This book compiles a series of case studies derived from archaeological excavation in Greek cultural contexts in the Mediterranean (ca. 800-100 B.C), addressing the current state of the field, the goals and direction of Greek archaeology, and its place in archaeological thought and practice. Overviews of archaeological sites and analyses of assemblages and contexts explore how new forms of data; methods of data recovery and analysis; and sampling strategies have affected the discourse in classical archaeology and the range of research questions and strategies at our disposal. Recent excavations and field practices are steering the way that we approach Greek cultural landscapes and form broader theoretical perspectives, while generating new research questions and interpretive frameworks that in turn affect how we sample sites, collect and study material remains, and ultimately construct the archaeological record. The book confronts the implications of an integrated dialogue between realms of data and interpretive methodologies, addressing how reengagement with the site, assemblage, or artifact, from the excavation context can structure the way that we link archaeological and systemic contexts in classical archaeology.

This book compiles a series of case studies derived from archaeological excavation in Greek cultural contexts in the Mediterranean (ca. 800-100 B.C), addressing the current state of the field, the goals and direction of Greek archaeology, and its place in archaeological thought and practice. Overviews of archaeological sites and analyses of assemblages and contexts explore how new forms of data; methods of data recovery and analysis; and sampling strategies have affected the discourse in classical archaeology and the range of research questions and strategies at our disposal. Recent excavations and field practices are steering the way that we approach Greek cultural landscapes and form broader theoretical perspectives, while generating new research questions and interpretive frameworks that in turn affect how we sample sites, collect and study material remains, and ultimately construct the archaeological record. The book confronts the implications of an integrated dialogue between realms of data and interpretive methodologies, addressing how reengagement with the site, assemblage, or artifact, from the excavation context can structure the way that we link archaeological and systemic contexts in classical archaeology.

Table of Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

List of Contributors

1. A Contextual Archaeology of Ancient Greece
Donald C. Haggis and Carla M. Antonaccio

Historical Contexts and Intellectual Traditions

2. Scholarly Traditions and Scientific Paradigms: Method and Reflexivity in the Study of Ancient Praisos
James Whitley

3. Reexcavating Morgantina
Carla M. Antonaccio

4. A Defective Master Narrative in Greek Archaeology
David Small

5. Lycia and Classical Archaeology: The Changing Nature of Archaeology in Turkey
Tamar Hodos

Mortuary Contexts

6. Shedding Light on Early Archaic Attika via the Evidence of Mortuary Practices: The Case of the Offering Trenches
Alexandra Alexandridou

7. The Potential and Limitations of Bioarchaeological Investigations in Classical Contexts in Greece: An Example from the Polis of Athens
Anna Lagia

Urban and Rural Contexts

8. The Greek Agora in its Peloponnesian Context(s)
Jamieson C. Donati

9. The Archaeology of Urbanization: Research Design and the Excavation of an Archaic Greek City on Crete
Donald C. Haggis

10. Exploring the Ancient Demos of Kymissaleis on Rhodes: Multidisciplinary Experimental Research and Theoretical Issues
Manolis I. Stefanakis, Konstantinos Kalogeropoulos, Andreas Georgopoulos, and Chryssi Bourbou

11. The Hellenistic Settlement on Prophitis Elias Hill at Arkalochori, Crete: Preliminary Remarks
Kalliope E. Galanaki, Christina Papadaki, and Kostis S. Christakis

12. Cultivating Classical Archaeology: Agricultural Activities, Use of Space and Occupation Patterns in Hellenistic Greece
Evi Margaritis

Sanctuary Contexts

13. Detecting Patterns through Context Analysis: The Case Study of Deposits in the Sanctuary of Eukleia at Vergina
Athanasia Kyriakou and Alexandros Tourtas

14. From Fishbones to Fishermen: Views from the Sanctuary of Poseidon at Kalaureia
Dimitra Mylona

Index

This book compiles a series of case studies derived from archaeological excavation in Greek cultural contexts in the Mediterranean (ca. 800-100 B.C), addressing the current state of the field, the goals and direction of Greek archaeology, and its place in archaeological thought and practice. Overviews of archaeological sites and analyses of assemblages and contexts explore how new forms of data; methods of data recovery and analysis; and sampling strategies have affected the discourse in classical archaeology and the range of research questions and strategies at our disposal. Recent excavations and field practices are steering the way that we approach Greek cultural landscapes and form broader theoretical perspectives, while generating new research questions and interpretive frameworks that in turn affect how we sample sites, collect and study material remains, and ultimately construct the archaeological record. The book confronts the implications of an integrated dialogue between realms of data and interpretive methodologies, addressing how reengagement with the site, assemblage, or artifact, from the excavation context can structure the way that we link archaeological and systemic contexts in classical archaeology.