Morgantina Studies, Volume IV


Book Description

Excavations conducted at Morgantina by Princeton University and the University of Illinois have revealed substantial Iron Age remains beneath the Greek town on the Cittadella hilltop. In this volume Robert Leighton presents a full study of this extensive protohistoric settlement in Sicily. The broad scope of evidence, particularly the survival of long houses and tombs with much of their structures and contents preserved, permits an unusually thorough examination of indigenous cultural traditions prior to the foundation of the Greek town in the Archaic period. An illustrated catalogue of the finds presents more than 700 artifacts from the site, most of which are previously unpublished. The author discusses all the excavated protohistoric areas in detail, and presents a full range of maps, plans, excavation photographs, reconstruction drawings, and radiocarbon dates. The diverse body of finds includes a wide variety of pottery forms as well as tools and ornaments of both metal and stone that document local crafts, metallurgy, and numerous aspects of daily life. In studying these objects, Leighton draws on parallels with material from the Italian peninsula and considers the evidence of the historical sources, revealing links between Sicily and Italy in the protohistoric period. Originally published in 1993. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.




Papers in Italian Archaeology VII: The Archaeology of Death


Book Description

This volume collects more than 60 papers by contributors from the British Isles, Italy and other parts of continental Europe, and North and South America, focussing on recent developments in Italian archaeology from the Neolithic to the modern period.




Gender & Italian Archaeology


Book Description

The original research papers in this volume represent the first attempt to address issues of gender in the archaeology of Italy. Ranging from prehistoric to early classic periods, the authors address theoretical and methodological issues, as well as present a series of cases using both traditional and feminist research methods.




Interpreting Deposits


Book Description

Caeculus IV opens with a dedication to professor Marianne Kleibrink on the occasion of her 60th birthday, followed by a complete list of her publications. The Proceedings of the 4th Fransum Colloquium start with an article of Christopher Smith, entitled "Ritualising the Economy". He presents a theoretical base for a correlation between ritual and economy. Smith outlines some recent theories which incorporate economic activity into ritual context, actions into thought or, as one could say, matter into mind. Furthermore, he tries to relate this theoretical framework to the archaeological evidence from Latium Vetus, the region on which his own research focuses. The results from the recent Dutch excavations in Italy at Satricum seem to correspond fairly well with the discussed theories. His paper offers, therefor, a suitable foundation for the following contributions, most of which concentrate on central Italy. The second contribution by Tsjeard Hoekstra deals with the biography of bronze hoards from Italy. Albert Nijboer continues the debate with a discussion of the significant changes in hoarding in central Italy from 800 to 500 BC. The fourth paper by Demetrius Waarsenburg and Hendrieneke Maas deals with the bronzes deposited in the early sanctuary at Satricum in Lazio. Jelle Bouma discusses the same shrine as the previous authors but during the subsequent period, the 5th and 4t centuries BC. He presents a report of his excavation of the second votive deposit at the main shrine of Satricum. Peter Attema presents in his paper evidence of a recent survey in the area around Sezze, ancient Setia. The paper by Marjan Galestin discusses Roman coin hoards in the Netherlands. The last paper, not related to the central topic of this issue, is by Patricia Roncoroni who studies children's graves in Latium during the early Iron Age.




The Archaeology of Etruscan Society


Book Description

The late sixth century was a period of considerable change in Etruria; this change is traditionally seen as the adoption of superior models from Greece. In a re-alignment of agency, this book examines a wide range of Etruscan material culture - mirrors, tombs, sanctuaries, houses and cities - in order to demonstrate the importance of local concerns in the formation of Etruscan material culture. Drawing on theoretical developments, the book emphasises the deliberate nature of the smallest of changes in material culture form, and develops the concept of surface as a unifying key to understanding the changes in the ways Etruscans represented themselves in life and death. This concept allows a uniquely holistic approach to the archaeology of Etruscan society and has the potential for other archaeological investigations. The book will interest all scholars and students of classical archaeology.




