Athens at the Margins : Pottery and People in the Early Mediterranean World

**How the interactions of non-elites influenced Athenian material culture and society** The seventh century BC in ancient Greece is referred to as the Orientalizing period because of the strong presence of Near Eastern elements in art and culture. Conventional narratives argue that goods and knowledge flowed from East to West through cosmopolitan elites. Rejecting this explanation, __Athens at the Margins__ proposes a new narrative of the origins behind the style and its significance, investigating how material culture shaped the ways people and communities thought of themselves. Athens and the region of Attica belonged to an interconnected Mediterranean, in which people, goods, and ideas moved in unexpected directions. Network thinking provides a way to conceive of this mobility, which generated a style of pottery that was heterogeneous and dynamic. Although the elite had power, they were unable to agree on the norms of conspicuous consumption and status display. A range of social actors used objects, contributing to cultural change and to the socially mediated production of meaning. Historiography and the analysis of evidence from a wide range of contexts―cemeteries, sanctuaries, workshops, and symposia―offers the possibility to step outside the aesthetic frameworks imposed by classical Greek masterpieces and to expand the canon of Greek art. Highlighting the results of new excavations and looking at the interactions of people with material culture, __Athens at the Margins__ provocatively shifts perspectives on Greek art and its relationship to the eastern Mediterranean.

How the interactions of non-elites influenced Athenianmaterial culture and society The seventh century BC inancient Greece is referred to as the Orientalizing period becauseof the strong presence of Near Eastern elements in art and culture.Conventional narratives argue that goods and knowledge flowed fromEast to West through cosmopolitan elites. Rejecting thisexplanation, Athens at the Margins proposes a newnarrative of the origins behind the style and its significance,investigating how material culture shaped the ways people andcommunities thought of themselves. Athens and the region of Atticabelonged to an interconnected Mediterranean, in which people,goods, and ideas moved in unexpected directions. Network thinkingprovides a way to conceive of this mobility, which generated astyle of pottery that was heterogeneous and dynamic. Although theelite had power, they were unable to agree on the norms ofconspicuous consumption and status display. A range of socialactors used objects, contributing to cultural change and to thesocially mediated production of meaning. Historiography and theanalysis of evidence from a wide range of contexts-cemeteries,sanctuaries, workshops, and symposia-offers the possibility to stepoutside the aesthetic frameworks imposed by classical Greekmasterpieces and to expand the canon of Greek art. Highlighting theresults of new excavations and looking at the interactions ofpeople with material culture, Athens at the Marginsprovocatively shifts perspectives on Greek art and its relationshipto the eastern Mediterranean.

"The seventh century BC in ancient Greece is referred to as the Orientalizing period because of the strong presence of Near Eastern elements in art and culture. Conventional narratives argue that goods and knowledge flowed from East to West through cosmopolitan elites. Rejecting this explanation, Athens at the Margins proposes a new narrative of the origins behind the style and its significance, investigating how material culture shaped the ways people and communities thought of themselves. Athens and the region of Attica belonged to an interconnected Mediterranean, in which people, goods, and ideas moved in unexpected directions. Network thinking provides a way to conceive of this mobility, which generated a style of pottery that was heterogeneous and dynamic. Although the elite had power, they were unable to agree on the norms of conspicuous consumption and status display. A range of social actors used objects, contributing to cultural change and to the socially mediated production of meaning. Historiography and the analysis of evidence from a wide range of contexts--cemeteries, sanctuaries, workshops, and symposia--offers the possibility to step outside the aesthetic frameworks imposed by classical Greek masterpieces and to expand the canon of Greek art. Highlighting the results of new excavations and looking at the interactions of people with material culture, Athens at the Margins provocatively shifts perspectives on Greek art and its relationship to the eastern Mediterranean." -- Provided by publisher "The seventh century BC in ancient Greece is referred to as the Orientalizing period because of the strong presence of Near Eastern elements in art and culture. Conventional narratives argue that goods and knowledge flowed from East to West through cosmopolitan elites. Rejecting this explanation, Athens at the Margins proposes a new narrative of the origins behind the style and its significance, investigating how material culture shaped the ways people and communities thought of themselves. Athens and the region of Attica belonged to an interconnected Mediterranean, in which people, goods, and ideas moved in unexpected directions. Network thinking provides a way to conceive of this mobility, which generated a style of pottery that was heterogeneous and dynamic. Although the elite had power, they were unable to agree on the norms of conspicuous consumption and status display. A range of social actors used objects, contributing to cultural change and to the socially mediated production of meaning. Historiography and the analysis of evidence from a wide range of contexts--cemeteries, sanctuaries, workshops, and symposia--offers the possibility to step outside the aesthetic frameworks imposed by classical Greek masterpieces and to expand the canon of Greek art. Highlighting the results of new excavations and looking at the interactions of people with material culture, Athens at the Margins provocatively shifts perspectives on Greek art and its relationship to the eastern Mediterranean"--Jaquette