My research on Minoan Crete initially concentrated on Neopalatial architecture, soon to be followed by studies on the archaeological aspects of the Linear B tablets of Knossos. My involvement in different archaeological projects on the island, first through the British School at Athens (Palaikastro, Knossos, Myrtos) then as a Belgian member of the French School at Athens (Malia) as well as a series of studies on the impact of the Santorini eruption on Minoan Crete with C.F. Macdonald, made me realise that, despite a 100 years of excavation, Minoan society remains as mysterious for us as it was for Arthur Evans. Hence my interest for social structure and the attempts to understand the reality presented by the palace. Influenced by Lévi-Strauss and Elinor Ostrom, I have recently tried to approach Minoan society as corporative, based on a locus-bound association of matrifocally organised groups or houses, which, through collective action, collaborated to construct and use the complexes labelled ‘palaces’. By initiating the first ever excavation by the Belgian School at Athens on Crete at Sissi, thanks to the collaboration of the KD’ ephorate of antiquities, I have been able to explore some of these ideas in the field. Since 2012 I am director of the Belgian School at Athens. Phone: +3210474890 Address: Archaeology Dept
Université Catholique de Louvain
Place B Pascal 1
1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
Minoan religion is a topic that, despite plenty of attention since A.J. Evans's original discussi... more Minoan religion is a topic that, despite plenty of attention since A.J. Evans's original discussion of Minoan cult ('The Mycenaean Tree and Pillar Cult and its Mediterranean Relations', JHS 21 [1901], 99-204), remains a subject of much speculation, partly because reliable textual information is lacking and most studies depend solely on iconography and archaeological remains. These sources are also the ones used in this monograph focusing on the built environment of cult, the result of M.'s doctoral dissertation at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Heavily influenced in its methodological approach by C. Renfrew's seminal work on Bronze Age Aegean cult (The Archaeology of Cult: the Sanctuary at Phylakopi [1985]) and M. Prent's study of Late Minoan IIIC cult practices (Cretan Sanctuaries and Cult. Continuity and Change from Late Minoan IIIC to the Archaic Period [2005]), M. examines 144 possible cult spaces and buildings on Crete and the Minoanised islands (esp. Santorini and Milos). A lengthy introduction (Chapter 1) analyses previous studies of Minoan cult and cult places before addressing the question of what a Minoan cult space is and what a Minoan cult act was (Chapter 2). Rather than providing a definite answer, M. accepts a place or context as cultic if it responds to six criteria: an exceptional topographical situation, a special architectural form and accessibility, the presence of permanent installations (cf. Renfrew's attention-focusing devices), special mobile finds, the spatial effects of the room itself ('Raumwirkung'), and the spatial context and surrounding rooms. It is not entirely clear whether all six criteria need to be present, however, for a context to be convincing and one retains this uncertainty in Chapter 3, where the archaeological evidence of the cult places is discussed and a catalogue is provided. The chapter, however, is somewhat unbalanced: sacred caves are not treated at allsince only built space is considered-, and most peak sanctuaries without architecture are omitted while only a few spring sanctuaries and pillar shrines receive detailed discussion. In view of the many peak sanctuaries (many without architecture) and other types of cult contexts, one cannot escape the notion that only a partial view of Minoan cult expression is presented. While M.'s approach is systematic and quite rigid in terms of coherently applying methodological criteria, the data base is too extensive, and perhaps it would have been more appropriate to limit the study to spring and pillar shrines rather than addressing the entire spectrum of built cultic manifestations. Following L. Goodison's lead (e.g. 'From Tholos Tomb to Throne Room: Some Considerations of Dawn Light and Directionality in Minoan Buildings', in: G. Cadogan et al. [edd.], Knossos: Palace, City, State [2004], pp. 339-50), potential astronomical features (equinox and solstice orientations) of the Middle Bronze Age remains beneath the Minoan Hall of the Palace at Malia and the later examples at Knossos are discussed at length, and some unique cases, such as the building of Anemospilia at Archanes, receive attention. Many other contexts do not. Moreover, the information in the catalogue of 144 potential cult spaces is insufficient and limited to date and identification ('palatial'; 'häuslich'/domestic;
Chronos. Stratigraphic Analysis, Pottery Seriation and Radiocarbon Dating in Mediterranean Chronology, 2024
The absolute chronology of Neopalatial Crete and the early Late Bronze Age Aegean – and, in parti... more The absolute chronology of Neopalatial Crete and the early Late Bronze Age Aegean – and, in particular, of the Late Minoan IA Theran Eruption on Santorini, the so-called Minoan Eruption – is a pivotal point for the study of the entire eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, while at the same time providing one of the most interesting (and intricate) case-studies for combined archaeological and high-precision radiocarbon dating. Since the 1970s, the traditional, archaeology-based chronology has been questioned following the analysis of radiocarbon measurements from Thera and elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean, while the recent publication of the new annual-resolution section of the calibration curve IntCal20 for the 1700-1500 BCE period has shown that remaining uncertainties affect the arguments for both the archaeo-historically-based ‘Low’ chronology – with the eruption event in the last decades of the 16th century BCE, and the radiocarbon-based ‘High’ chronology, which sets the eruption in the later part of the 17th century BCE. Focussing on new insights and methods (especially Correspondence Analysis) to achieve a better resolution for the absolute date, this volume originates in an international workshop with the same title organised at Louvain-la-Neuve in December 2022, in which the different approaches were discussed, confronted and explored. The workshop forms part of the ARC 20/25-106 TALOS program: The Santorini Eruption: Comparative anthropological and volcanological research of an archaeological case study.
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on d... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on different occasions but continues to be of archaeological interest, in part because it is one of the few settlements that was occupied for a relatively short period during what are called the ‘Crisis Years’ of the Eastern Mediterranean (ca. 1200 BCE). The ethnic mix of its material culture is also astonishing, with imports from Mycenaean Greece, Minoan Crete, Nuragic Sardinia, Hittite Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt—a variety unparalleled at other contemporary Cypriot settlements. Since 2014, an international team consisting of members of the University of Ghent and Louvain in Belgium and of the Mediterranean Archaeological Society in Heraklion, Crete, has continued its exploration, concentrating on different areas of the 7-hectare hill. The aim of the new excavations is to obtain a better understanding of the social structure and internal organization of the site and of its importance for the continuing discussions on migration, interaction, and acculturation, which typify the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE in the Eastern Mediterranean. The volume is a detailed but preliminary account of the first six excavation campaigns (2014–2019) with a presentation of the archaeological material found in the different sectors of the hill. It also includes the first analyses of the different ceramic categories encountered and a report on the topographical work executed.
Political Geographies of the Bronze Age Aegean, 2022
proceedings of a workshop organised by the NIA and the EBSA in Athens, edited by Gert Jan Van Wij... more proceedings of a workshop organised by the NIA and the EBSA in Athens, edited by Gert Jan Van Wijngaarden and Jan Driessen
Sissi V. Preliminary Report on the 2017-2019 Excavations at Sissi, 2021
Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to conta... more Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to contact individual contributors to receive pdfs of the various chapters
Between 2007 and 2011, the Belgian School at Athens undertook excavations on the Kefali or Buff o... more Between 2007 and 2011, the Belgian School at Athens undertook excavations on the Kefali or Buff o hill, east of the village of Sissi, on the north coast of Crete, only a few kilometres east of Malia. The project has revealed the remains of a settlement and cemetery, used during different phases of the Bronze Age (2500-1200 B.C.). This volume details the results of the 2011 campaign, the last in our first 5-year programme. The work in the different zones is described and reports on Late Minoan pottery, petrographic analysis, shells and ground stone tools are attached.
