Economic geography of the ancient Greek countryside

PART I: APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF THE ANCIENT GREEK COUNTRYSIDE CHAPTER 1: THE ANCIENT GREEK COUNTRYSIDE IN CLASSICAL SCHOLARSHIP The Introduction locates the present study within the wider historiography of research into the ancient Greek countryside, assessing the contribution of geographical, archaeological and anthropological studies to the history of the ancient countryside, and analysing the methods which have tended to place the subject on the margins of traditional, text-based studies of the ancient world. CHAPTER 2: THE CONTEXT OF THE CASE STUDY Ch. 2 justifies the choice of the island of Siphnos as a case study to reassess the archaeology of the ancient Greek countryside in the light of the Ch. 1. The regional context, and the physical environment of this particular polis, are briefly described. CHAPTER 3: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD OF RURAL SITES More than fifty rural sites exhibiting monumental masonry construction (towers and associated structures) have been recorded throughout the chora of Late Classical-Hellenistic Siphnos. Problems in identifying and dating occupation at rural sites are discussed within the context of the island's topography and long-term settlement history. Historical, epigraphic, ethnographic and archaeological evidence is considered with regard to the interpretation of monumental rural sites. The sites are then re-examined with regard to their architectural construction (Ch.4), their location and distribution (Ch.5), local land use (Ch.6), and the regional context of the countryside (Ch.7), in order to examine the economic geography of the polis. PART II: MONUMENTAL RURAL SITES IN THE CHORA OF ANCIENT SIPHNOS CHAPTER 4: SOCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE - ARCHITECTURE OF RURAL SITES The rural sites are analysed according to their architectural plan, construction, orientation, and the presence of adjoining and adjacent structures, walls, courtyards, buildings and water collection devices. CHAPTER 5: SOCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE - LOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF RURAL SITES The location of rural sites is examined according to aspect, elevation, coastal distance, intervisibility and nearest neighbour analysis in order to examine hypotheses concerning their functions. It is argued that the majority of rural sites on Siphnos fulfilled an agrarian, rather than strategic function. CHAPTER 6: SOCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE COUNTRYSIDE - LAND USE AT RURAL SITES Many monumental rural buildings were built on steep sloped uplands (eschatiai). Strategies of land use (including extractive activities, agriculture, animal husbandry) are considered in relation to the architecture and location of rural site complexes. CHAPTER 7; CONCLUSION - RURAL SITES AND THE POLIS The Conclusion evaluates the findings of the case study according to patterns of rural building and land use in the ancient Greek countryside and discusses future opportunities for research in the subject. Volume II contains Appendices and Plates relevant to the case study in Volume I.