In the middle of the corrupting sea : cultural encounters in Sicily and Sardinia between 1450 - 900 BC
Archaeological investigations of pre-colonial contacts in Sicily and Sardinia during the Middle and Late Bronze Age (15th â 10th centuries BC) often represent such encounters as both systematic and highly influential in the development of islander societies. Discussions of the involvement and impact of Aegeans and Cypriots dominate these investigations of cultural encounters. Such studies typically discuss networks of exchange from the extrainsular perspective, focussing on trade routes and provenience analyses, which almost always involve mobile foreigners coming to these islands to establish economic relationships with passive, receptive, and stationary islanders. The dominance of these âacculturationâ interpretations, while understandable within the context of the history of Mediterranean archaeology, is nonetheless unfortunate, as eastern Mediterranean material consistently represents only a small fraction of material assemblages throughout the region. Often it is assumed that foreigners controlled such contacts, based on the assumption that members of a more complex society will dominate those of a simpler one. There seems to be little room, however, for interpretations which involve mobile, enterprising
Russell, Anthony
CC Archaeology
In the middle of the corrupting sea : cultural encounters in Sicily and Sardinia between 1450 - 900 BC. Archaeological investigations of pre-colonial contacts in Sicily and Sardinia during the Middle and Late Bronze Age (15th â 10th centuries BC) often represent such encounters as both systematic and highly influential in the development of islander societies. Discussions of the involvement and impact of Aegeans and Cypriots dominate these investigations of cultural encounters. Such studies typically discuss networks of exchange from the extrainsular perspective, focussing on trade routes and provenience analyses, which almost always involve mobile foreigners coming to these islands to establish economic relationships with passive, receptive, and stationary islanders. The dominance of these âacculturationâ interpretations, while understandable within the context of the history of Mediterranean archaeology, is nonetheless unfortunate, as eastern Mediterranean material consistently represents only a small fraction of material assemblages throughout the region. Often it is assumed that foreigners controlled such contacts, based on the assumption that members of a more complex society will dominate those of a simpler one. There seems to be little room, however, for interpretations which involve mobile, enterprising
middle corrupt sea cultural_encounter sicily sardinia archaeological_investigation pre_colonial contact sicily sardinia middle_late_bronze_age century often represent encounter systematic highly influential development islander society discussions involvement impact dominate investigation cultural_encounter study typically discuss network exchange perspective focus trade_route analysis almost_always involve mobile foreigner come island establish economic relationship passive receptive islander dominance acculturation interpretation within_context history mediterranean archaeology nonetheless eastern_mediterranean material consistently represent small fraction material assemblage throughout_region often_assume foreigner control contact base_assumption member complex_society dominate seem little room however interpretation involve mobile enterprising