Overview

Until recently, the Middle Helladic period was described as homogeneous and static. However, recent research has shown regional variability, early changes and more complexity. In Mortuary differentiation and social structure in the Middle Helladic Argolid, 2000-1500 B.C. the archaeological, anthropological and radiocarbon data from selected sites are integrated to determine if there was variation between individual burials, groupings and cemeteries and to reconstruct change through time. This work was done for selective Argive sites, namely Lerna, Asine and Aspis. The analysis has shown that in all cemeteries and through time kinship was the most important structuring principle, and age position in the kin network the most important component. Differentiation was not only observed within each burial place, but also between sites during the same period. Generally, a steady 'scaling up' can be observed, but it did not affect all sites in the same way. Changes were already underway at the beginning of the period but became intensified towards its end.

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9781789696257

Table of Contents

Reviews

; Lerna and Myloi: Concluding discussion ; Chapter 2: Asine ; Asine: Introduction ; Kastraki: The cemetery ; Kastraki: Grave analysis ; Kastraki: The finds ; Kastraki: Concluding discussion ; East cemetery (Tumulus IQ): The cemetery ; East cemetery: Grave analysis ; East cemetery: Concluding discussion ; Barbouna: The cemetery ; Barbouna: Grave analysis ; Barboyna: The finds ; Barbouna: Concluding discussion ; Change through time

Author Information

Eleni Milka obtained her PhD on mortuary differentiation in the Argolid as part of the project 'Shifting Identities. Social Change and Cultural Interaction in the Middle Helladic Argolid, 2000-1500 BC' (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the University of Groningen). Her M.Phil. Dissertation was on 'Burial Practices in Neolithic Greece' (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Archaeology), and she has also trained in human osteology and paleopathology (Democritus University of Thrace, Department of History and Ethnology). She has participated in many excavation projects, including the Barnavos-Nemea Valley Archaeological Project and the Ayia Sotira-Nemea Mycenaean Chamber Tomb Cemetery Project (Bryn Mawr College) and the Paliambela, Pieria Excavations Project (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and University of Sheffield). For many years she has worked in rescue excavations in the Southern Argolid (EFAAR). Her research interests include Aegean Prehistory, Mortuary Archaeology and Bioarchaeology.

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