This volume This volume has its origin in a similarly entitled session organised at the 24th Annu... more This volume This volume has its origin in a similarly entitled session organised at the 24th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Barcelona in 2018. The specific aim of both the session and this volume was to measure acceptance of, and resistance to, outside influences within Mediterranean coastal settlements and their immediate hinterlands, with an open time range, but with a particular focus on the processes not reflecting simple commercial routes, but taking place at an intercultural level, in situations of developed connectedness. Following a general discussion of the theoretical and long-lasting facets of the discussion on communication, and of some of the reasons for its unevenness, the contributions in the volume give a wide and stimulating view of the ongoing debate about Mediterranean interaction and communication. The papers' timespan is large: from the Late Neolithic of Crete, in the 5th-4th millennium BCE, to the Macedonian conquest of Thrace, in the 4th century BCE. Most contributions, however, focus on the Middle to Late Bronze Ages, as this is a phase of particularly intense communication, which matches the interests and connections of the editors. The geographic frame extends from the Central Mediterranean to Thrace, Cyprus and the Levant, with an important focus on Crete and Mycenaean Greece. Other papers, more than specific areas, instead discuss the figures of some of the actors of the intra-Mediterranean interregional communication, and the nuances of their roles: warriors and merchants. https://www.i6doc.com/fr/book/?gcoi=28001104706670
OIKOS. Archaeological Approaches to House Societies in Aegean Prehistory (Aegis 19), 2020
Proceedings of the international workshop organised in Louvain-la-Neuve, December 2018.
This col... more Proceedings of the international workshop organised in Louvain-la-Neuve, December 2018. This collection of papers explores whether the Lévi-Straussian notion of the House is a valid concept in aiding the comprehension of the social structure of Bronze Age Aegean societies. The main question that is addressed is whether there was a specific social institution or definable group that, through its materialisation, differentiated itself from other social units, such as nuclear families. While little agreement was reached, the volume succeeds in stressing the advances made in the study of social structure of the Aegean on the basis of material remains. Moreover, the discussions presented demonstrate that the House as an analytical unit allows a better understanding of what on Crete has usually been called ‘the elite’ – an anonymous group of people with shared values and practices. It is the contention of the editors that such an interpretation of the basal social structure may help understand the unique emergence, development and character of Minoan society, as well as its distinctive material culture.
• a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s • • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s... more • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s • • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s • An Archaeology of Forced Migration The Content This collection of papers explores whether a meaningful distinction can be made in the archaeological record between migrations in general and conflict-induced migration in particular and whether the concept of conflict-induced migration is at all relevant to understand the major societal collapse of Bronze Age societies in the Eastern Mediterranean in the late 13 th c. BCE. Helped by modern perspectives on actual and recent cases of conflict-induced migration and by textual evidence on ancient events, the different areas of the Mediterranean affected by the Late Bronze Age events are explored.
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
The divide that once existed between the past and the present and between the archaeology of dist... more The divide that once existed between the past and the present and between the archaeology of distant times and that of recent ones has started to disappear. Excavations are now exploring 20th century sites or ones that are even more recent. The barriers that once compartmentalised the fields of history, archaeology and anthropology have begun to crumble, yielding a vast common space, that of the present. The resulting challenges to traditional methodologies have generated a silent revolution that is undermining the ways these disciplines dealt with the past. Will we prove capable of acknowledging this new state of the social sciences and act accordingly?
Crisis to Collapse. The Archaeology of Social Breakdown.This volume comprises the proceedings of ... more Crisis to Collapse. The Archaeology of Social Breakdown.This volume comprises the proceedings of a workshop with the same title which took place in October 2015. It was organised within the frame of the ARC13/18-049 (concerted research action) ‘A World in Crisis?’. It has both a large chronological scope – from the Late Palaeolithic to the 12th c. AD – and wide geographical coverage, with case studies from the Maya, Southern US, Aegean, Sri Lanka, Indus, Gaul, Southern Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, North-western Europe, Alaska and Mesopotamia. It discusses and critically analyses the variety of signatures and archaeological correlates of crisis conditions that led to social breakdown. As such it makes massive strides forward to a better theoretical understanding of crisis-induced collapse. The authors Bulent Arikan, Miroslav Bárta, R. Kyle Bocinsky, Megan Cifarelli, Tim F. Cunningham, Jan Driessen, Svante Fischer, Christian Isendahl, Timothy A. Kohler, Igor Kreimerman, Maxime Lamoureux St-Hilaire, Lennart Lind, Patricia A. McAnany, Guy D. Middleton, Lorenzo Nigro, Stephen O’Brien, Gerald Oetelaar, Cameron A. Petrie, Felix Riede, Keir Strickland, Richard VanderHoek, Saro Wallace.
This volume, in honour of one of the Odysseuses in Aegean archaeology, Professor Robert Laffineur... more This volume, in honour of one of the Odysseuses in Aegean archaeology, Professor Robert Laffineur, comprises a combination of papers presented during a seminar series on recent developments in Mycenaean archaeology at the Université de Louvain during the academic year 2015-2016. These were organised within the frame of the ARC13/18-049 (concerted research action) 'A World in Crisis?' To these are added a series of papers by friends of Robert Laffineur who were keen to off er a contribution to honour him foremost as a friend and scholar in his own right but also as editor of a respected international series founded by him – Aegaeum – and as the driving force and inspiration behind the biannual Aegean meetings that have travelled the world. Several papers within touch scientific domains close to Robert’s heart while others present new excavations or new interpretations of known data.
