Negotiating island identities : the active use of pottery in the middle and late Bronze Age Cyclades

Negotiating Island Identities Explores The History Of Interaction Between Crete And The Cycladic Islands From The Late Middle To Late Bronze Ii Periods When Minoan Influence Was At Its Peak. Based On A Thorough Investigation Of Pottery Assemblages From Key Sites, The Book Advocates A Rethink Of Established Acculturation Scenarios (such As Minoanisation) In Relation To The Cycladic Islands. Openness Or Closure Towards Outside Influences Was Not Predetermined By Cultural, Geographical Or Ecological Variables But Was Socially Constructed And, In Some Cases, Might Even Be Considered A Conscious Social Strategy. As Such, The Book Contrasts Static And Deterministic Models Of Insularity And Contact With Complex, Flexible And Culturally Determined Perspectives Which Acknowledge The Ability Of Island Communities To Consciously Fashion Their Worlds And Make Choices About The Nature And Degree Of Interaction With Their Neighbours. More Controversially, Perhaps, The Author Argues That Minoanisation, Just Like Subsequent Mycenaeanisation And Preceding Middle Helladic Influence, Should Be Understood Merely As A Particular Fashion Trend Within Long-standing And Ever-changing Cycladic Acquisition Patterns Rather Than An Exceptional Phenomenon Imposed By A Culturally Superior Cretan Culture.--publisher's Website. Machine Derived Contents Note: Table Of Contents -- Table Of Contents Vii -- List Of Illustrations Xi -- List Of Tables Xiii -- Preface Xv -- About This Book Xix -- Acknowledgments Xxiii -- Abbreviations And Dating Conventions Xxv -- Table 1: Concordance For Phases At Phylakopi. Xxvi -- 1. Islands In Time 1 -- The Cyclades In The Neolithic 1 -- The Cyclades In The Early Bronze Age 3 -- The Transitional Phylakopi I Culture 7 -- The Cyclades In The Middle And Late Bronze Age 9 -- Conclusion 11 -- 2. Aspects Of Cycladic Island Life 13 -- Sea-level Changes 13 -- The Sea 14 -- Tides, Currents, And Winds 14 -- Sails And Oars 15 -- Navigation 16 -- Summary 16 -- Climate 17 -- Soil, Water, And Wind 19 -- Soils 19 -- Water 20 -- Erosion 21 -- Diet 24 -- Cultivated And Wild Plants 24 -- Domesticated And Wild Animals 25 -- Products Of The Sea: Fish And Marine Invertebrates 26 -- Health 28 -- Mortality Rates And Life Expectancy 28 -- Height 29 --^ Diet, Malnutrition, And Nutritional Deficiencies 29 -- Disease 30 -- Medical Knowledge 31 -- Summary: 32 -- Conclusion 33 -- 3. Cultural Interaction And Minoanisation 35 -- Moving Beyond Conventional Understandings Of ¿minoanisation¿ 42 -- 4. A Local Perspective On Minoanisation: The Pottery From Phylakopi On Melos 47 -- The Site 47 -- Past Interpretations Of Phylakopi: Cycladic, Minoanised Or Minoan? 48 -- The Pottery Production At Phylakopi On Melos 49 -- Melian Fabrics 49 -- Forming Techniques 52 -- Decoration 55 -- Discussion 56 -- The Organization Of The Melian Pottery Production 59 -- Minoan Imports 63 -- Conclusion 66 -- 5. Island Strategies In The Aegean 67 -- Phylakopi On Melos 67 -- Discussion 68 -- Ayia Irini On Kea 69 -- Past Interpretations Of Ayia Irini: Cycladic, Minoanised Or Minoan? 69 -- The Pottery Production At Ayia Irini 70 -- Keian Fabrics 70 -- Forming Technique 71 -- The Organization Of The Keian Pottery Production 71 --^ Minoan Imports And Local Imitations 72 -- Other Imports And Local Imitations 73 -- Discussion 74 -- Mikre Vigla On Naxos 76 -- Past Interpretations Of Mikre Vigla: Cycladic, Minoanised, Or Minoan? 77 -- The Pottery Production At Mikre Vigla 77 -- Naxian Fabrics 77 -- Forming Technique 78 -- Minoan Imports And Local Imitations 78 -- Other Imports 79 -- Discussion 79 -- Paroikia On Paros 80 -- Past Interpretations Of Paroikia: Cycladic, Minoanised, Or Minoan? 80 -- The Pottery Production At Paroikia 81 -- Parian Fabrics 81 -- Forming Technique 81 -- Minoan Imports And Local Imitations 81 -- Other Imports And Local Imitations 81 -- Discussion 82 -- Kolonna On Aigina 82 -- Past Interpretations Of Kolonna: Local, Minoanised, Or Minoan? 83 -- The Pottery Production At Kolonna 83 -- Aiginetan Fabrics 83 -- Imports And Local Imitations 84 -- Discussion 85 -- Kastri On Kythera 85 -- Past Interpretations Of Kastri: Minoanised Or Minoan? 86 -- The Pottery Production At Kastri 87 --^ Kytheran Fabrics 87 -- Forming Technique 87 -- Minoan Imports And Local Production 88 -- Other Imports And Local Imitations 88 -- Discussion 89 -- Pottery Exchange And Interaction In The Aegean 89 -- The Adoption Of The Potter¿s Wheel 90 -- Minoan Imports And Local Imitations 91 -- Import Strategies 92 -- Conclusion 95 -- 6. Islands In Context 97 -- Approaches To Regional Interaction In The Bronze Age Aegean 98 -- Conclusion 105 -- 7. Conclusions 107 -- Bibliography 109 -- Index 151. Ina Berg. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 173-220) And Index. ""Table of Contents"" ""List of Illustrations"" ""List of Tables"" ""Preface"" ""Acknowledgments"" ""Abbreviations and Dating Conventions"" ""1. Islands in Time"" ""2. Aspects of Cycladic Island Life"" ""Tides, currents, and winds"" ""Sails and oars"" ""Navigation"" ""Summary"" ""Soils"" ""Water"" ""Erosion"" ""Cultivated and wild plants"" ""Domesticated and wild animals"" ""Products of the sea: fish and marine invertebrates"" ""Mortality rates and life expectancy"" ""Height"" ""Diet, malnutrition, and nutritional deficiencies"" ""Disease"" ""Medical knowledge"" ""3. Cultural Interaction and Minoanisation""""4. A Local Perspective on Minoanisation: The Pottery from Phylakopi on Melos"" ""Melian fabrics "" ""Forming techniques"" ""Decoration"" ""Discussion"" ""The organization of the Melian pottery production"" ""Minoan imports"" ""Conclusion"" ""5. Island Strategies in the Aegean"" ""Discussion"" ""Keian fabrics"" ""Forming technique "" ""Minoan imports and local imitations"" ""Other imports and local imitations"" ""Discussion"" ""Naxian fabrics"" ""Forming technique"" ""Minoan imports and local imitations"" ""Other imports"" ""Discussion""""Parian fabrics"" ""Forming technique"" ""Minoan imports and local imitations"" ""Other imports and local imitations"" ""Discussion"" ""Aiginetan fabrics"" ""Imports and local imitations"" ""Discussion"" ""Kytheran fabrics"" ""Forming technique"" ""Minoan imports and local production"" ""Other imports and local imitations"" ""Discussion"" ""The adoption of the potterâ€?s wheel"" ""Minoan imports and local imitations "" ""Import strategies"" ""6. Islands in Context"" ""7. Conclusions"" ""Bibliography"" ""Index""