Abstracts Anthropology

Economy and Identity in the Roman Cyclades

by Margaret N. Sneeringer

This thesis examines archaeological evidence for the economic and social changes which occurred in the Cyclades, Greece, while the area was under Roman influence and control from the second century BC to the fourth century AD. I will use specific islands (Melos, Paros, Sikinos, Keos, Delos, Syros, and Tenos) as case studies to demonstrate larger trends or characteristics of economic strategies and expressions of identity on several scales, ranging from individual settlements to island landscapes to the island group as a whole. Among both modern and ancient scholars, the preconception exists that compared to the former glory of the islands during the Classical and Hellenistic periods, the period of Roman administration in the Cycladic islands was characterized by economic and cultural poverty, offering little of value to the rest of the empire. In fact, the archaeology of the Cyclades offers strong indications of successful local economies, as well as an excellent opportunity to examine the complex dialogue between Greek and Roman culture and to explore aspects of identity expressed through material culture. The dynamic nature of the power landscape in the Cyclades is reflected in the architecture, settlement patterns, and waxing and waning in significance of various island polities throughout the Roman period, and a resilient sense of local island identity is evident in the archaeological remains.