Minoan religion is a topic that, despite plenty of attention since A.J. Evans's original discussi... more Minoan religion is a topic that, despite plenty of attention since A.J. Evans's original discussion of Minoan cult ('The Mycenaean Tree and Pillar Cult and its Mediterranean Relations', JHS 21 [1901], 99-204), remains a subject of much speculation, partly because reliable textual information is lacking and most studies depend solely on iconography and archaeological remains. These sources are also the ones used in this monograph focusing on the built environment of cult, the result of M.'s doctoral dissertation at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Heavily influenced in its methodological approach by C. Renfrew's seminal work on Bronze Age Aegean cult (The Archaeology of Cult: the Sanctuary at Phylakopi [1985]) and M. Prent's study of Late Minoan IIIC cult practices (Cretan Sanctuaries and Cult. Continuity and Change from Late Minoan IIIC to the Archaic Period [2005]), M. examines 144 possible cult spaces and buildings on Crete and the Minoanised islands (esp. Santorini and Milos). A lengthy introduction (Chapter 1) analyses previous studies of Minoan cult and cult places before addressing the question of what a Minoan cult space is and what a Minoan cult act was (Chapter 2). Rather than providing a definite answer, M. accepts a place or context as cultic if it responds to six criteria: an exceptional topographical situation, a special architectural form and accessibility, the presence of permanent installations (cf. Renfrew's attention-focusing devices), special mobile finds, the spatial effects of the room itself ('Raumwirkung'), and the spatial context and surrounding rooms. It is not entirely clear whether all six criteria need to be present, however, for a context to be convincing and one retains this uncertainty in Chapter 3, where the archaeological evidence of the cult places is discussed and a catalogue is provided. The chapter, however, is somewhat unbalanced: sacred caves are not treated at allsince only built space is considered-, and most peak sanctuaries without architecture are omitted while only a few spring sanctuaries and pillar shrines receive detailed discussion. In view of the many peak sanctuaries (many without architecture) and other types of cult contexts, one cannot escape the notion that only a partial view of Minoan cult expression is presented. While M.'s approach is systematic and quite rigid in terms of coherently applying methodological criteria, the data base is too extensive, and perhaps it would have been more appropriate to limit the study to spring and pillar shrines rather than addressing the entire spectrum of built cultic manifestations. Following L. Goodison's lead (e.g. 'From Tholos Tomb to Throne Room: Some Considerations of Dawn Light and Directionality in Minoan Buildings', in: G. Cadogan et al. [edd.], Knossos: Palace, City, State [2004], pp. 339-50), potential astronomical features (equinox and solstice orientations) of the Middle Bronze Age remains beneath the Minoan Hall of the Palace at Malia and the later examples at Knossos are discussed at length, and some unique cases, such as the building of Anemospilia at Archanes, receive attention. Many other contexts do not. Moreover, the information in the catalogue of 144 potential cult spaces is insufficient and limited to date and identification ('palatial'; 'häuslich'/domestic;
Chronos. Stratigraphic Analysis, Pottery Seriation and Radiocarbon Dating in Mediterranean Chronology, 2024
The absolute chronology of Neopalatial Crete and the early Late Bronze Age Aegean – and, in parti... more The absolute chronology of Neopalatial Crete and the early Late Bronze Age Aegean – and, in particular, of the Late Minoan IA Theran Eruption on Santorini, the so-called Minoan Eruption – is a pivotal point for the study of the entire eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age, while at the same time providing one of the most interesting (and intricate) case-studies for combined archaeological and high-precision radiocarbon dating. Since the 1970s, the traditional, archaeology-based chronology has been questioned following the analysis of radiocarbon measurements from Thera and elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean, while the recent publication of the new annual-resolution section of the calibration curve IntCal20 for the 1700-1500 BCE period has shown that remaining uncertainties affect the arguments for both the archaeo-historically-based ‘Low’ chronology – with the eruption event in the last decades of the 16th century BCE, and the radiocarbon-based ‘High’ chronology, which sets the eruption in the later part of the 17th century BCE. Focussing on new insights and methods (especially Correspondence Analysis) to achieve a better resolution for the absolute date, this volume originates in an international workshop with the same title organised at Louvain-la-Neuve in December 2022, in which the different approaches were discussed, confronted and explored. The workshop forms part of the ARC 20/25-106 TALOS program: The Santorini Eruption: Comparative anthropological and volcanological research of an archaeological case study.
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on d... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on different occasions but continues to be of archaeological interest, in part because it is one of the few settlements that was occupied for a relatively short period during what are called the ‘Crisis Years’ of the Eastern Mediterranean (ca. 1200 BCE). The ethnic mix of its material culture is also astonishing, with imports from Mycenaean Greece, Minoan Crete, Nuragic Sardinia, Hittite Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt—a variety unparalleled at other contemporary Cypriot settlements. Since 2014, an international team consisting of members of the University of Ghent and Louvain in Belgium and of the Mediterranean Archaeological Society in Heraklion, Crete, has continued its exploration, concentrating on different areas of the 7-hectare hill. The aim of the new excavations is to obtain a better understanding of the social structure and internal organization of the site and of its importance for the continuing discussions on migration, interaction, and acculturation, which typify the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE in the Eastern Mediterranean. The volume is a detailed but preliminary account of the first six excavation campaigns (2014–2019) with a presentation of the archaeological material found in the different sectors of the hill. It also includes the first analyses of the different ceramic categories encountered and a report on the topographical work executed.
Political Geographies of the Bronze Age Aegean, 2022
proceedings of a workshop organised by the NIA and the EBSA in Athens, edited by Gert Jan Van Wij... more proceedings of a workshop organised by the NIA and the EBSA in Athens, edited by Gert Jan Van Wijngaarden and Jan Driessen
Sissi V. Preliminary Report on the 2017-2019 Excavations at Sissi, 2021
Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to conta... more Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to contact individual contributors to receive pdfs of the various chapters
Between 2007 and 2011, the Belgian School at Athens undertook excavations on the Kefali or Buff o... more Between 2007 and 2011, the Belgian School at Athens undertook excavations on the Kefali or Buff o hill, east of the village of Sissi, on the north coast of Crete, only a few kilometres east of Malia. The project has revealed the remains of a settlement and cemetery, used during different phases of the Bronze Age (2500-1200 B.C.). This volume details the results of the 2011 campaign, the last in our first 5-year programme. The work in the different zones is described and reports on Late Minoan pottery, petrographic analysis, shells and ground stone tools are attached.
This volume This volume has its origin in a similarly entitled session organised at the 24th Annu... more This volume This volume has its origin in a similarly entitled session organised at the 24th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in Barcelona in 2018. The specific aim of both the session and this volume was to measure acceptance of, and resistance to, outside influences within Mediterranean coastal settlements and their immediate hinterlands, with an open time range, but with a particular focus on the processes not reflecting simple commercial routes, but taking place at an intercultural level, in situations of developed connectedness. Following a general discussion of the theoretical and long-lasting facets of the discussion on communication, and of some of the reasons for its unevenness, the contributions in the volume give a wide and stimulating view of the ongoing debate about Mediterranean interaction and communication. The papers' timespan is large: from the Late Neolithic of Crete, in the 5th-4th millennium BCE, to the Macedonian conquest of Thrace, in the 4th century BCE. Most contributions, however, focus on the Middle to Late Bronze Ages, as this is a phase of particularly intense communication, which matches the interests and connections of the editors. The geographic frame extends from the Central Mediterranean to Thrace, Cyprus and the Levant, with an important focus on Crete and Mycenaean Greece. Other papers, more than specific areas, instead discuss the figures of some of the actors of the intra-Mediterranean interregional communication, and the nuances of their roles: warriors and merchants. https://www.i6doc.com/fr/book/?gcoi=28001104706670
OIKOS. Archaeological Approaches to House Societies in Aegean Prehistory (Aegis 19), 2020
Proceedings of the international workshop organised in Louvain-la-Neuve, December 2018.
This col... more Proceedings of the international workshop organised in Louvain-la-Neuve, December 2018. This collection of papers explores whether the Lévi-Straussian notion of the House is a valid concept in aiding the comprehension of the social structure of Bronze Age Aegean societies. The main question that is addressed is whether there was a specific social institution or definable group that, through its materialisation, differentiated itself from other social units, such as nuclear families. While little agreement was reached, the volume succeeds in stressing the advances made in the study of social structure of the Aegean on the basis of material remains. Moreover, the discussions presented demonstrate that the House as an analytical unit allows a better understanding of what on Crete has usually been called ‘the elite’ – an anonymous group of people with shared values and practices. It is the contention of the editors that such an interpretation of the basal social structure may help understand the unique emergence, development and character of Minoan society, as well as its distinctive material culture.
• a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s • • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s... more • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s • • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s • An Archaeology of Forced Migration The Content This collection of papers explores whether a meaningful distinction can be made in the archaeological record between migrations in general and conflict-induced migration in particular and whether the concept of conflict-induced migration is at all relevant to understand the major societal collapse of Bronze Age societies in the Eastern Mediterranean in the late 13 th c. BCE. Helped by modern perspectives on actual and recent cases of conflict-induced migration and by textual evidence on ancient events, the different areas of the Mediterranean affected by the Late Bronze Age events are explored.
