Among the vast changes in ancient Greek society and culture that can be traced back to the Archaic period, new forms of urban life play a tremendous role. Against the background of the rise of the polis, this process of urbanization is characterized by the development of new concepts of settlement-organization as well as by the appearance of monumental stone architecture, of new decoration styles and construction techniques. But how did these innovations move among different areas of the Greek world?

In recent scientific debate, profound attempts have been made from various methodological angles to examine the Iron Age and Archaic Mediterranean as a proto-global space of interaction and to question traditional narratives of Mediterranean colonization studies. While transregional networks of exchange undoubtedly had an important impact on the development of the ancient Greek society, a growing number of recent studies also call for a “local turn” and focus on the different ways of how communities responded to transregional connectivity on a local level.

In order to discuss the question of diversity and uniformity of Archaic architecture and urban development in a focused way, the international symposium “Connectivity vs. Localism: Architecture, Urban Planning and Social Interaction in Greek Archaic Communities of the Northern Peloponnese, Southern Italy and Sicily” concentrates on new archaeological evidence and new theories on familiar monuments and sites in these regions, which are historically linked by the foundation of apoikiai during the late 8^th and 7^th centuries BC. The main aim of the symposium is to trace and compare the pace and character of the developments in urbanism and architecture in these regions during the late 8^th, 7^th and 6^th centuries BC from a multidirectional perspective, reaching across the separation of “overseas settlements” from the “Greek motherland” in order to avoid the concept of centre and margin. With a focus on evidence-based historical building research and urban studies, the symposium intends to examine actors and their material culture both in their local contexts and in conjunction with the broader structural connections of networks.

Event:

Symposium to the OEAI Lecture Series Archaic Mediterranean:
»Connectivity vs. Localism: Architecture, Urban Planning and Social Interaction in Greek Archaic Communities of the Northern Peloponnese, Southern Italy and Sicily«

Date:

November 22-23, 2018

Location:

OeAI Athens
Leoforos Alexandras 26, GR-10683 Athens

Organizer:

OeAW-OeAI