About Islands and Islanders: Mobility, Connectivity, and Identity in the Balearic Islands (Mediterranean Sea) during the Bronze Age

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Social Archaeologies and Islands" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

During the Bronze Age, the archaeological record of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea reveals a conspicuous prevalence of similarities across all the islands within the archipelago. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this convergence phenomenon within the archaeological record, we developed a study centered on the analysis of mobility and connectivity dynamics. This project generated an expansive theoretical, methodological, and analytical framework. This framework encompassed a diverse array of methodologies, including the examination of ceramic production through archaeometry and technological assessments, investigations into metal production, isotopic analyses, and the application of isotopic techniques to analyze the mobility patterns of domesticated animals. Furthermore, we conducted a study of maritime seafaring strategies between the islands employing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, coupled with an examination of meteorological maritime conditions. Through the compilation and analysis of these data sets, we have garnered valuable information about the mobility and connectivity strategies employed by the Bronze Age island societies of the Balearic Islands. Additionally, our research has afforded us the opportunity to think how these dynamic processes actively contribute to the configuration of identity among island communities, both on individual islands and across the entirety of the archipelago.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Social Archaeologies and Islands   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39917.0