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
The divide that once existed between the past and the present and between the archaeology of dist... more The divide that once existed between the past and the present and between the archaeology of distant times and that of recent ones has started to disappear. Excavations are now exploring 20th century sites or ones that are even more recent. The barriers that once compartmentalised the fields of history, archaeology and anthropology have begun to crumble, yielding a vast common space, that of the present. The resulting challenges to traditional methodologies have generated a silent revolution that is undermining the ways these disciplines dealt with the past. Will we prove capable of acknowledging this new state of the social sciences and act accordingly?
Crisis to Collapse. The Archaeology of Social Breakdown.This volume comprises the proceedings of ... more Crisis to Collapse. The Archaeology of Social Breakdown.This volume comprises the proceedings of a workshop with the same title which took place in October 2015. It was organised within the frame of the ARC13/18-049 (concerted research action) ‘A World in Crisis?’. It has both a large chronological scope – from the Late Palaeolithic to the 12th c. AD – and wide geographical coverage, with case studies from the Maya, Southern US, Aegean, Sri Lanka, Indus, Gaul, Southern Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, North-western Europe, Alaska and Mesopotamia. It discusses and critically analyses the variety of signatures and archaeological correlates of crisis conditions that led to social breakdown. As such it makes massive strides forward to a better theoretical understanding of crisis-induced collapse. The authors Bulent Arikan, Miroslav Bárta, R. Kyle Bocinsky, Megan Cifarelli, Tim F. Cunningham, Jan Driessen, Svante Fischer, Christian Isendahl, Timothy A. Kohler, Igor Kreimerman, Maxime Lamoureux St-Hilaire, Lennart Lind, Patricia A. McAnany, Guy D. Middleton, Lorenzo Nigro, Stephen O’Brien, Gerald Oetelaar, Cameron A. Petrie, Felix Riede, Keir Strickland, Richard VanderHoek, Saro Wallace.
This volume, in honour of one of the Odysseuses in Aegean archaeology, Professor Robert Laffineur... more This volume, in honour of one of the Odysseuses in Aegean archaeology, Professor Robert Laffineur, comprises a combination of papers presented during a seminar series on recent developments in Mycenaean archaeology at the Université de Louvain during the academic year 2015-2016. These were organised within the frame of the ARC13/18-049 (concerted research action) 'A World in Crisis?' To these are added a series of papers by friends of Robert Laffineur who were keen to off er a contribution to honour him foremost as a friend and scholar in his own right but also as editor of a respected international series founded by him – Aegaeum – and as the driving force and inspiration behind the biannual Aegean meetings that have travelled the world. Several papers within touch scientific domains close to Robert’s heart while others present new excavations or new interpretations of known data.
A unique anthropomorphic statue, representing a young man standing tall ca. 50 cm. and primarily ... more A unique anthropomorphic statue, representing a young man standing tall ca. 50 cm. and primarily made of ivory and with gold decorative elements, was discovered heavily fragmented and burnt during the extensive excavations at the Bronze Age site of Palaikastro in Crete, Greece in 1987, 1988 and 1990. Through a painstaking restoration process of nearly a decade long, the statue was brought back to its original shape from ca. 200 recovered fragments and it is now exhibited in the Siteia archaeological museum in East Crete. The statue and the remaining fragments that the conservators were not able to place on the statue were recently 3D documented by means of a high-precision optical scanner, resulting in the virtual re-positioning of many remaining fragments, correction of the statue's right foot orientation and its overall posture, and a better understanding of its assembly technique. This article presents these results and the digital processes that lead to them.
in Chronos. Stratigraphic Analysis, Pottery Seriation and Radiocarbon Dating in Mediterranean Chronology, edited by Jan Driessen & Tiziano Fantuzzi, 2024
The Annual of the British School at Athens, Nov 1, 1998
Work at Palaikastro in the 1994 and 1996 seasons was concentrated in Building 6 in the southern a... more Work at Palaikastro in the 1994 and 1996 seasons was concentrated in Building 6 in the southern area adjacent to Main Street, where tests had previously been made in 1990–1. It was confirmed that the architectural history of the area ended before the Santorini eruption. Its later use as a walled open space was marked by the construction in LM IB of two wells. These were fully excavated and were very productive of useful stratified material. The principal building complex lay to the SE and comprised a propylon and a small central court with colonnade and surrounding rooms. The most important of these is a paved hall at the south entered by a pier and door system of Knossian type. All these features, as well as unusual decorative elements, including building materials of varying colour, frescoes and horns of consecration, distinguish this building from others at Palaikastro. The date of first construction seems to be MM IIIA (over an earlier MM II building), but this was followed by a destruction and major rebuild in MM IIIB, the period to which many of these decorative elements should belong. A violent destruction by earthquake later in MM IIIB left substantial pottery deposits in several areas of the building, which seems to have been only partially repaired before a final destruction took place. This was followed by deliberate dismantling (LM IA early?) which was far advanced when the tephra fell on an essentially abandoned plot.
MM III B-LM I A transition, since it includes new dark-on-light painted pottery which soon become... more MM III B-LM I A transition, since it includes new dark-on-light painted pottery which soon becomes the hallmark of LM I. Interestingly B. sees this new pottery at Kommos as not locally derived. One is more than tempted to suggest the inception of powerful Knossian ceramic influence. In its MM HI B-LM I A transition material Kommos adds to the evidence for a widespread and major destruction, very possibly by earthquake, in Crete and the south Aegean at this time (see further BSA 86 [1991]).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Power and architecture : monumental public arc... more Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Power and architecture : monumental public architecture in the Bronze Age Near East and Aegean / J. Bretschneider, J. Driessen. and K. van Lerberghe (eds.). p. cm. - (Orientalia Lovaniensia analecta ; 156) "Proceedings of the ...
Please be patient while the object screen loads. Changez de vue : Choisir un site UCL FUNDP FUSL... more Please be patient while the object screen loads. Changez de vue : Choisir un site UCL FUNDP FUSL FUCaM. ...
The practice of feasting - arguably one of the most important factors for social cohesion in the ... more The practice of feasting - arguably one of the most important factors for social cohesion in the history of the island of Crete - can be followed from Early Minoan times onwards into the postpalatial phase. Here it is suggested that during the Final palatial period (LM II-IIIA1), feasting was ...
Please be patient while the object screen loads. Changez de vue : Choisir un site… UCL FUNDP FUSL... more Please be patient while the object screen loads. Changez de vue : Choisir un site… UCL FUNDP FUSL FUCaM. ...
This paper summarizes archaeological research on the Bronze Age of the island of Crete during the... more This paper summarizes archaeological research on the Bronze Age of the island of Crete during the last decade. It starts off by highlighting the most important excavations and surveys and the publication of data through monographs, periodicals, scientific proceedings and other media. Next it considers how our conventional understanding of Minoan culture has been affected both by recent research and discoveries and by theoretical and interpretive shifts. Emphasis is placed on the influence of various social theories that have questioned the focus on centralization at different scales and increased our appreciation of specific cultural practices and dynamics by using bottom-up and embodied approaches. As such, chronology, architectural studies, pottery, cult, iconography and social and political systems are discussed, as are aspects of materiality, corporeality, performance and gender. Finally, the changes in the academic environments dealing with Minoan archaeology receive some attention.
