2 - Inside Out? Materiality and Connectivity in the Aegean Archipelago

Summary

The Mediterranean is made up of continental littoral and large islands; archipelagos are restricted to the Balearics, the northeast Adriatic and the Aegean. The ancient Greek geographical term 'peraia' describes the territory beyond the limits of a certain area, usually separated by water. First, this chapter discusses the status of the Cyclades as an archipelago in relation to its nearby continental littorals of the Greek and Anatolian mainlands, and the miniature continent of Crete. Second, it presents a diachronic approach that seeks to chart the changing patterns of connectivity between the Cyclades and these areas throughout the course of the Bronze Age. In the late Early Bronze Age (EBA), the seascapes and islandscapes at the heart of the archipelago see influence from the Anatolian mainland. Finally, the chapter discusses anatolianisation, mycenaeanisation and minoanisation, and the Cyclades in the Dark Ages and the Early Iron Age.