Emerging complexity through human-animal interactions at Early Bronze Age Koropi, Attica, Greece
Angelos Hadjikoumis, Eleni Andrikou, Kerasia Douni Journal of Archaeological Science, Reports 75, 2026: 105981
Current knowledge on Early Bronze Age society in Attica (Greece) is limited, especially on human-animal interactions. Large faunal samples from Early Bronze Age Koropi in southeast Attica present a unique opportunity to address this gap. Their study contributes important insights into the economic and social practices at a large Early Bronze Age settlement, as well as the adaptations to the environment, landscape and regional networks. Zooarchaeological analyses paint a picture of a well-developed economy geared towards food security and well-tuned to its natural and social contexts. They document a system that could reliably feed the settlement and beyond, based primarily on sheep/goat and cattle, complemented by pig husbandry and other components. There is also evidence for the introduction of equids in Attica and mainland Greece in general. Expressions of social and cultural identity involving animals, such as periodic feasting that included cynophagy, reflect incipient socioeconomic complexity in Early Bronze Age Attica. Large communal works, rich material culture, metallurgical activity and introduced goods from other regions also contribute to this picture. These developments were, at least partly, enabled by the surpluses of a productive and resilient agropastoral system, which in turn benefitted from and was further developed through knowledge exchange and innovations. In conclusion, Koropi represents the first reliable example in southeast Attica of a trend, observed around the Aegean during the Early Bronze Age, of increasing socioeconomic complexity and inter-connectedness. It remains, however, a single case and more are needed to address questions of regional organisation and inter-site relations.