In this paper, we argue that the sociopolitical trajectory of Bronze Age of Crete was characteriz... more In this paper, we argue that the sociopolitical trajectory of Bronze Age of Crete was characterized by the progressive but intentional manipulation of an enduring collective ethos, notably in the organization of gatherings and feasts. These key practices, meant to ensure cohesion, took place within a larger social organization of which the constituents were formed by corporate groups that we interpret as “houses.” We also argue that the nature of these houses changed over time. This process is particularly evident in the varying contexts in which these gatherings took place, with differences in terms of scale and origin of participants and variations in the balance between base-driven and imposed practices. We highlight that a landscape initially dotted with small local communities, connected through kinship bonds and shared practices at the microregional level, was progressively transformed into a homogenous, all-embracing ideological structure, which pervaded society and constituted the backbone of its hierarchical organization. Legitimized and mobilized within a religious system with clear political overtones, this process resulted into a supra-regional, global network that can rightfully be called “Minoan.”
Summaries of a colloquium at the 120th annual meeting of the AIA in Washington DC, 2020. It was t... more Summaries of a colloquium at the 120th annual meeting of the AIA in Washington DC, 2020. It was the occasion to present synthetic papers on the various sectors of the Sissi site revealed (cemetery, settlement, central building) , to note parallels and stress the importance of differences, but also to discuss to what degree the excavations have added, modified, or confirmed past ideas on Minoan civilization.
An academic session celebrating Robert Laffineur's contribution to Greek archaeology organized by... more An academic session celebrating Robert Laffineur's contribution to Greek archaeology organized by the Belgian School at Athens.
"4th Day on Belgian Scientific Activity in Greece
Organised by the CBRAG/BCAOG and the EBSA
1st... more "4th Day on Belgian Scientific Activity in Greece
Organised by the CBRAG/BCAOG and the EBSA
1st of March 2013, Royal Museums of Art and History (MRAH/KMKG)
Program
9.30-9.35: Introduction: Athéna Tsingarida (president CBRAG/BCAOG)
9.35-10.05: Nathalja Calliauw (KULeuven): 'Where have the Minoan children gone?'. Children and age identity on the Sissi cemetery.
10:05-10:35: Charlotte Langohr (UCL): Sissi in the Late Bronze Age. Regionalism and interconnections.
10:35-10.50: break
10.50-11.20: Frank Carpentier (KULeuven): Archaeological soil micromorphology at Sissi: preliminary results.
11.20-11.50: Ariane Jacobs & Steven Soetens (VUB): A spatial analysis of Late Bronze age pottery fabrics in the Kouris valley (Cyprus): a case-study of Alassa and Episkopi-Bamboula.
11.50-12.20: Thomas Brisart (ULB): Delos in the Geometric Period. New investigations into the pottery from the sanctuary of Apollo.
12.20-12.50: Kim Van Liefferinge (UGent): Reconstructing the position of Thorikos in the Laurion silver mining area (Attica, Greece) through hydrological modeling.
12.50-13.50: lunch
13.50-14:20: Isabelle Algrain (ULB): Trade at local scale: the case of the Attic alabastron.
14.20-14.50: Winfred Vandeput (UGent): Sherds in Houses: Traces of the Daily Use of Lekythoi.
14.50-15.20: Stéphanie Paul (ULiège): Greek Polytheism and Representation of Sacred Space: Aphrodite and Heracles on Cos.
15.20-15.35: break
15.35-16:05: Christophe Flament (FUNDP): La circulation monétaire à Argos.
16.05-16.35: Richard Veymiers (ULiège) Entre texte et image : Sarapis et Néotera élus parmi les dieux.
International workshop at Louvain-la-Neuve. The preliminary program is now attached. The final pr... more International workshop at Louvain-la-Neuve. The preliminary program is now attached. The final programme and registration form can be found at: https://www.uclouvain.be/520479.html
Format: Public lecture on the 30 th , by Prof. Jim Wright, with lectures on the 31 st of May and ... more Format: Public lecture on the 30 th , by Prof. Jim Wright, with lectures on the 31 st of May and 1 st of June. Workshop. A restricted group of scholars as speakers. The meeting is not open to the general public (because of the size of the lecture hall), but a select number of people may apply to sit as backbenchers.
Lévi-Strauss was the first to recognize the potential of Houses as " moral persons holding an est... more Lévi-Strauss was the first to recognize the potential of Houses as " moral persons holding an estate made up of material and immaterial wealth which perpetuate themselves through the transmission of their name, fortune and titles down a real or imaginary line, considered legitimate as long as this continuity can express itself in the language of kinship or of affinity, and most often of both " for bridging kin-based and class-based social orders. The rigour of the model in illuminating the intersection between individual or small-scale social units and larger, collective structures from a diachronic perspective has generated a wealth of anthropological and archaeological scholarship in recent years. While the flexibility and diversity embodied in the model offer clear advantages for analysing ancient social practices, a lot of its features require greater critical scrutiny. We propose to approach Houses as heuristic devices for exploring social relations and modelling social interactions in the past, viewing the House society model as an inherently flexible set of structuring principles capturing relations, behaviours and patterns that subvert traditional categories of social interaction. Houses are resolutely entangled with material culture and the world of things making them an interpretive model rooted in post-humanist and new materialist approaches; they can encompass and operationalise multiple spatial and temporal scales, without subsuming one to another in overarching hierarchical schemata; their material, social and political facets (e.g., combining hierarchical and heterarchical structures; being focused on collective representation whilst allowing for the emergence of individual identities; deploying architectural elaboration as both a method of unification and differentiation), allow for a more nuanced and sophisticated understanding of the past, which we think is worth exploring further. The geographical and cultural context of the ancient Aegean (broadly defined) offers a meaningful setting in which to situate these concerns, allowing us to follow up materialisations and expressions of Houses through time with reference to social processes and practices with transformative power and long-term implications.
Cut stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterises monumental architectur... more Cut stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterises monumental architecture, the appearance of which is imbued with symbolic meaning and corollary to wholesale changes in the societies of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean (Harmanşah 2007; Knapp 2009; Broodbank 2013; Fisher 2014). Ashlar walls and orthostat lining indeed mark a considerable increase in energy investment in architecture, as well as the mobilisation of a large and skilled workforce necessary for its construction in the 3rd and 2nd millennium BC Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus, Egypt, Syria and Levant. Seen against the backdrop of long-distance interactions that connect these regions from the 3rd millennium onwards and which intensify throughout the Bronze Age, the extensive use of cut stone in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean is taken as one of the main indications of knowledge transfer within the region. The precise form of this transfer remains unclear, however. Although hints at shared building practices between different areas are suggested on the basis of similarities in the tool kits, extraction methods or general structural and formal features (Hult 1983; Wright 1985; Küpper 1996; Palyvou 2005, 2009; Seeher 2008; Shaw 2009; Bachmann 2009; Phylokyprou 2013; Blackwell 2014), no obvious filiation between cut stones building techniques can be traced. Furthermore, detailed technical case-studies, the prerequisite for any comparative study, are few. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the materiality of cut stone masonry in the different regions of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, in order to provide data that will lay the foundations for a meaningful discussion on transfer of architectural knowledge.
