Papers by Myles Chykerda
Ethnos and Koinon: Studies in Ancient Greek Ethnicity and Federalism, edited by Hans beck, Kostas Buraselis and Alex McAuley, 2019
The foundation of the Thessalian League in 197 BCE appears to formalize pre-existing notions of a... more The foundation of the Thessalian League in 197 BCE appears to formalize pre-existing notions of a regional Thessalian identity. From the onset, this koinon bears all the hallmarks of a true ethnos: a shared mythological ancestry, central sanctuaries, a collective religious calendar, a common dialect, and a central political authority. However, not everyone subscribed to this blueprint; there are many signs that the originally independent perioikoi, often described as ethne in their own right in earlier sources, displayed reluctance in abandoning their cultural and perhaps economic and political independence.
Throughout the history of Achaia Phthiotis, one such perioikic region, its inhabitants sought to define themselves from tetradic Thessaly and employed various forms of resistance tactics against the federal program of the Thessalian League. This resistance predominantly took the form of adherence to and monumentalization of local religious practices (Haagsma and Karapanou, in press) and reluctance to the adoption of the new religious calendar of the Thessalian League (Graninger 2011).
The manifestation of regional identity by the Phthiotic Achaians through political, religious and cultural means is nothing new. Already in earlier periods the status of this ethnos was solidified in its participation in the Amphiktyonic league; nevertheless, we see further evidence of regional expressions in the material culture, especially in the early Hellenistic period. These expressions are, among others, found in the coinage of various poleis minted with the AX monogram, in citizens of local poleis referring to themselves as Achaians, and in the development of the political, social, and economic structures of these poleis and their spatial organization (Stissi 2014). These developments seem to have been fostered or perhaps even fuelled by Macedonian presence in the region, especially in the eastern part of Achaia Phthiotis.
The ethnos of Achaia Phthiotis may not have pushed for a centralized foreign policy; rather, it was the diplomatic policies of external groups that led to a short-lived but explicit manifestation of regional togetherness in the early 3rd century BCE. However, thirty years later, this ethnic unity had already subsided. From this period onward Achaia Phthiotis becomes a major conflict zone between Macedonians, Aitolians, and later, Romans. The foreign interventions called upon unifying ethnic sentiments in the region while simultaneously acting as causes of political discord. This resulted on the one hand in a waning external focus on maintaining a regional united front and the emergence of inter-polity territorial conflicts as recorded in epigraphic land arbitrations, while adhering to regional religious customs on the other.
Using a synthesis of historic, epigraphic, numismatic, and archaeological sources, we will chart the shifting expressions and perceptions of regional identities of the Phthiotic Achaians throughout the Hellenistic period. The evidence demonstrates that constructions of identities in peripheral regions such as Achaia Phthiotis were multifarious and were negotiated on different planes simultaneously.
Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, January 8-11, 2015.
The fortified city near modern Kallithea, located in Achaia Phthiotis, dates to the late fourth c... more The fortified city near modern Kallithea, located in Achaia Phthiotis, dates to the late fourth century BCE (Figure 1). It presents a unique opportunity to investigate contemporary Greek defensive tactics beyond the powerful centers of Athens, Syracuse, and other large poleis whose extant defensive architecture dominate the archaeological landscape. Their elaborate walls, towers, and associated country forts and guard posts present examples that are exceptions rather than something representative of the general state of affairs in the early Hellenistic period. Kallithea’s geographical setting combined with its own defensive system allowed the city to dominate its surrounding landscape, demonstrating that substantial investment in military architecture occurred even at relatively minor Greek cities. However, Kallithea was not an isolated settlement; numerous nearby cities were of equal or greater stature, both in size and political power. For this reason, a number of questions remain: How did the city associate with its neighbors? What was the political status of Kallithea in relation to surrounding cities? We propose that an examination of the individual site, taking into account both archaeological and epigraphic evidence, demonstrates that as a true polis, Kallithea must have had socio-political and military interactions with nearby sites. Specifically, it must have been closely associated with the communities of New Halos and Pharsalos owing to relatively proximity coupled with the region’s high population density. To demonstrate this connection, a series of towers and forts along the Othrys Mountain range are examined using Geographical Information System (GIS) methodology. The viewsheds and lines of sight originating from each city suggest that Kallithea and New Halos were important cities that anchored two ends of a monitoring system designed to secure the southern border of Achaia Phthiotis against southern intrusions.
Meditations on the Diversity of the Built Environment in the Aegean Basin and Beyond: Proceedings of a Colloquium in Memory of Frederick E. Winter, 2014
Since 2004, a joint Canadian-Greek team has investigated the site of Kastro Kallithea, a Hellenis... more Since 2004, a joint Canadian-Greek team has investigated the site of Kastro Kallithea, a Hellenistic polis of south-west Achaia Phthiotis. Its location upon a dominating hill and possession of impressive defensive architecture speak to the city’s status as an important urban centre of the late fourth century BC that played a vital role in the region’s political affairs. Several studies have suggested that it was also the western-most component of a fire-signal relay designed to defend the north ridge of the Othrys Mountains against incursion from the south. In this essay we use the Othrys system as a case study with which to assess several landscape studies which have previously addressed hypothesized signalling systems elsewhere in Greece. In finding several faults with these studies, I furthermore propose that direct visual inspection can be a somewhat subjective means of assessing the signalling capabilities of a particular hilltop location. Recently developed digital tools, such as Google Earth and ArcGIS’ spatial analyst, allow an objective means to measure visual aspects of the landscape. We close this study by utilizing both Google Earth and ArcGIS to assess the viewsheds and lines-of-sight between the various components of the Othrys defensive network, concluding that the towers, forts, and poleis (Kallithea and New Halos) of the system functioned as a unit.
Chykerda, C. Myles, M.J. Haagsma, and S. Karapanou. "From City to Sea: Kastro Kallithea (Thessaly) and its Role in the Defense of Southern Achaia Phthiotis." In Meditations on the Diversity of the Built Environment in the Aegean Basin and Beyond: Proceedings of a Colloquium in Memory of Frederick E. Winter, edited by David W. Rupp and Jonathan E. Tomlinson, 285-310. Athens: The Canadian Institute in Greece, 2014.
Handbook of Research on Hybrid Learning Models: Advanced Tools, Technologies, and Application, Jan 1, 2009
Hybrid learning models attempt to create an environment that can harness the best parts of both f... more Hybrid learning models attempt to create an environment that can harness the best parts of both face to face and online modes of content delivery. The creation of these environments can be achieved in a very straightforward manner. However, the challenge is to develop these environments so that they fit the needs of the students, the abilities of the instructors, and also the nature of the content, all of which are numerous and varied. Deciding what elements to put online and what elements to deliver face to face presents a significant challenge, as the number of tools available to instructional staff will increase significantly over the next decade. Once the means of delivery are understood, it is possible to take the idea of hybrid teaching and learning environments one step further by first making the most of online and face-to-face delivery separately and then using them together when the need arises.
Raj Boora, John Church, Helen Madill, Wade Brown, Myles Chykerda 2010. Ramping up to Hybrid Teaching and Learning. In Fu Lee Wang, Joseph Fong, and Reggie Kwan (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Hybrid Learning Models: Advanced Tools, Technologies, and Application. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
This thesis presents an interdisciplinary examination of a series of towers existing between the ... more This thesis presents an interdisciplinary examination of a series of towers existing between the sites of Kastro Kallithea and New Halos along the north ridge of Greece’s Othrys Mountains. The overarching goal is to utilize digital archaeological techniques such as GIS to refine the methodologies used in determining the rate of efficient communication between towers in defense networks. Tools within the ArcGIS software package allow line of sight and viewsheds to be examined remotely with a series of criteria to be met, such as maximum allowable distance. In doing so, past studies of regional networks are critiqued in light of their inclusion or exclusion of considerations such as distance, atmospheric conditions, and time of day when determining over how far a distance fire signaling could be effective. A second critique explores the dangers of employing digital means from the perspectives of both the investigator and public.
