A Small Rock Holding Back the Waves

Summary

Islands are both understudied and spatially constrained, with often turbulent colonial histories. This paper reconsiders the conceptual basis of intra- and inter-island relationships in the context of archaeology. We argue that islands need not be isolated as geographic, ecologic or cultural entities and have not been so during the proto-historic and prehistoric periods. Using 21st century equilibrium theory and gateway theory we suggest that islands may be in some contexts central places. We conclude that if one views the complex and dynamic interconnections of settler and indigenous identity through the lenses of locality, steady state sustainability, heterogeneity, gradualism, and interdependence, that a supply side analysis indicates that there are strong forces which influence the colonialism of islands towards vertical relationships of the trade dynamic if not the processes of production themselves. Examples are provided from the Northern Latitudes including the islands as Osterøy and Radøy in Norway along with analogous examples from Aland and Lofoten and the Kiril and Aleutian island chains.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22174