International workshop organized by AEGIS (UCLouvain‐INCAL‐CEMA) and the ARC 'A World in Crisis' ... more International workshop organized by AEGIS (UCLouvain‐INCAL‐CEMA) and the ARC 'A World in Crisis' LOUVAIN‐LA‐NEUVE, 8 TH ‐9 TH OF MARCH 2018 First Circular – Call for papers Cut stone masonry is one of the most prominent features that characterises monumental architecture, the appearance of which is imbued with symbolic meaning and corollary to wholesale changes in the societies of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean (Harmanşah 2007; Knapp 2009; Broodbank 2013; Fisher 2014). Ashlar walls and orthostat lining indeed mark a considerable increase in energy investment in architecture, as well as the mobilisation of a large and skilled workforce necessary for its construction in the 3 rd and 2 nd millennium BC Aegean, Anatolia, Cyprus, Egypt, Syria and Levant. Seen against the backdrop of long‐distance interactions that connect these regions from the 3 rd millennium onwards and which intensify throughout the Bronze Age, the extensive use of cut stone in the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean is taken as one of the main indications of knowledge transfer within the region. The precise form of this transfer remains unclear, however. Although hints at shared building practices between different areas are suggested on the basis of similarities in the tool kits, extraction methods or general structural and formal features, no obvious filiation between cut stones building techniques can be traced. Furthermore, detailed technical case‐studies, the prerequisite for any comparative study, are few. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the materiality of cut stone masonry in the different regions of the Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean, in order to provide data that will lay the foundations for a meaningful discussion on transfer of architectural knowledge. For doing so, we welcome contributions of two types: 1. Comparative studies that focus on the following questions: When and under what form(s) did cut stone masonry appear in the different regions of the Eastern Mediterranean? What are the specific technical and formal traits of cut stone masonry, and do these remain stable or do they evolve throughout the Bronze Age within each region? What is the production process associated with cut stone masonry in each region of the Eastern Mediterranean? For what purposes were ashlars and orthostats used and is it possible to point out synchronic or diachronic differences in their cultural significance? Are there any indications that the builders tended to adopt foreign architectural traits in stone masonry, and if yes, how did they adapt them to the specificities of the building materials available locally? Or, on the contrary, does cut stone masonry in each region reflect resistance to external influences, and if so, what is the impact of tradition and physical determinism? 2. Case‐driven investigations of ashlar and orthostat use. These contributions should address the stone‐working technologies and construction techniques that were practiced as well as the functional, social and symbolic roles cut stone masonry played in the spaces and structures it adorned. Other topics might include, but are not limited to: the development of ashlar and orthostat use in a site over time; a comparison between the techniques used for the production of cut stone architecture and stone statuary; the assessment of the skill involved in producing cut stone architecture in regard to the use of other building materials; the impact of the development of cut stone architecture on local and long‐used building materials. A Preliminary title and an abstract of minimum 500 words should be sent to the organisers (maud.devolder@uclouvain.be) by the 30 th of September 2017. The number of speakers will be limited and priority will be given to contributions related to the objectives described above. Travel and hotel expenses are not covered by the organisers but lunches will be taken care of. Each presentation will be 30 minutes, and the conference proceedings will be published in the AEGIS collection.
Migration in general has been essential to the history of mankind and is largely responsible for ... more Migration in general has been essential to the history of mankind and is largely responsible for part of our human legacy and, throughout history, is seen as beneficial e.g. where gene flows and economic impact are concerned. Migration periods are punctuating the histories of many regions and is a phenomenon well-known by archaeologists (e.g. Burmeister 2000; Hakenbeck 2008). In contrast, much less attention has been given to conflict-induced mobility – active or passive (as deportation) –, which forms a particular case within migration studies. Characterized by urgency, unplanned departure, short-term duration and considerable risk, it is more than amply illustrated by the present-day refugee crisis. This crisis, although particularly heavy in its human toll, and inviting both the worst and best of human reactions, is, however, neither exceptional nor unique, only closer at home and better covered by the media than similar events in more distant parts of the world in the last decades. From the point of material studies, this refugee crisis allows an appreciation of the diversity of archaeological evidence accompanying the events: from children’s cemeteries, make-shift camps, abandonment patterns along refugee routes, increased border security, hotspot infrastructures, to, what has been described as ‘refugee porn’ including Ai Weiwei’s installations. The related question is then also how we can record, explore, and understand the materiality of the experience of forced and undocumented migration today, in its diverse forms (Hamilakis 2016)? Without neglecting the variety of push and pull factors, conflict-induced movement processes imply a variety of temporal and scalar categorisations. Temporal since at least three broad episodes may be identified: (1) the forced departure from the natal settlement, where archaeological evidence should be forthcoming illustrative of sudden abandonments and conflict, (2) the passage itself, direct or with intervals, following either maritime and land routes or both, again with potential repercussions on material culture which could imply temporary shelters or intrusive elements, and (3) the arrival or settling at the final destination, prioritising basic survival needs. Scalar too since such movements can be indivual, household-based, extended group-related or massive. Moreover, the impact on the homeland, the frequency of movements, the prior existence of social networks, the nature and scale of transport facilities, the receptiveness of the host country are all elements that need to be taken into consideration and all have material correlates. The present meeting has different aims: it wants to explore (1) whether a distinction between migration in general and conflict-induced migration in particular can be made in the archaeological record, (2) whether the concept of conflict-induced migration is at all relevant to understand the collapse of Bronze Age societies in the 13th c. BC. Moreover, (3) we also hope to see how present-day archaeology can help us to understand earlier assumed cases of conflict-induced migration in general and the 13th c. Mediterranean in particular since, in popular discourse, the present Syria exodus is comparable with what some assumed happened in a reverse direction during the Mediterranean Late Bronze Age . Moreover, (4) following ethnoarchaeological research, Hodder (1979, 1982), insisted that the active signalling of ethnic identity may be more pronounced in contexts characterized by severe economic stress and competition and we want to explore whether there is archaeological evidence for this.
Louvain-la-Neuve, 8-9 december 2016 Collective tombs were widespread in the Near East and Europe ... more Louvain-la-Neuve, 8-9 december 2016 Collective tombs were widespread in the Near East and Europe during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, up to the point that their proliferation and diffusion in the late 4 th millennium BC was singled out as a «phenomenon». For example, 6000 Neolithic collective burials have been identified in France 1 and it is by far the most common type of tomb on Crete during the Early Bronze Age, a situation which strongly contrasts with the mortuary customs of other areas and periods of the Aegean 2. All collective burials are characterized by the successive gathering, during a more or less extended period of time, of several deceased within the same confined space. The treatment of the body, however, as well as the mortuary practices and the rituals associated with collective tombs display much variability. The latter can be architectural, with natural and man-made tombs, subterranean and above-ground structures or apply to funerary treatment with a diversity which includes primary or secondary deposits, cremation and inhumation. It can also imply a variety in the deposition of objects, such as personal belongings, provisions for the journey of the deceased or ceremonial items. Finally, it may also entail various manipulations of bones for tomb cleaning or ritual purposes. Currently, research on collective tombs tends to focus on one of the following issues: 1 Chambon 2003 Les morts dans les sépultures collectives néolithiques en France, CNRS éditions. 2 Herrero 2009 The Minoan fallacy: cultural diversity and mortuary behaviour on Crete at the beginning of the Bronze Age, Oxford Journal of Archaeology 28: 29–57
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, repr... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th c. BC, the settlement is a valuable ‘time capsule’ of the Late Cypriot IIC/IIIA (1230-1170 BC) critical phase.
A fifth joint excavation campaign between the Universities of Ghent, Louvain and the Mediterranea... more A fifth joint excavation campaign between the Universities of Ghent, Louvain and the Mediterranean Archaeological Society took place at Pyla-Kokkinokremos from the 27th of March until the 26th of May. The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th century BC, the site provides important evidence relating to the crucial period at the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 12th century BC. Former excavations suggest the entire plateau of ca. 7 ha to have been densely occupied. Excavated parts on the plateau were laid-out regularly within a perimeter ‘casemate’ wall. During the 2018 season excavations continued both on the west and east lobe in an effort to better understand the layout, organisation and functional specialisation of the settlement.
