Final Neolithic and early Bronze Age settlement in the southern Aegean : a comparative spatial analysis of three regional surveys
This thesis investigates changing regional demography and settlement patterns in the southern Aegean during the Final Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 4200-2000 BC, henceforth FN-EBA). It draws in detail on three survey datasets, from Kythera, Methana and the southern Argolid, and explores them within a GIS-led analytical environment. Over the course of the 4,h-3rd millennia BC, the southern Aegean experienced a gradual increase in settlement, that resulted in an FN-EBA landscape dotted with small communities (also extending into the more marginal areas) and a few larger settlements. Modem commentators have emphasised that population increase and its impact on settlement increase and expansion, as well as the deployment of new subsistence strategies and the development of complex socio-political frameworks, led to the formation of the later palatial societies in the Aegean. Hence, the EBA in particular has often attracted attention as the precursor of the palatial periods, even though the archaeology suggests that FN-EBA developments followed trajectories which were not always linear and which did not necessarily conform to the traditional regional divisions of the Aegean. The character and distribution
Stellatou, Anna Irene
Final Neolithic and early Bronze Age settlement in the southern Aegean : a comparative spatial analysis of three regional surveys. This thesis investigates changing regional demography and settlement patterns in the southern Aegean during the Final Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (c. 4200-2000 BC, henceforth FN-EBA). It draws in detail on three survey datasets, from Kythera, Methana and the southern Argolid, and explores them within a GIS-led analytical environment. Over the course of the 4,h-3rd millennia BC, the southern Aegean experienced a gradual increase in settlement, that resulted in an FN-EBA landscape dotted with small communities (also extending into the more marginal areas) and a few larger settlements. Modem commentators have emphasised that population increase and its impact on settlement increase and expansion, as well as the deployment of new subsistence strategies and the development of complex socio-political frameworks, led to the formation of the later palatial societies in the Aegean. Hence, the EBA in particular has often attracted attention as the precursor of the palatial periods, even though the archaeology suggests that FN-EBA developments followed trajectories which were not always linear and which did not necessarily conform to the traditional regional divisions of the Aegean. The character and distribution
final_neolithic early_bronze_age settlement southern_aegean comparative spatial_analysis regional_survey investigates change regional demography settlement_pattern southern_aegean final_neolithic early_bronze_age henceforth eba draw detail survey datasets southern argolid explore within gis led analytical environment course millennium southern_aegean experience gradual increase settlement result eba landscape dot small community also extend marginal_area large settlement modem commentator emphasise population increase impact settlement_increase expansion well deployment new subsistence_strategy development complex socio_political framework lead_formation later palatial society aegean hence eba particular often attracted attention precursor palatial_period even_though archaeology suggest eba development follow trajectory always linear necessarily conform traditional regional division aegean character distribution