- 1 - Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction: An Introduction Evita Kalogiropoulou and Apostolos Sarris This particular proceedings volume constitutes evidence with historical, regional, and social contexts, one of the final outcomes of the research project and that penetrates into temporal and spatial slices in “IGEAN—Innovative Geophysical Approaches for order to expose the diversity of the Neolithic period the Study of Early Agricultural Villages of Neolithic in Greece. The aim was to capture the transition of Thessaly,” carried out by the Laboratory of Geo- archaeological practice from holistic great schemes physical–Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeo- and grand narratives to small-scale studies that environment (GeoSat ReSeArch Lab) of the Institute focus on micro-histories and the analysis of local- for Mediterranean Studies–Foundation for Research scale phenomena that delve deeply into the core of and Technology, Hellas (IMS-FORTH), in cooperation social complexity in Neolithic Greece. This volume with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Magnesia, Ministry examines our changing perceptions of Neolithic of Culture and Sports during the period of 2012–2015. landscapes in Greece and reconsiders the dynamics The IGEAN research project was co-financed by Greek of human–environment interactions through a se- and European Union resources. The international con- lection of site-specific and interdisciplinary papers. ference, “Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction An emphasis on village community, household, and in Neolithic Greece” was held in Rethymno, Crete, on open-air communal spaces reproduces the domi- the 29th and the 30th of May 2015, at the premises nance of the archaeological record over funerary and of the Institute for Mediterranean Studies as the final other monuments in Neolithic Greece, while also event of the IGEAN research project. This volume demonstrating our growing achievements toward a is a collection of selected papers that were presented better understanding of these prehistoric societies. during the corresponding international conference, Moreover, some papers revisit older archaeological and it constitutes the outcome of this constructive evidence under the scope of contemporary human- two-day meeting. centered theoretical schemes, as well as the applica- The main aim of this volume was to bring together tion of new scientific techniques such as geophysical a wide range of scholars contributing different forms prospection, micromorphology, and thin-section of archaeological evidence, in order to demonstrate petrographic analysis. the varied methodological and theoretical develop- ments of the study of Neolithic Greece and unravel Scales of Time and Space: From Grand the diversity of material culture remains and inter- Narratives to Micro-Scale Studies pretations that have emerged in the last few decades from this part of southeastern Europe. Universities The research framework for studies of the Neo- and research institutes from numerous destinations lithic period in Greece has been slow to align with are represented together with the Greek Archaeo- the most recent theoretical and analytical trends logical Service and foreign schools based in Greece, (Chourmouziadis 2009; Nanoglou 2001:303). From providing comprehensive and detailed coverage. The the context of cultural and national identities (My- range of papers reflects the current rapidly changing lonas 1929; Tsountas 2000 [1908]) to the quest for archaeological environment of Neolithic studies, while social structures (Chourmouziadis 1979; Theocharis various methodological and theoretical approaches, 1967), the application of enthoarchaeology in action as applied to the study of material culture, highlight (Efstratiou 2002), and the currently prevailing human- the current aims of research on Neolithic Greece. centered approach with an emphasis on the regional Our efforts were also meant to open a door for scale and local distinctiveness (e.g. Kalogiropoulou a volume of papers that synthesizes archaeological 2014; Kotsakis 2014; Nanoglou 2008; Pappa et al. AS20.indb 1 2/11/18 8:59 PM Evita Kalogiropoulou and Apostolos Sarris 2004; Souvatzi 2008; Urem-Kotsou and Kotsakis routines, such as cooking and tool-making, are now 2007; Valamoti 2005), Neolithic research in Greece historically examined as part of embedded social has come a long way. Over the last few decades, a performances (e.g. Kalogiropoulou 2014; Valamoti significant shift in analytical inquiry has taken place, 2004, 2005). The present volume reflects these new moving toward a wider choice of various theoretical approaches in the study of site-specific material schemes and interpretational approaches that have culture through the lenses of daily life performance, produced a more diverse, rich, and complex research personhood, sharing of social commodities, and agenda for the whole of Greek prehistory (Kotsakis events of social cohesion. 2014). For a long time archaeological research on The Worlds of Neolithic Greece Neolithic Greece has focused on mounds as obvious landmarks in generally flat landscapes. Since the A number of issues are addressed in this vol- early 1990s, however, the large-scale salvage excava- ume, spanning from settlement patterns and spatial tions that have been carried out broadly throughout organization, human choices about landscape habita- the country have become the driving force, with a tion, land-use strategies, building techniques, daily significant effect on the way Neolithic research in routines, and the creation of networks among com- Greece has been formed. Large-scale excavations munities. These issues are approached through the enabled a shift toward analytical approaches from analysis of a wide range of material culture remains, the chronological and typo-technological descrip- such as pottery, lithic tools, architectural remains, and tions of material culture remains, to multi-temporal figurines, together with faunal and plant remains. The spatial analyses, from small-sized and deep trenches questions posed and the vocabulary used demonstrate to broad-scale interpretative approaches to social the emergence of a new set of ideas regarding our structure and communal coherence. Extensive areas current perception of Neolithic worlds that arrives of archaeological sites have been exposed at such a via the present research interest in regional continu- scale for the first time, revealing new and unexpected ity and local distinctiveness. Neolithic histories have finds that have transformed the research framework been enriched by the results of recent archaeological and gradually changed our established perceptions of investigations that build upon previous analyses and Neolithic Greece. Unexplored landscapes exposed un- interpretations. On the other hand, the Neolithization expected evidence of habitation, while new settlement of the Greek peninsula—as with burial practices formations, such as flat-extended and lakeside sites, and rituals—have a limited representation in this have been added to the well-known low mounds and volume (Chapters 2, 13, and 27), to some extent tell sites. Different building forms and construction reflecting changes in our research questions and the techniques, together with the emergence of various constraints of archaeological evidence to provide spatial configurations and residential elements, fea- succinct answers to mobility, funerary practices, and tured a growing diversity in settlement organization ideological and symbolic aspects of peoples’ lives and a variability of people’s daily routines in different in this region. Contributions cover a geographically communities that formed dissimilar cultural and social broad area from northern Greece, Thessaly, Euboea, site-scapes. In the course of new finds, significant central Greece, the Peloponnese, the Cyclades, and the theoretical and methodological developments have Ionian islands, representing different archaeological been noted in recent years. The shift away from traditions, perspectives, and research dynamics, and environmental and technological analyses in favor working with different media. On the other hand, of social approaches and the production of regional Crete, the Dodecanese, and the islands of the south- narratives, for example, is discernible in recent stud- eastern Aegean are not represented in this synthesis ies of residential elements (e.g. Kloukinas 2014; volume. Pappa 2008), the social perspectives of pottery and The volume in organized in three interrelated and tool products (Skourtopoulou 2006; Tsoraki 2007; complementary parts: I. Communities, Social Space, Urem-Kotsou 2006), individuality (Nanoglou 2009), and Dimensions of Neolithic Lifeways (and Death), cooking and consumption practices as a glue of so- II. Landscape Dynamics and Subsistence Strategies, cial cohesion (Kalogiropoulou 2013), and network and III. Interactions and Material Perspectives. Even analysis (e.g. Dimoula 2014; Pentedeka 2008). In this if springing from different analytical scales, diver- framework, the house and household have become a sity emerges from the papers in all three sections central analytical topic in the recent research agenda as a distinctive, key characteristic of understanding (e.g. Efstratiou 2007; Halstead 1999; Kotsakis 1999; Neolithic communities in Greece. Nanoglou 2008; Souvatzi 2008). Moreover, daily The first part of this volume is shaped by a col- 2 AS20.indb 2 2/11/18 8:59 PM 1 - Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction: An Introduction lection