Theme:
4. Persisting with Change: Theory and Archaeological Scrutiny
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Alternative paths to complexity: new perspectives on Late Bronze Age and Iron Age centralisation in the Mediterranean
Content:
The Late Bronze Age and Iron Age Mediterranean (ca.1300-500BCE) saw the transformation of society from small, loose communities into complex and organised polities. When it comes to the study of this transformation, much emphasis has been placed on concepts such as ’state‘ and ’urbanism‘. These terms have proven difficult to define and can only be measured in relative terms. Recent research has shown that in many cases the trajectory toward more complex societies is not linear and that many variations occur in different landscapes. A universal definition of the term “urbanisation” is therefore difficult to formulate and misses the opportunity to explore intermediate and alternative phenomena, such as the emergence of other nucleated centres and the challenges posed by fragmented landscapes, such as mountainous areas or wetlands. This session aims to step away from state and urbanism as fixed concepts and ultimate societal models. It rather approaches society’s pathway to complexity as a multi-linear process, the diverse character whereof reflects an adaptive strategy to environmental and historical necessities.
This session welcomes papers that take a different approach to increasing complexity in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age Mediterranean, including non-linear perspectives, such as deurbanisation, and alternative forms of nucleated agglomerations.
Keywords:
State formation, Urbanisation, Social change, Iron age, Bronze age, Archaeological theory
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
Marcello de Vos (Netherlands) 1,2
Co-organisers:
Lorenzo Zamboni (Italy) 3
Peter Attema (Netherlands) 2
Dario Monti (Belgium) 4
Elena Scarsella (United Kingdom) 5
Affiliations:
1. Sapienza University of Rome
2. University of Groningen
3. University of Milan
4. Université catholique de Louvain
5. University of Cambridge
THIS SESSION CAN NOT BE SELECTED AT THIS MOMENT