Located on the southeast coast of Cyprus, Pyla-Kokkinokremos was only founded a few decades prior... more Located on the southeast coast of Cyprus, Pyla-Kokkinokremos was only founded a few decades prior to its eventual abandonment at the beginning of the 12 th c. BC. This limited occupation makes the site an excellent case study to explore the impact of the so-called crisis years on the island. Since the settlement was never reoccupied and has an overall lifespan of less than fifty years, Pyla's material culture can be considered a 'time capsule' for this LC IIC-IIIA critical phase.
The Department of Antiquities has announced the completion of the 2016 excavation season at the L... more The Department of Antiquities has announced the completion of the 2016 excavation season at the Late Bronze Age site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, near the village of Pyla in the Larnaca District
The event is organized by the Belgian School at Athens in cooperation with the American School of... more The event is organized by the Belgian School at Athens in cooperation with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens and Aegeus - Society for Aegean Prehistory, and the Minoan, Mycenaean and Cycladic Seminars.
A historical view of Southern Low Countries involvement in Greek archaeology - for the Philo-Xeni... more A historical view of Southern Low Countries involvement in Greek archaeology - for the Philo-Xenia proceedings
Major Societal changes took place on the island of Crete during the advanced Late Bronze Age, cha... more Major Societal changes took place on the island of Crete during the advanced Late Bronze Age, changes which have variously been explained as caused by Mycenaean intervention or Knossian imperialism. This view, however, not only suffers from the uncertainties surrounding the Knossian archaeological and epigraphical record, but also from overgeneralisation and its top-down perspective. In contrast, secondary settlements in the Cretan countryside that attest diachronic occupation allow a much finer chronological and contextual resolution as well as a bottom-up view. By looking at the evidence at 13th c. Sissi, a coastal settlement 40 km east of Knossos and close to the one-time palatial centre at Malia, a more balanced view of the impact of Mycenaenisation is proposed. The paper presents the evidence for the 14th-13th c. occupation at the site, comparing it with the evidence at nearby Malia, and offers an alternative historical scenario.
now published with illustrations in S. Jusseret & M. Sintubin, eds, Minoan Earthquakes. Breaking ... more now published with illustrations in S. Jusseret & M. Sintubin, eds, Minoan Earthquakes. Breaking the Myth through Interdisciplinarity, Leuven, Peeters, 2017
A sixth joint excavation campaign between the Universities of Ghent, Louvain and the Mediterranea... more A sixth joint excavation campaign between the Universities of Ghent, Louvain and the Mediterranean Archaeological Society took place at Pyla-Kokkinokremos from the 26th of March until the 26th of May, 2019. Since its discovery in the early 1950s, the Late Bronze Age settlement of Pyla-Kokkinokremos has occupied a prominent position in the debates surrounding the ‘collapse’ of Bronze Age Mediterranean societies c. 1200 BCE. Several elements contributed to the site’s particular status in the Late Cypriot IIC-IIIA settlement landscape: - the short-lived character of the site – founded towards the end of the 13th c. BCE and abandoned during the first quarter of the 12th c. BCE - its exceptional ‘casemate’ architecture - its multi-ethnic material culture – with references to Sardinia, Crete, Egypt, Anatolia, the Syro-Palestinian coast and Mycenaean Greece. In 2014, Prof. Joachim Bretschneider (UGhent), Prof. Jan Driessen (UCLouvain) and Dr. Athanasia Kanta (Mediterranean Archaeological Society) inaugurated a new excavation project at Pyla-Kokkinokremos following previous successful investigations by Dr. Dikaios, Prof. Karageorghis and Dr. Kanta.
Ougarit, un anniversaire. RSO XXVIII, V. Matoïan (ed.), 2021
Chypre et le Levant nord avec le royaume d'Ougarit ont été touchés par des changements socio-cult... more Chypre et le Levant nord avec le royaume d'Ougarit ont été touchés par des changements socio-culturels drastiques peu après 1200 av. J.-C., dont les causes et les effets restent à discuter. Cet article résume certaines des recherches les plus récentes, en tenant compte des sources historiques et archéologiques. Dans le cadre de cette analyse supra-régionale, une attention particulière est accordée à l'établissement de Pyla-Kokkinokremos sur l'île de Chypre. Le site, localisé juste à l'est de la baie de Larnaca, sur un plateau naturellement fortifié, fait de nouveau l'objet de recherches archéologiques depuis 2014, par une mission conjointe de l'Université de Gand (J. Bretschneider), de l'Université catholique de Louvain (J. Driessen) et de la Mediterranean Archaeological Society (A. Kanta). Pyla-Kokkinokremos est exceptionnel en raison de son occupation de courte durée : établi avant la fin du XIIIe s. av. J.-C., le site est soudainement abandonné au début du XIIe. En tant que tel, l'établissement représente une « capsule temporelle » documentant une phase critique (Chypriote récent IIC-IIIA) de l'histoire de l'île au Bronze récent. Le caractère multi-ethnique, déjà reconnu pour les découvertes faites sur le site de Kokkinokremos, est confirmé par les fouilles en cours, grâce à des objets provenant de Sardaigne, de Crète, d'Égypte, d'Anatolie, de Grèce mycénienne (en particulier d'Argolide) et de la côte syropalestinienne. Certaines questions comme par exemple de savoir qui fonda ce site en cet endroit stratégique spécifique et pourquoi l'installation fut soudainement abandonnée peu après, ne peuvent trouver de réponse définitive mais restent importantes pour comprendre les relations entre Chypre et Ugarit au crépuscule de l'âge du Bronze.
The excavations of the joint Belgian-Greek team directed by Prof. Joachim Bretschneider (UGhent),... more The excavations of the joint Belgian-Greek team directed by Prof. Joachim Bretschneider (UGhent), Prof. Jan Driessen (UCLouvain) and Dr. Athanasia Kanta (Mediterranean Society Iraklion) took place from October 26 to November 14. As before, the three teams continued work in respectively the west lobe (MS Iraklion, Sector 4), the east lobe (UGhent, Sectors 5 and 7) and the central plateau (UCLouvain, Sector 3) of the hart-shaped hill.
In this paper, we argue that the sociopolitical trajectory of Bronze Age of Crete was characteriz... more In this paper, we argue that the sociopolitical trajectory of Bronze Age of Crete was characterized by the progressive but intentional manipulation of an enduring collective ethos, notably in the organization of gatherings and feasts. These key practices, meant to ensure cohesion, took place within a larger social organization of which the constituents were formed by corporate groups that we interpret as “houses.” We also argue that the nature of these houses changed over time. This process is particularly evident in the varying contexts in which these gatherings took place, with differences in terms of scale and origin of participants and variations in the balance between base-driven and imposed practices. We highlight that a landscape initially dotted with small local communities, connected through kinship bonds and shared practices at the microregional level, was progressively transformed into a homogenous, all-embracing ideological structure, which pervaded society and constituted the backbone of its hierarchical organization. Legitimized and mobilized within a religious system with clear political overtones, this process resulted into a supra-regional, global network that can rightfully be called “Minoan.”
