"Presents and analyses the development of the Cycladic and Aegean island communities from their earliest settlement in the Mesolithic through to the end of the Mycenaean period. By doing so, it traces the major environmental, cultural and religious transformations that these islands experienced. Fully up-to-date, this book incorporates into its narrative recent publications of old excavations as well as the results of important excavations undertaken over the last 20 years that have not yet been incorporated into the overall narrative of the Cyclades and Aegean's prehistory. The book's overall structure follows a straight-forward chronological sequence that delivers the necessary factual knowledge of sites, objects, debates and theoretical frameworks while the 'contextualisation' sections provide a critical analysis of the most important theme for the relevant time period"--

The Cycladic Islands of Greece played a central role in Aegean prehistory, and many new discoveries have been made in recent years at sites ranging in date from the Mesolithic period to the end of the Bronze Age. In the well-illustrated chapters of this book, based on the recent conference held at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research in Cambridge, international scholars including leading Greek archaeologists offer new information about recent developments, many arising from hitherto unpublished excavations. The book contains novel theoretical insights into the workings of culture process in the prehistoric cultures of the islands. It will be an indispensable resource for students and scholars interested in the prehistory of the Aegean and in the contributions made to its development by the prehistoric inhabitants of the Cyclades.

This textbook offers an up-to-date academic synthesis of the Aegean islands from the earliest Palaeolithic period through to the demise of the Mycenaean civilization in the Late Bronze III period. The book integrates new findings and theoretical approaches whilst, at the same time, allowing readers to contextualize their understanding through engagement with bigger overarching issues and themes, often drawing explicitly on key theoretical concepts and debates. Structured according to chronological periods and with two dedicated chapters on Akrotiri and the debate around the volcanic eruption of Thera, this book is an essential companion for all those interested in the prehistory of the Cyclades and other Aegean islands.

A case study of the Greek Cyclades, documenting new ways of studying global island archaeology.

Negotiating Island Identities explores the history of interaction between Crete and the Cycladic islands from the late Middle to Late Bronze II periods when Minoan influence was at its peak. Based on a thorough investigation of pottery assemblages from key sites, the book advocates a rethink of established acculturation scenarios (such as "Minoanisation") in relation to the Cycladic islands. Openness or closure towards outside influences was not predetermined by cultural, geographical or ecological variables but was socially constructed. Island communities could consciously fashion their worlds and make choices about the nature and degree of interaction with their neighbours.