Chase A M Minos

This dissertation explored the concept of insularity and how it may have applied to the islands of the Aegean between 300 BCE and 600 CE, specifically the  Cycladic Islands. The approach was multifaceted and approached the islands through four different archaeological and historical pieces of evidence: the environment of the archipelago, settlements and sites, inscriptions, and coinage. Each offered a distinct but interrelated view of the Cycladic islands over time. As a long-term study, the aim was to address insularity over time as this was a pivotal time in the history of the Cyclades. Ancient scholars perceive this period as one of insularity and decline for the islands, but closer examination of the evidence here and by other scholars has revealed the dynamism of theses islands.

Minoanisation was a Bronze Age Aegean phenomenon that was characterised by the interaction of cultures through their archaeological remains but also by the domination of the ‘Minoan’ culture. Previous models of Minoanisation are unsatisfactory but demonstrate that the topic needs to be rethought, re-examined and analysed from new perspectives. Concepts of identity, culture and agency will prove conducive to analyses and interpretations of Minoanisation; they will also accentuate the point that it was a cultural process that varied from site to site. By looking at Minoanisation at individual sites and even individual chronological periods, we may better understand the impact of Minoan Crete on the Bronze Age Aegean and avoid generalisations and assumptions. Therefore, Miletus will be case study and testing material for more recently discussed archaeological theories discussed. In Miletus the evidence is too limited for any definitive conclusions to be made but there are numerous conclusions to be made that avoid the imperialist ideologies of the Minoan thalassocracy and offer new perspectives on the past.

This essay is primarily concerned with the London Mithraeum's exceptional nature, based on its size, location and the various items found within the structure. It has been suggested that the Mithraeum, like many across the Roman empire, was associated with the Roman military. However, this Mithraeum indicates that the situation is not so clear and that there may be other factors which may have stimulated the propagation of this cult in London and resulted in the building of this temple. The essay gives an overview of the archaeological features in comparison to other Mithraea found in Britain, Europe and other locations in the Roman Empire so as to determine the nature of the building.

It is a common maxim that there are as many ways to make a pot as there are potters. Similarly, there is a considerable range of analytical and experimental techniques to interpret archaeological ceramics. Research into the early pottery wheel and its associated techniques has recently turned to experimental archaeology as is demonstrated well by Jeffra, Roux, and others in Eastern Mediterranean scholarship. However, the time is ripe to review the situation as these approaches are still nascent in both their development and methodologies. Research into the techniques of pottery has received ample attention but it is time to return to the tool, and redefine the role of the device and how its practicalities might be better understood in terms of potting techniques. This paper focuses primarily on the research and experiments conducted at University College Dublin, involving the comparison of multiple wheel types and potting techniques. Through the application of chaîne opératoire and experimental archaeology a number of methodological and practical issues were encountered. From the experiment several interesting results can shed light on the way archaeologists should investigate and understand early wheel potting. One aspect worth highlighting was the physics of rotation, which has received minimal attention as a result of a predominance for researching techniques over the tool (the wheel). This paper will present some of these results, and discuss potential solutions to how these methodological and practical issues in the study of pottery wheel technology should be best approached. The application of this research is used to better understand pottery and potter’s wheels from Bronze Age Crete, focusing particularly on material dating to the adoption and development the wheel, c. 2000 to 1800 BCE. Therefore, through a revision of experimental work and methodologies, we may better understand not only how tools such as the wheel were used but subsequently what roles these craftworkers played in past societies.