Papers/Publications by Myles Chykerda
The Neolithic demographic transition in Mesoamerica was a gradual process that unfolded over most... more The Neolithic demographic transition in Mesoamerica was a gradual process that unfolded over most of the Formative period (1800 BC–AD 200). An analysis of published records of over 6,700 pre-Hispanic burials, focusing on changing proportions of juveniles 5–19 years of age, suggests that fertility rates rose steadily during both the second and the first millennia BC. The gradual pace of the demographic transition was probably related to the low initial productivity of maize.
Conference Presentations by Myles Chykerda
Abstract of a paper given at the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Archaeology, Toronto... more Abstract of a paper given at the Annual Meeting of the American Institute of Archaeology, Toronto, January 7th 2017.
Published Articles by Myles Chykerda
Books by Myles Chykerda
The Kastro Kallithea Archaeological Project (KKAP) was initiated by the Ephorate of Antiquities i... more The Kastro Kallithea Archaeological Project (KKAP) was initiated by the Ephorate of Antiquities in Larissa and the University of Alberta in 2004. The focus of this project is the fortified Classical and Hellenistic city at Kallithea and its environmental and political setting in relation to the ancient ethnos of Achaia Phthiotis in Thessaly, Greece. A major reason the site is suitable for archaeological research is its exceptional preservation. Over the years, the research team studied the city’s plan, its private and public architecture, its economic context and its occupation history. The project’s wider aim is to research social and economic change in the region by exploring the interactions between household, city, surrounding landscape and other cities in the area over time.
This archaeological guide provides a summary of research performed from 2004-2013.
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Papers by Myles Chykerda
Throughout the history of Achaia Phthiotis, one such perioikic region, its inhabitants sought to define themselves from tetradic Thessaly and employed various forms of resistance tactics against the federal program of the Thessalian League. This resistance predominantly took the form of adherence to and monumentalization of local religious practices (Haagsma and Karapanou, in press) and reluctance to the adoption of the new religious calendar of the Thessalian League (Graninger 2011).
The manifestation of regional identity by the Phthiotic Achaians through political, religious and cultural means is nothing new. Already in earlier periods the status of this ethnos was solidified in its participation in the Amphiktyonic league; nevertheless, we see further evidence of regional expressions in the material culture, especially in the early Hellenistic period. These expressions are, among others, found in the coinage of various poleis minted with the AX monogram, in citizens of local poleis referring to themselves as Achaians, and in the development of the political, social, and economic structures of these poleis and their spatial organization (Stissi 2014). These developments seem to have been fostered or perhaps even fuelled by Macedonian presence in the region, especially in the eastern part of Achaia Phthiotis.
The ethnos of Achaia Phthiotis may not have pushed for a centralized foreign policy; rather, it was the diplomatic policies of external groups that led to a short-lived but explicit manifestation of regional togetherness in the early 3rd century BCE. However, thirty years later, this ethnic unity had already subsided. From this period onward Achaia Phthiotis becomes a major conflict zone between Macedonians, Aitolians, and later, Romans. The foreign interventions called upon unifying ethnic sentiments in the region while simultaneously acting as causes of political discord. This resulted on the one hand in a waning external focus on maintaining a regional united front and the emergence of inter-polity territorial conflicts as recorded in epigraphic land arbitrations, while adhering to regional religious customs on the other.
Using a synthesis of historic, epigraphic, numismatic, and archaeological sources, we will chart the shifting expressions and perceptions of regional identities of the Phthiotic Achaians throughout the Hellenistic period. The evidence demonstrates that constructions of identities in peripheral regions such as Achaia Phthiotis were multifarious and were negotiated on different planes simultaneously.