Greek Colonisation


Book Description

The 2-volume handbook is dedicated to one of the most significant processes in the history of ancient Greece - colonisation. Greeks set up colonies and other settlements in new environments, establishing themselves in lands stretching from the Iberian Peninsula in the west to North Africa in the south and the Black Sea in the north east. In this colonial world Greek and local structures met, influenced and enriched each other. The handbook brings together historians and archaeologists, all world experts, to present the latest ideas and evidence. The principal aim is to present and update the general picture of this phenomenon, showing its importance in the history of the whole ancient world, including the Near East. The work is dedicated to Prof. A.J. Graham. This first volume gives a lengthy introduction to the problem, including methodological and theoretical issues. The chapters cover Mycenaean expansion, Phoenician and Phocaean colonisation, Greeks in the western Mediterranean, Syria, Egypt and southern Anatolia, etc. The volume is richly illustrated.




Mycenaean Civilization


Book Description

Classical Greeks considered the Mycenaean civilization to be the basis of their glorious and heroic heritage, but its material existence was not confirmed until the excavations of Heinrich Schliemann in the late nineteenth century. In the ensuing years, as with the field of archaeology in general, emphasis has shifted from revealing monuments and finding treasure to dealing with less glamorous, more scientifically-oriented investigations concerning aspects such as social and political organization, economic functions and settlement patterns. With its more than 2000 entries, this reference work serves as both an introduction to and a summary of the study of ancient Mycenaean civilization. Considerably expanded from the first edition, there are 500 new entries representing materials published since 1991. The largest part of the book is made up of annotated bibliography entries arranged topically with introductory material for each section. The book also includes a general introduction to Mycenaean civilization, a glossary, and author, place and subject indexes.




A Companion to the Etruscans


Book Description

This new collection presents a rich selection of innovative scholarship on the Etruscans, a vibrant, independent people whose distinct civilization flourished in central Italy for most of the first millennium BCE and whose artistic, social and cultural traditions helped shape the ancient Mediterranean, European, and Classical worlds. Includes contributions from an international cast of both established and emerging scholars Offers fresh perspectives on Etruscan art and culture, including analysis of the most up-to-date research and archaeological discoveries Reassesses and evaluates traditional topics like architecture, wall painting, ceramics, and sculpture as well as new ones such as textile archaeology, while also addressing themes that have yet to be thoroughly investigated in the scholarship, such as the obesus etruscus, the function and use of jewelry at different life stages, Greek and Roman topoi about the Etruscans, the Etruscans’ reception of ponderation, and more Counters the claim that the Etruscans were culturally inferior to the Greeks and Romans by emphasizing fields where the Etruscans were either technological or artistic pioneers and by reframing similarities in style and iconography as examples of Etruscan agency and reception rather than as a deficit of local creativity




Etruscology


Book Description

This handbook has two purposes: it is intended (1) as a handbook of Etruscology or Etruscan Studies, offering a state-of-the-art and comprehensive overview of the history of the discipline and its development, and (2) it serves as an authoritative reference work representing the current state of knowledge on Etruscan civilization. The organization of the volume reflects this dual purpose. The first part of the volume is dedicated to methodology and leading themes in current research, organized thematically, whereas the second part offers a diachronic account of Etruscan history, culture, religion, art & archaeology, and social and political relations and structures, as well as a systematic treatment of the topography of the Etruscan civilization and sphere of influence. 




Insularity, Identity and Epigraphy in the Roman World


Book Description

This book explores the subject of islands, their essence and identity, their isolation and their relationships in the Ancient world. It investigates Greek and Roman concepts of insularity, and their practical consequences for the political, economic and social life of the Empire. The contributions examine whether being related to an island was an externally or internally distinctive feature, and whether a tension between insularity and globalisation can be detected in this period. The book also looks at whether there is an insular material culture, an island-based approach to sacredness, or an island-based category of epigraphy.