Phoenician Colonization of Nuragic Sardinia: A World-Systems Model of Periphery-Semiperiphery Interaction

Summary

The arrival of the Bronze Age (2300-1000 BC) ushered in many changes in the Mediterranean, including the emergence of the Nuragic culture on the island of Sardinia (Italy). The Nuragic culture takes its name from the nuraghi, the more than 7,000 dry-stone towers that dominate the landscape. The Nuragic population engaged in an extensive trade network within the Mediterranean throughout the Middle and Late Bronze Age (1700-1000 BC), trading with Mycenae, Cyprus, and mainland Italy. Contact with foreigners intensified the development of a common cultural identity and the emergence of an elite group. Subsequently, during the Early Iron Age, the Phoenicians also established colonies on Sardinia. This resulted in the incorporation of the island into an intensive trade network that originated in the Near East. In this poster, I argue this network can best be understood from a world-systems perspective. Specifically, I discuss my investigation of Nuragic-Phoenician relations utilizing a proposed world-systems model of periphery-semiperiphery interaction. I demonstrate how the strategic use of bronzetti, statuary, and specialized architecture by Nuragic elite reflected their ability to negotiate their incorporation in that ancient world-system.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage