Papers from the EAA third annual meeting at Ravenna 1997 III: Sardinia.

Papers from the EAA third annual meeting at Ravenna 1997 III: Sardinia. ALBERTO MORAVETTI (ed.). (BAR International series S719.) iv+152pages, illustrations. 1998. Oxford: Archaeopress; 0-86054-896-1paperback [pounds]26. The characterization of the indigenous is a current concern of manyarchaeologists with a global vision (Funari et al. 1999). In theMediterranean, the direct and indirect, explicit and implicit power andauthority of the colonizer have dominated historically. Text has beenmaster over other classes of material culture. Change has been sought inthe exotic. Furthermore, whereas inroads inroadsNoun, plmake inroads into to start affecting or reducing: my gambling has made great inroads into my savingsinroadsnpl to make inroads into [+ were made into this attitude ofmind for Mediterranean prehistory prehistory,period of human evolution before writing was invented and records kept. The term was coined by Daniel Wilson in 1851. It is followed by protohistory, the period for which we have some records but must still rely largely on archaeological evidence to , the study of the last two millenniaBC has continued to be profoundly affected by this approach (Boardman1999: 190; see Boardman 1999: 275-6; Van Dommelen 1997; De Angelis1998). In spite of this background, the study of the later prehistory ofthe Western Mediterranean has changed appreciably in the last decadethrough new evidence and new ideas. More intensive research has beenundertaken on those indigenous communities. A new conceptualization con��cep��tu��al��ize?v. con��cep��tu��al��ized, con��cep��tu��al��iz��ing, con��cep��tu��al��iz��esv.tr.To form a concept or concepts of, and especially to interpret in a conceptual way: ofinteraction has been developed which is at last giving credit to thecontribution of long-lasting indigenous communities. This has involvedthe identification of local identities that are not submerged in someHellenic or Phoenician wave of advance. Diverse elements of this trendare visible in all the books reviewed here. They cover the two largestislands of the Mediterranean and its largest peninsula. Theirpresentation involves different modes of discourse, but a comparableunderlying message can be established in each: the indigenous must bethoroughly considered in any explanatory framework. The first Sardinian volume (Moravetti) - a sample of the newevidence of the indigenous uncovered principally by Sardinianarchaeologists - is for the specialist Mediterranean library. Itcollects together the papers presented at the 1997 EAA meetings inRavenna, Italy, within a BAR format, in three languages (Italian,English and Spanish). Papers start with two introductory outlines of theachievements of Sardinian archaeology in recent years. The second ofthese introductions is by one of the individuals (Lilliu) who has donemost to advance local research, although within a culture-historicalframework. The following papers are short illustrated presentations ofrecent work which range through prehistory from the Neolithic to theIron Age, concentrating on funerary fu��ner��ar��y?adj.Of or suitable for a funeral or burial.[Latin fner remains and nuraghi, with onecontribution on the Roman period. For the most part, these areillustrations of material culture (including architecture), without asubstantial analytical content, and without entering the broader settingof Mediterranean prehistory. Nevertheless, the use of osteologicalevidence and territorial analysis shows the interesting potential ofwork currently being undertaken. In particular, two papers make animportant contribution to understanding of the landscape of the nuraghi(Alba and Foddai). The second Sardinian volume (Van Dommelen) makes an interestingcontrast. Van Dommelen explains in his preface the 'entanglement ofperspectives' which led him to undertake fieldwork in west centralSardinia in the framework of a post-colonial perspective. Theseperspectives draw on the stimulating combination of his Leidenbackground, his UCL UCL University College LondonUCL Universit�� Catholique de LouvainUCL UEFA Champions LeagueUCL Upper Confidence LimitUCL University of Central LancashireUCL Upper Control LimitUCL Unfair Competition LawUCL Ulnar Collateral Ligament research experience, and implementation withSardinian colleagues in the field. The result is a largely successfulinitiative to move away from the colonialist preconceptions of the pastand apply them in the context of landscape archaeology Landscape archaeology is a body of method and theory for the study of the material traces of past peoples within the context of their interactions in the wider (typically regional) social and natural environment they