Book Description

The aim of this research is to illustrate a possible way of dealing with a regional landscape and its long-term settlement history based on the integration of archaeological data applying a GIS based approach to the social dimension of the landscape. The large province area (ca 2,500 sqkm) of Boeotia (Central Greece) is examined by means of GIS (Geographical Information System), processing data from different archaeological, historical and environmental sources. The methodology established, dealing jointly with material culture and the environment, follows a critical comparative regional approach and opts for both region and micro-regions as the analytical unit. It aims mainly to assess landscape characters and the interface between human and social actions and landscape by critically assessing, first of all, the available archaeological record constituted by diverse, variegate and often incoherent data sets. The main periods of interest are the historical periods from Archaic to Late Roman, while earlier (Neolithic to Geometric) and later periods are taken into account for the analysis and understanding of diachronical processes which took place at the microregional and regional levels. Contents: Part I. Research framework and methodology: Regional approaches to landscape studies; The GIS datasets: collection, recording and management; The physical landscape datasets; The archaeological/cultural datasets and the research methodology. Part II . The Boeotian landscape: The Boeotian landscape: topography and environment; The Boeotian landscape: state of archaeological research; The chorai/regions of Boeotia; Central Helicon: Koroneiake; Northern Helicon: Levadeia; Chaironeia valley: Chaironeiake; The Copais area: Orchomenos; The Northern mountains of the Copais: Hyettia; The Copais area: Copai and the North-East bay; The Copais area: Akraiphiai; The Copais area: Haliartia; Eastern Helicon: Thespike; Three small chorai to the Gulf of Corinth: Siphai, Thisbe, Chorseiai; The upper Asopos basin: Parasopia and Plataea; The Theban plain and the area of the lakes: Thebais; The area of Anthedon and the Skroponeri bay: Anthedonia; The Tanagra plain and Eastern Boeotia; Socio-political and cultural landscapes of ancient Boeotia; Concluding remarks. Appendix I. Analytical description of the archaeological landscape components and activity loci; Appendix II. The geographical sub-regions of Boeotia; Appendix III. List of units of archaeological evidence and their attribution to archaeological landscape components.