Beyond the valley : A behavioural ecological assessment of the Neolithic–Bronze Age transition in Laconia

Sammanfattning

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate settlement patterns in the Final Neolithic–Early Helladic transition in Laconia. The study establishes how well the material from the Laconia Survey concurs with results of other surveys. Site catchment analysis is applied to assess the relationship between site location and natural and economic resources, which is interpreted through human behavioural ecology. The thesis concludes that Laconia does parallel findings from elsewhere in Greece, noticing an increase in the number of sites and use of uphill areas in EH I, and proposes evidence for site hierarchies and rise in social complexity. EH sites have generally greater agricultural potential than FN sites and there is continuation in the use of agriculturally poorer land. This is interpreted as strategies of fitness-maximization connected to the introduction of the plough and the exploitation of secondary animal products. The study could not determine the importance of distance to the alluvial valley but concludes that further investigation into socio-economic factors is necessary.