Chykerda, C. Myles, M.J. Haagsma, and S. Karapanou. "From City to Sea: Kastro Kallithea (Thessaly) and its Role in the Defense of Southern Achaia Phthiotis." In Meditations on the Diversity of the Built Environment in the Aegean Basin and Beyond: Proceedings of a Colloquium in Memory of Frederick E. Winter, edited by David W. Rupp and Jonathan E. Tomlinson, 285-310. Athens: The Canadian Institute in Greece, 2014.
Raj Boora, John Church, Helen Madill, Wade Brown, Myles Chykerda 2010. Ramping up to Hybrid Teaching and Learning. In Fu Lee Wang, Joseph Fong, and Reggie Kwan (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Hybrid Learning Models: Advanced Tools, Technologies, and Application. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
Papers/Publications by Myles Chykerda
Conference Presentations by Myles Chykerda
Published Articles by Myles Chykerda
Books by Myles Chykerda
This archaeological guide provides a summary of research performed from 2004-2013.
Throughout the history of Achaia Phthiotis, one such perioikic region, its inhabitants sought to define themselves from tetradic Thessaly and employed various forms of resistance tactics against the federal program of the Thessalian League. This resistance predominantly took the form of adherence to and monumentalization of local religious practices (Haagsma and Karapanou, in press) and reluctance to the adoption of the new religious calendar of the Thessalian League (Graninger 2011).
The manifestation of regional identity by the Phthiotic Achaians through political, religious and cultural means is nothing new. Already in earlier periods the status of this ethnos was solidified in its participation in the Amphiktyonic league; nevertheless, we see further evidence of regional expressions in the material culture, especially in the early Hellenistic period. These expressions are, among others, found in the coinage of various poleis minted with the AX monogram, in citizens of local poleis referring to themselves as Achaians, and in the development of the political, social, and economic structures of these poleis and their spatial organization (Stissi 2014). These developments seem to have been fostered or perhaps even fuelled by Macedonian presence in the region, especially in the eastern part of Achaia Phthiotis.
The ethnos of Achaia Phthiotis may not have pushed for a centralized foreign policy; rather, it was the diplomatic policies of external groups that led to a short-lived but explicit manifestation of regional togetherness in the early 3rd century BCE. However, thirty years later, this ethnic unity had already subsided. From this period onward Achaia Phthiotis becomes a major conflict zone between Macedonians, Aitolians, and later, Romans. The foreign interventions called upon unifying ethnic sentiments in the region while simultaneously acting as causes of political discord. This resulted on the one hand in a waning external focus on maintaining a regional united front and the emergence of inter-polity territorial conflicts as recorded in epigraphic land arbitrations, while adhering to regional religious customs on the other.
Using a synthesis of historic, epigraphic, numismatic, and archaeological sources, we will chart the shifting expressions and perceptions of regional identities of the Phthiotic Achaians throughout the Hellenistic period. The evidence demonstrates that constructions of identities in peripheral regions such as Achaia Phthiotis were multifarious and were negotiated on different planes simultaneously.
Chykerda, C. Myles, M.J. Haagsma, and S. Karapanou. "From City to Sea: Kastro Kallithea (Thessaly) and its Role in the Defense of Southern Achaia Phthiotis." In Meditations on the Diversity of the Built Environment in the Aegean Basin and Beyond: Proceedings of a Colloquium in Memory of Frederick E. Winter, edited by David W. Rupp and Jonathan E. Tomlinson, 285-310. Athens: The Canadian Institute in Greece, 2014.
Raj Boora, John Church, Helen Madill, Wade Brown, Myles Chykerda 2010. Ramping up to Hybrid Teaching and Learning. In Fu Lee Wang, Joseph Fong, and Reggie Kwan (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Hybrid Learning Models: Advanced Tools, Technologies, and Application. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
This archaeological guide provides a summary of research performed from 2004-2013.