Byzantine Epirus. A Topography of Transformation: Settlements of the Seventh-Twelfth Centuries in Southern Epirus and Aetoloacarnania, Greece

Description

Much of the past twenty years of scholarship on late-antique and medieval landscapes and settlement has introduced theoretical patterns reflecting meta-narratives of evolution and transition. This book draws on 5 years of archaeological and topographical fieldwork in order to attempt a rereading of Byzantine texts in accordance with recent perceptions of the historicity of space. The result is a fresh interpretation of settlement in Western Greece (Southern Epirus and Aetoloacarnania) from 600 to 1200 AD, springing from a postmodern theoretical background. While representing real progress in the treatment of the Middle Byzantine regions, the book makes an ecological contribution to historical and social studies through a new evaluation of the transformation of medieval settlement as a result of interaction between physical/social space and human agency. Contents List of Illustrations List of Maps Preface List of Abbreviations Part One. Study of a Changing Landscape 1. On the Remains of Middle Byzantine Epirus 2. A Geographical Outline of Byzantine Epirus (Seventh–Twelfth Centuries) 2.I. Definition, Political Geography and Relevant Toponymy 2.ΙΙ. Physical Geography and Selection of the Research Area 2.III. Landscape Evolution: Geomorphological Landforms and Processes 2.IV. Human Geography Part Two. Material Culture 1. Architecture 1.I. Building Typology and Use 1.I.1. Fortifications 1.I.2. Religious Buildings 1.I.3. Burial Spaces 1.I.4. Secular Buildings 1.I.5. Industrial Buildings 1.I.6. Water Supply Facilities and Water System Management 1.I.7. Road System 1.I.8. Harbour Facilities 1.II. Building Construction 1.II.1. Building Materials and Methods 1.II.2. Morphological Features and Chronology of Masonries 1.III. Conclusions 2. Dedicatory Inscriptions on or in Buildings 2.I. The Inscriptions 2.II. Conclusions 3. Monumental Art and Sculpture 3.I. Opus Sectile, Marble-Inlay, Mosaic and Fresco Decorations 3.II. Architectural Sculptures 3.III. Conclusions 4. Artefacts 4.I. Ceramics and Tiles 4.II. Metalwork 4.III. Glass 4.IV. Lead Seals 4.V. Numismatic Finds 4.VI. Conclusions Part Three. Habitation 1. The Chronology, Typology, Transformation, Networks and Economy of Settlements 1.I. The Chronology of Settlements 1.II. The Typology and Transformation of Settlements 1.II.a. Fortified Settlements 1.II.b. Unfortified Settlements 1.II.c. Monastic Settlements 1.III. Network of Routes and Settlements 1.IV. Economic Activities 2. The Geographical Dimension of Settlement: Non-Systematic Extensive Survey and the Historicity of Space in Archaeology 3. Aspects of the Transformation of Settlement within the Context of the Medieval Mediterranean 3.I. Historical and Archaeological Evidence: 'Different Sources, Different Histories?' 3.I.1. Theoretical Problems Relating to Medieval Settlement in 'Epirus' and the Mediterranean 3.II. A Reconstruction of Settlement in 'Epirus' 3.II.1. The Islands 3.II.2. The Mainland 3.II.3. A Correlation of Historical Settlements with Archaeological Evidence 3.III. Conclusions Part Four. The Case of Southern Middle Byzantine Epirus Concluding Remarks Part Five. Inventory of 7th–12th-Century Sites in Middle Byzantine Southern Epirus 5.I. Introduction 5.II. The Sites Appendices I. Material Culture Inventory I.1. Dedicatory Inscriptions on or in Buildings I.2. Opus Sectile, Marble-inlay, Mosaic and Fresco Decorations I.3. Architectural Sculpture I.4. Ceramics and Tiles I.5. Metalwork I.6. Glass I.7. Lead Seals I.8. Numismatic Finds II. Abstracts of Byzantine Texts Used in Translation in this Work III. Geomorphological Changes in Lowlands Caused by Fluvial Sedimentation Bibliography Index of Middle Byzantine Sites in Southern Epirus and Aetoloacarnania, Greece Index of Names Illustrations