Political Geographies of the Bronze Age Aegean, 2022
Proceedings of the joint workshop organised by the Belgian School at Athens (EBSA) and the Nether... more Proceedings of the joint workshop organised by the Belgian School at Athens (EBSA) and the Netherlands Institute at Athens (NIA)
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Books by Jan Driessen
https://www.i6doc.com/fr/book/?gcoi=28001104706670
This collection of papers explores whether the Lévi-Straussian notion of the House is a valid concept in aiding the comprehension of the social structure of Bronze Age Aegean societies. The main question that is addressed is whether there was a specific social institution or definable group that, through its materialisation, differentiated itself from other social units, such as nuclear families. While little agreement was reached, the volume succeeds in stressing the advances made in the study of social structure of the Aegean on the basis of material remains. Moreover, the discussions presented demonstrate that the House as an analytical unit allows a better understanding of what on Crete has usually been called ‘the elite’ – an anonymous group of people with shared values and practices. It is the contention of the editors that such an interpretation of the basal social structure may help understand the unique emergence, development and character of Minoan society, as well as its distinctive material culture.
sites or ones that are even more recent. The barriers that once compartmentalised the fields of history, archaeology and anthropology have begun to crumble, yielding a vast common space, that of the present. The resulting challenges to traditional methodologies have generated a silent revolution that is undermining the ways these disciplines dealt with the past. Will we prove capable of acknowledging this new state of the social sciences and act accordingly?
The authors
Bulent Arikan, Miroslav Bárta, R. Kyle Bocinsky, Megan Cifarelli, Tim F. Cunningham, Jan Driessen, Svante Fischer, Christian Isendahl, Timothy A. Kohler, Igor Kreimerman, Maxime Lamoureux St-Hilaire, Lennart Lind, Patricia A. McAnany, Guy D. Middleton, Lorenzo Nigro, Stephen O’Brien, Gerald Oetelaar, Cameron A. Petrie, Felix Riede, Keir Strickland, Richard VanderHoek, Saro Wallace.
https://www.i6doc.com/fr/book/?gcoi=28001104706670
This collection of papers explores whether the Lévi-Straussian notion of the House is a valid concept in aiding the comprehension of the social structure of Bronze Age Aegean societies. The main question that is addressed is whether there was a specific social institution or definable group that, through its materialisation, differentiated itself from other social units, such as nuclear families. While little agreement was reached, the volume succeeds in stressing the advances made in the study of social structure of the Aegean on the basis of material remains. Moreover, the discussions presented demonstrate that the House as an analytical unit allows a better understanding of what on Crete has usually been called ‘the elite’ – an anonymous group of people with shared values and practices. It is the contention of the editors that such an interpretation of the basal social structure may help understand the unique emergence, development and character of Minoan society, as well as its distinctive material culture.
sites or ones that are even more recent. The barriers that once compartmentalised the fields of history, archaeology and anthropology have begun to crumble, yielding a vast common space, that of the present. The resulting challenges to traditional methodologies have generated a silent revolution that is undermining the ways these disciplines dealt with the past. Will we prove capable of acknowledging this new state of the social sciences and act accordingly?
The authors
Bulent Arikan, Miroslav Bárta, R. Kyle Bocinsky, Megan Cifarelli, Tim F. Cunningham, Jan Driessen, Svante Fischer, Christian Isendahl, Timothy A. Kohler, Igor Kreimerman, Maxime Lamoureux St-Hilaire, Lennart Lind, Patricia A. McAnany, Guy D. Middleton, Lorenzo Nigro, Stephen O’Brien, Gerald Oetelaar, Cameron A. Petrie, Felix Riede, Keir Strickland, Richard VanderHoek, Saro Wallace.
added, modified, or confirmed past ideas on Minoan civilization.
Organised by the CBRAG/BCAOG and the EBSA
1st of March 2013, Royal Museums of Art and History (MRAH/KMKG)
Program
9.30-9.35: Introduction: Athéna Tsingarida (president CBRAG/BCAOG)
9.35-10.05: Nathalja Calliauw (KULeuven): 'Where have the Minoan children gone?'. Children and age identity on the Sissi cemetery.
10:05-10:35: Charlotte Langohr (UCL): Sissi in the Late Bronze Age. Regionalism and interconnections.
10:35-10.50: break
10.50-11.20: Frank Carpentier (KULeuven): Archaeological soil micromorphology at Sissi: preliminary results.
11.20-11.50: Ariane Jacobs & Steven Soetens (VUB): A spatial analysis of Late Bronze age pottery fabrics in the Kouris valley (Cyprus): a case-study of Alassa and Episkopi-Bamboula.
11.50-12.20: Thomas Brisart (ULB): Delos in the Geometric Period. New investigations into the pottery from the sanctuary of Apollo.
12.20-12.50: Kim Van Liefferinge (UGent): Reconstructing the position of Thorikos in the Laurion silver mining area (Attica, Greece) through hydrological modeling.
12.50-13.50: lunch
13.50-14:20: Isabelle Algrain (ULB): Trade at local scale: the case of the Attic alabastron.
14.20-14.50: Winfred Vandeput (UGent): Sherds in Houses: Traces of the Daily Use of Lekythoi.
14.50-15.20: Stéphanie Paul (ULiège): Greek Polytheism and Representation of Sacred Space: Aphrodite and Heracles on Cos.
15.20-15.35: break
15.35-16:05: Christophe Flament (FUNDP): La circulation monétaire à Argos.
16.05-16.35: Richard Veymiers (ULiège) Entre texte et image : Sarapis et Néotera élus parmi les dieux.
Registration is free but obligatory at jan.driessen@uclouvain.be
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Water Resources and Management in the Aegean Bronze Age
The present meeting has different aims: it wants to explore (1) whether a distinction between migration in general and conflict-induced migration in particular can be made in the archaeological record, (2) whether the concept of conflict-induced migration is at all relevant to understand the collapse of Bronze Age societies in the 13th c. BC. Moreover, (3) we also hope to see how present-day archaeology can help us to understand earlier assumed cases of conflict-induced migration in general and the 13th c. Mediterranean in particular since, in popular discourse, the present Syria exodus is comparable with what some assumed happened in a reverse direction during the Mediterranean Late Bronze Age . Moreover, (4) following ethnoarchaeological research, Hodder (1979, 1982), insisted that the active signalling of ethnic identity may be more pronounced in contexts characterized by severe economic stress and competition and we want to explore whether there is archaeological evidence for this.
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th century BC, the site provides important evidence relating to the crucial period at the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 12th century BC. Former excavations suggest the entire plateau of ca. 7 ha to have been densely occupied. Excavated parts on the plateau were laid-out regularly within a perimeter ‘casemate’ wall. During the 2018 season excavations continued both on the west and east lobe in an effort to better understand the layout, organisation and functional specialisation of the settlement.
Since its discovery in the early 1950s, the Late Bronze Age settlement of Pyla-Kokkinokremos has occupied a prominent position in the debates surrounding the ‘collapse’ of Bronze Age Mediterranean societies c. 1200 BCE. Several elements contributed to the site’s particular status in the Late Cypriot IIC-IIIA settlement landscape:
- the short-lived character of the site – founded towards the end of the 13th c. BCE and abandoned during the first quarter of the 12th c. BCE
- its exceptional ‘casemate’ architecture
- its multi-ethnic material culture – with references to Sardinia, Crete, Egypt, Anatolia, the Syro-Palestinian coast and Mycenaean Greece.
In 2014, Prof. Joachim Bretschneider (UGhent), Prof. Jan Driessen (UCLouvain) and Dr. Athanasia Kanta (Mediterranean Archaeological Society) inaugurated a new excavation project at Pyla-Kokkinokremos following previous successful investigations by Dr. Dikaios, Prof. Karageorghis and Dr. Kanta.