgitta Eder – Michaela Zavadil (eds.)
(Social) Place and Space in
Early Mycenaean Greece
International Discussions in Mycenaean Archaeology
October 5–8, 2016, Athens
Evangelia Kiriatzi,
Cyprian Broodbank
S. 365 - 382
Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
Abstract:
The impact of Crete on the societies and material culture of the Greek mainland, particularly in relation tothe emergence of elite groups during the early Mycenaean period, has long been a focus of debate between proponentsof indigenist versus interactionist models of mainland dynamics. The intervening island of Kythera has played animportant role in this phenomenon not least because of its location as a stepping stone between these two distinctivegeographical and cultural regions. The 1960s excavations at the coastal site of Kastri revealed a unique case ofMinoanisation, both due to its early beginnings and its intensity. Understanding of this phenomenon has since beensignificantly enhanced through an intensive field survey that covered one third of the island, as well as through severalexcavations, including those on two peak sanctuaries. What becomes apparent, after c. 2000 BC, is the exclusive presenceof a Cretan-style culture and the lack of any contrastive continuing local tradition, thereby rendering Kythera incultural terms effectively a part of Crete.The intensive field survey results for this period reveal a landscape with dispersed rural settlements and an extensive,multi-focal, potentially urban zone at coastal Kastri. The multidisciplinary study of these two parallel dimensions ofthe island’s landscape provides significant insight into local and regional dynamics. Spatial analysis combined withgeoarchaeological investigations gives a better understanding of the development of the settlement pattern and accompanyingagricultural regimes, while the stylistic and scientific/technological study of material culture (mainly pottery)provides unprecedented knowledge of the island’s craft traditions and their reproduction through time and across space,under strong Cretan influence. Such an approach to the island’s craft products makes even more meaningful the contextualstudy of their spatial distribution both among the numerous communities of the island, but also beyond, amongPeloponnesian groups, so shedding new light on the transfer and reproduction of technological traditions, as well as onconsumer’s preferences and the social context of innovation.
Kythera, Kastri, Bronze Age, Minoanisation, field survey, landscape, connectivity, pottery analysis Published Online:
2021/05/25 16:24:24 Object Identifier:
0xc1aa5576 0x003c7f51
Rights:All rights reserved.For questions regarding copyright and copies please contact us by email.
Die mykenische Kultur Griechenlands (ca. 1700–Mitte des 11. Jahrhunderts v. Chr.) hat ein herausragendes materielles Erbe in Form von Gebäuden und Artefakten hinterlassen. Lange konzentrierte sich ihre Erforschung auf Paläste und Grabmonumente. In den letzten Jahren hat sich dies jedoch erheblich geändert, was ein besseres Verständnis der Entstehung der mykenischen Kultur im 17. bis 15. Jahrhundert v. Chr. ermöglicht. Die Beiträge in diesem Band liefern neue Informationen, entweder Erkenntnisse aus neueren Feldforschungen, oder solche, die auf der neuerlichen Analyse zentraler Fundgruppen basieren bzw. umfassende vergleichende Studien darstellen, die durch die Untersuchung von Siedlungen und Gräbern neue Perspektiven auf die Entstehung einer neuen Gesellschaftsordnung eröffnen.
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The Mycenaean culture of Greece (ca. 1700–mid-11th century BC) has left an outstanding material legacy in terms of buildings and artefacts. For a long time, its exploration has focused on palaces and funerary monuments. However, in recent years the state of research has changed significantly, opening up new perspectives for a broader understanding of the emergence of Mycenaean culture in the 17th to 15th centuries B.C. The contributions in this volume provide new information, either insights from recent fieldwork, the fresh analysis of key assemblages, or more comprehensive comparative studies that, by examining settlements and tombs alike, open up new perspectives on the emergence of a new social order.
Printed with the support of the Holzhausen Bequest of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
and published in print and open access with the support of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation
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