Social Connections Near and Far: The Role of Local and Exotic Goods in the Emergence of Complexity on Cyprus during the Prehistoric Bronze Age

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Local and/or Exotic Interactions: Symbols, Materials, and Societies" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The presence of international goods has long been a signifier of social complexity on Cyprus, but the accumulation of local goods and interregional imports may be equally as important for understanding the formation of hierarchical social networks during the Prehistoric Bronze Age (2400–1700 cal BC). This period marks the transition from undifferentiated social systems to urban, hierarchical systems with higher levels of wealth inequality. Studies have shown that though Cyprus is small, regional differences appear in the material culture, and trade is apparent between communities on the North Coast, Central Plain and South Coast. This paper explores the role of local goods as a proxy for differential control of resources within a community, and interregional imports as a proxy for participation in intra-island trade networks in the emergence of social complexity on Cyprus during this period. These proxy data obtained from mortuary contexts are statistically analyzed to determine the scale of access to local resources and participation in trade networks, and the results are used to determine the network models that best describe the social system. In approximating social network configurations, the role of local and imported goods in the emergence of complexity is determined.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Local and/or Exotic Interactions: Symbols, Materials, and Societies   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39516.0