inhabited. . The leading concept in Van Dommelen's approach ishybridization hybridization/hy��brid��iza��tion/ (hi?brid-i-za��shun)1. crossbreeding; the act or process of producing hybrids.2. molecular hybridization3. (Bhabha 1994) which he had already developed elsewhere(Van Dommelen 1997). There is also a Braudelian subtheme that evenementsof imperial take-over did not immediately affect the conjuncture con��junc��ture?n.1. A combination, as of events or circumstances: "the power that lies in the conjuncture of faith and fatherland"Conor Cruise O'Brien.2. oflocal identity. This is an approach which rejects the dualism of thecolonizers and the colonized ColonizedThis occurs when a microorganism is found on or in a person without causing a disease.Mentioned in: Isolation , and seeks to explore the complex grades ofthe autochtonous through three phases: Phoenician, Punic and Roman. Thekey to this analysis is the unlocking of material culture which issensitive to disentangling and then providing a methodology fordistinguishing identities. It is a procedure which seeks to escapedualism, but often has to resort to distinguishing the indigenous fromthe exotic in a particular art style or context. For the Phoenicianphase, the Monte Prama statuary stat��u��ar��y?n. pl. stat��u��ar��ies1. Statues considered as a group.2. The art of making statues.3. A sculptor.adj.Of, relating to, or suitable for a statue. provides such an opportunity to studythe 'creative combination' of both indigenous and colonialfeatures (p. 110), the material foundations of new identities. For thePunic phase the sanctuary of Genna Maria provides another 'complexsituation of varying degrees of mutual influence, imitation and creativesubversion of the "high" Punic culture by the localinhabitants . . .' (p. 155) to enable the creation of differentlocal identities. The analysis of surface remains (with its restrictedsurvival of material culture) can, however, be more difficult. VanDommelen was able to identify two landscapes in a manner which perhapssuggests that dualism continued to have more impact on landscapeprocesses: a coastal pattern of central place and dispersed ruralsettlement and an inland pattern of dispersed larger agglomerations. The Iberian volume (Ruiz & Molinos 1998) takes a differenttheoretical approach. Whereas Bourdieu, Gramsci and Giddens are amongstthe sources quoted by Van Dommelen, Marx is the principal source of thiswork. Nevertheless, some of the ingredients are similar. Ruiz &Molinos are also using art and landscape to elucidate the indigenous ina post colonial world. Ruiz & Molinos thus similarly reject thepreconceptions of the civilizing invader and there is a strong sense ofthe varied interests of different social groups, although theseappear to be demarcated between native and colonizer. The approachtaken is to analyse in turn the ceramic material culture, the economyand territory, production, society and, finally, ethnic groups. A wealthof up-to-date information is presented which provides an important newinsight into Iberian society. There are also flashes of stimulatinginsight into structural comparisons with other parts of Europe. Forinstance, the palace sanctuary of Cancho Roano is compared with Murloand the Heuneburg, and Villasmundo in Sicily is cited as a comparativeexample of native settlements affected by trade. It is worth workinghard to penetrate the many difficulties of under-translation in order toread and then understand 90- to 100-word sentences. Alternatively,readers can find elsewhere a clearer exposition of some areas, such asthe landscape of Guadalquivir valley (Ruiz 1997). The volume on Sicily covers the full extent of prehistory (Leighton1999). More than any of the other study areas, this island has such areputation for evenements of external intervention that they almostmerge into a longue duree. It is, therefore, refreshing to read a lucidaccount that acknowledges the 'ability of the local cultures toabsorb, adopt and transform external elements . . .' (p. 7, myitalics) and which also emphasizes that 'It is striking that localtraditions survived well into the Archaic period The name Archaic Period is given by archaeologists to the earliest periods of a culture. In particular, it may refer to: the Archaic period in the Americas (8000 BC–1000 BC) the Archaic period in Greece (1000 BC–500 BC) (6th century BC) inmany parts of Sicily. Neglected by Greek writers This is a list of Greek writers. The Ionian writersAndreas Kalvos Dionysios Solomos The Romantic writersDimitrios Vikelas The New Athenian writersKostas Kariotakis Napoleon Lapathiotis , this is an area ofresearch which should hardly differ in approach and methodology fromthat of prehistoric archaeology History is the