Louise Martin & Lynn MeskellCambridge Archaeological Journal 22:3 (October 2012): 401-419.
This article presents a study of the zoomorphic figurine assemblage from Neolithic Çatalhöyük in central Turkey. Figurine manufacture, depositional condition and contexts of discard are discussed, to find that their fragmentation seems related to fabrication methods and use rather than intentional breakage.
Oliver Dietrich, Manfred Heun, Jens Notroff, Klaus Schmidt & Martin ZarnkowAntiquity 86:333 (September 2012): 674–695.
Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of modern times, pushing back the origins of monumentality beyond the emergence of agriculture. We are pleased to present a summary of work in progress by the excavators of this remarkable site and their latest thoughts about its role and meaning.
Lindy CreweOxford Journal of Archaeology 31:3 (August 2012): 225-243.
During the transition from the Middle to Late Bronze Age, Cyprus became a full participant in the Levantine maritime interaction sphere. This is reflected in the archaeological record by a dramatic increase in the Cypriot pottery found in the surrounding region, widely assumed to be the by-product of an (archaeologically invisible) external demand for Cypriot copper.
Vanessa BoschloosJournal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections 4:2 (June 2012): 5-16.
This contribution reassesses the date and origin of a particular group of cornelian and red jasper scarabs, displaying line designs such as crosses and stars on their bases. The numbers that surfaced in the southern Levant and the Aegean have led scholars to attribute them to Ramesside Egyptian, Late Bronze Age IIB/III Palestinian, or even Middle Minoan II workshops.
Elena Maragoudaki & Panayiotis K. KavvourasArchaeological and Anthropological Sciences 4:3 (2012): 199-208.
The present study aims to answer questions of utility and efficiency, on the basis of archaeological evidence, of the nominated Mycenaean shipwright tool kit through experimental methods. The target set was established through the recording of archaeological data, examination of the available findings, classification of the finds, gathering of the relevant sources (literature, iconography, archeological parallels and preserved traces), reconstruction of the findings (casting, elaboration of the metallic parts and reconstruction of the hafts), usage of the reconstructed tools and the evaluation of them qualitatively, quantitatively and ergonomically via the reconstruction of a segment of the Uluburun shipwreck hull.
Bogdan Athanassov, Raiko Krauss & Vladimir SlavčevHorejs, B. & Pavúk, P. (eds), Aegean and Balkan Prehistory, 26-03-2012
Almost 40 years after the first systematic contemplations on the subject of Aegean influence on Balkan swords of the second millennium BC, important questions such as, for example, the swords’ exact position in time, the Aegean influence visible upon them, and the manner of contacts between the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean that contributed to the transfer of objects or ideas, are still largely unanswered.
Kountouri, E., N. Petrochilos, D. Koutsoyiannis, N. Mamassis, N. Zarkadoulas, A. Vött, H. Hadler, P. Henning & T. Willershäuser3rd IWA Specialized Conference on Water & Wastewater Technologies in Ancient Civilizations, Istanbul, Turkey, 2012: 467-476.
The attempt to drain the Kopais Lake is one of the most impressive and ambitious technical works of prehistoric times in Greece. The size and the importance of this achievement inspired myths and traditions referring to its construction and operation, as well as to its final destruction, which is attributed to Heracles.
A. N. Angelakis, D. Koutsoyiannis & P. Papanicolaou3rd IWA Specialized Conference on Water & Wastewater Technologies in Ancient Civilizations, Istanbul, Turkey, 2012: 172–177.
Several different types of conduits were found in archaeological excavations in Crete belonging to the Minoan period. They were used for water supply as well as for stormwater and wastewater removal and are made of stone or terracotta.
Λευτέρης Πλάτωνin Κ. Μπουραζέλης, Β. Καραμανωλάκης, & Σ. Κατάκης, (eds), Η μνήμη της κοινότητας και η διαχείρισή της (Αθήνα 2011): 91-111.
It has been generally accepted that during the period following the collapse of the multi-palatial system in Minoan Crete, Knossos, being the only palace surviving from the destructions, dominated politically and economically upon the greatest part of the island. During the 14th century B.C., some of the peripheral Cretan sites present a "Knossian" character, appearing both in pottery and other arts, such as metal working and jewelry.
Γιάννης Παπαδάτοςin Μπουραζέλης, Κ., Καραμανωλάκης, Β. & Κατάκης, Σ. (eds), Ιστορήματα 3: Η μνήμη της κοινότητας και η διαχείρισή της (Αθήνα 2011): 69-89.
Aim of this paper is to discuss the rich funerary evidence from Prepalatial Crete (c. 3000-1900 BC) with reference to the way the societies of that period constructed and maintained ancestral memory. It is argued that a large part of the relevant archaeological evidence belongs to memory rituals reffering to the collective corpus of the ancestors, rather than to funerary rituals of particular dead individuals.
Κωνσταντίνος Κοπανιάςin Μπουραζέλης, Κ., Καραμανωλάκης, Β. & Κατάκης, Σ. (eds), Ιστορήματα 3: Η μνήμη της κοινότητας και η διαχείρισή της (Αθήνα 2011): 47-68.
The "Royal Cemetery" of Ur contained 16 graves, which, according to their excavator Sir Charles Leonard Wooley, belonged to members of the city's royal dynasty. In every burial a single person was accompanied by numerous followers (up to 74). The deceased have been carefully arranged in a staged scene, which hasn't been convincigly interpreted so far.
Νάγια Πολυχρονάκου-Σγουρίτσαin Μπουραζέλης, Κ., Καραμανωλάκης, Β. & Κατάκης, Σ. (eds), Ιστορήματα 3: Η μνήμη της κοινότητας και η διαχείρισή της (Αθήνα 2011): 113-124.
Mycenaean funerary service seems to include some rites, which probably took place in front of the entrance of some tombs and/or in their direct vicinity. The current evidence is scanty and dubious. Furthermore, there are constructions and representations which imply athletic events, singing and dancing, as well as lament.
The aim of this article is to introduce a new, inter-disciplinary and international, long-term research project, the Koutroulou Magoula Archaeology and Archaeological Ethnography Project, to outline its aims and report on some of its results.
Erez Ben-Yosef, Ron Shaar, Lisa Tauxe, Thomas E. Levy & Vasiliki KassianidouAntiquity 85:330 (December 2011): Project Gallery.
The ancient slag heaps of Cyprus contain the story of the island as a regional source of copper throughout the millennia. Located near the ore deposits, many of these heaps were destroyed by modern mining activities and some are still under immediate threat. F
Gregory N. Tsokas, Aleydis Van de Moortel, Panayiotis I. Tsourlos, Alexandros Stampolidis, George Vargemezis & Eleni ZahouHesperia 81:3 (2012): 383-432.
Various geophysical methods were used to explore the subsurface of the prehistoric site of Mitrou. Geophysical research was essential for selecting significant areas for excavation as well as for guiding archaeological fieldwork and complementing its results.
