UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones May 2018 Investigating the Role of Liminality in the Cultural Transition of the Late Eighth Millennium BC on Cyprus Levi Keach Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Archaeological Anthropology Commons, and the Sociology Commons Repository Citation Keach, Levi, "Investigating the Role of Liminality in the Cultural Transition of the Late Eighth Millennium BC on Cyprus" (2018). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 3274. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/13568531 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. 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INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF LIMINALITY IN THE CULTURAL TRANSITION OF THE LATE EIGHTH MILLENNIUM BC ON CYPRUS By Levi Lowell Keach Bachelor of Arts – Anthropology University of Kansas 2012 Master of Arts – Anthropology University of Nevada, Las Vegas 2014 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy – Anthropology Department of Anthropology College of Liberal Arts The Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas May 2018 Copyright 2018 Levi Lowell Keach All Rights Reserved Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas April 5, 2018 This dissertation prepared by Levi Lowell Keach entitled Investigating the Role of Liminality in the Cultural Transition of the Late Eighth Millennium BC on Cyprus is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Anthropology Department of Anthropology Alan H. Simmons, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean Barbara Roth, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Karen Harry, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member John Curry, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii Abstract The Near East has the earliest and best documented Neolithic in the world. However, most research attention has focused on the mainland. The spread of the Neolithic to the adjacent Mediterranean islands was once considered relatively late. The last three decades of research has changed this perception, demonstrating that the spread of the Neolithic to Cyprus was contemporary with its continental development. This work addresses the change between the archeologically defined cultures of the Cypro-Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (Cypro-PPNB) and the Khirokitian Culture (KC) on the island of Cyprus between the 9th and 6th millennia cal BC. The purpose of this work is to provide a robust explanation for the transition between these two periods as well as evaluate the commonly held assumptions that scholars in the field of prehistoric Cypriot archeology maintain surrounding the transition between these periods. This is necessary to address the under-theorization of this transition. Scholars in the field maintain the peoples of the KC became increasingly insular/isolated; however, this view holds that both the process and the purpose for this change is insularity, which conflates process and purpose. This work corrects this discrepancy by contextualizing the period within the broader Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) and applying Liminality Theory to the transition. Using Liminality Theory, I explore how the periods of the Cypro-PPNB and KC relate in terms of migrants, established residents, and the production of new and shared identity by the Aceramic Neolithic peoples on Cyprus. This work finds that the entire Cypro-PPNB period experienced a high degree of liminality. This produced a resiliency among the people of Cyprus. Events occurring at the start of the 7th Millennium cal BC produced a period of liminality that destabilized much of the Near iii East, resulting in a variety of changes including the modification in settlement patterns, increased regionalization, migration, and the end of the PPNB. During this chaotic period, the people of Cyprus continued absorbing immigrants and new technologies from the mainland. The combination of these events resulted in some changes to their lifeways such that archaeologists recognize a distinct cultural entity called the KC. On Cyprus the trauma of these changes was mitigated by their long history of liminality. This research has relevance to the fields of Neolithic Cyprus, the Neolithic Near East, and liminality studies. Towards the study of Neolithic Cyprus, this work examines the mainland origins of the Cypriot Aceramic Neolithic, its relationship to the mainland, and proposes a novel model for considering the transition from the Cypro-PPNB to the KC. Toward the study of the Neolithic Near East broadly, this work provides a comparative look at the different regions built from site-specific data, provides comparably calibrated radiocarbon dates from across the Near East, and proposes modifications to the Levantine PPNB Interaction Sphere model (Bar-Yosef and Belfer-Cohen 1989a). Toward Liminality studies, this work provides an introductory survey of the development of theory and demonstrates the value of Liminality Theory in addressing the problem of culture change in an archaeological setting. iv Acknowledgments I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of my committee: Alan H. Simmons, Barbara J. Roth, Karen G. Harry, and John Curry, for their contributions to this work. Their patients throughout this process, both at the conceptual level and throughout the drafting process is greatly appreciated. No dissertation can be complete without data; therefore, thanks are in order to the parties involved. First, to Alan H. Simmons for making the Ais Giorkis and Ortos Projects’ data available. As well to all the members of these projects, undergraduate, graduate, and consultants, who were responsible for unearthing, processing, and compiling these data. As well, to the interlibrary loan staff at UNLV’s Lied Library for the 40ish sources that were not available locally. I am thankful to the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute (CAARI) and the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) for their support of American archaeology on Cyprus. As well, thanks to the Republic of Cyprus Department of Antiquities for supporting the Ais Giorkis Project. I am grateful to Colleen M. Beck, Maureen King, and the Desert Research Institute for providing me with gainful employment throughout my Ph.D. journey and the opportunity to develop my applied archaeology skills. Finally, I cannot thank Lorna Dickson Keach enough for all she has done, both enriching this document and my life. I cannot imagine completing this process without her. v Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... vi List of Figures .................................................................................................................. xvi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... xix Chapter 1: Introduction and Research Context ................................................................... 1 Context of the Cypriot Aceramic Neolithic .................................................................... 2 Theoretical framework .................................................................................................... 3 Research Approach ......................................................................................................... 4 Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 5 Organization of this Work .............................................................................................. 9 Stylistic Conventions .................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 2: Cultural Context of the Early Cypriot Neolithic ............................................. 12 Controversy Surrounding the Early Cultural Sequence of Cyprus ............................... 12 The Archeological Record of the Early Cultural Sequence of Cyprus ......................... 15 Summary of the Epipaleolithic on Cyprus ................................................................ 16 Summary of the Cypro-PPNA on Cyprus ................................................................. 17 Summary of the Cypro-PPNB .................................................................................. 19 vi Summary of the Khirokitian Culture (KC) period .................................................... 22 Summary