study of the past using written records. Archaeology can also be used to study the past alongside history. Prehistoric archaeology is the study of the past before historical records began. , and in which both prehistoric andclassical archaeologists have much to learn from each other' (p.8). The approach, however, contrasts with that of van Dommelen and Ruiz& Molinos, in that space prevented the elaboration of theory (p. 8).Instead, he presents the trends and processes unconcealed by specialistlanguage in a most successful presentation of Sicilian prehistory, Theauthor combines a detailed knowledge of the material culture(particularly the last two millennia BC) with an ability to synthesizewhich makes this volume an essential part of any archaeological library.Although Braudel is the only theoretical work cited by Leighton, otherwork (Leighton 1996) shows more explicitly his broadly processualstance. It is characteristic of Leighton's volume that he tackles manyof the same post-colonial issues without any development of a Marxist orpost-colonial language to provide (or hinder) understanding. In hisanalysis of the Middle to Late Bronze Age Bronze Age,period in the development of technology when metals were first used regularly in the manufacture of tools and weapons. Pure copper and bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, were used indiscriminately at first; this early period is sometimes called the , of interaction with theMycenaean world, he stresses the inappropriateness of 'theone-sided perspective of the core periphery model' and the localpresence of 'a new identity . . . [in] a different culturalenvironment which, at least in part, followed its own agenda andgenerated its own aesthetic values' (p. 183-4). In a later section,he analyses local identity which survives late (5th century BC) in theface of Greek colonization and concludes that the colonial experiencesof modern states were different from those of antiquity. In achievingthis he steers a careful course between material culture, literarysources and legend, revealing the richness and excitement of theSicilian evidence. The opportunities for the understanding of indigenous identitiesusing concepts such as hybridization is perhaps even greater in Iberian,Sicilian and Etruscan contexts where the approach has yet to be tried.It is ironic that Van Dommelen (in a brief aside) should dismiss Etruriaas part of the autochtonous Classical world, when a site such as Murloshows an incredibly rich display of the process of hybridization, at alevel of detail difficult to achieve in the Phoenician world. The maindifficulty with hybridization will be in developing a methodology thateffectively deals with the intractable concept of style and itsattribution to identity. When it comes to the analysis of art, theinterpretations can be as diverse as the number of observers. References BHABHA, H. 1994. Signs taken for wonders: questions of ambivalenceand authority under a tree outside Delhi, May 1817, in H. Bhabha (ed.),The location of culture: 10222. London: Routledge. BOARDMAN, J. 1999. The Greeks overseas: their early colonies andtrade. London: Thames & Hudson. DE ANGELIS, F. 1998. Ancient past, imperial present: the BritishEmpire British Empire,overseas territories linked to Great Britain in a variety of constitutional relationships, established over a period of three centuries. The establishment of the empire resulted primarily from commercial and political motives and emigration movements in T.J. Dubabin's The western Greeks, Antiquity 72: 539-49. FUNARI, P.P.A., M. HALL & S. JONES. 1999. Historicalarchaeology Historical archaeology is a branch of archaeology that concerns itself with "historical" societies, i.e. those that had systems of writing. It is often distinguished from prehistoric archaeology which studies societies with no writing. : back from the edge. London: Routledge. LEIGHTON, R. 1996. From chiefdom to tribe? Social organisation Noun 1. social organisation - the people in a society considered as a system organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships; "the social organization of England and America is very different"; "sociologists have studied the changing structure of the family" andchange in later prehistory, in R. Leighton (ed.), Early societies inSicily. New developments in archaeological research: 101-16. London:Accordia Research Centre. Accordia Specialist studies on Italy 5. RUIZ RODRIGUEZ, A. 1997. The Iron Age Iberian peoples of the UpperGuadalquivir valley, in M. Diaz-Andreu & S. Keay (ed.), Thearchaeology of Iberia: the dynamics of change: 175-91. London:Routledge. VAN DOMMELEN, P. 1997. Colonial constructs: colonialism andarchaeology in the Mediterranean, World Archaeology 28: 305-23.