The Power of Many: Alternative Social histories in the relationship between Crete and Egypt in the Bronze Age

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Many New Worlds: Alternative global histories through material stories" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The discourse surrounding the presence of Egyptian artifacts on the island of Crete has predominantly centred on the concept of cultural transmission. Recent models challenge traditional colonial interpretations by recognizing the agency of local Cretan communities in integrating Egyptian materials into their own cultural frameworks. This presentation explores further this perspective by examining the social dimensions of the interactions between these two cultures. Specifically, it scrutinizes the manner in which prestigious Egyptian artifacts, typically found in rich individual tombs, were reimagined in a very distinct social context on Crete. On the island, many of these valuable items were utilized to reinforce group ideologies and to fuel bottom-up socio-economic dynamics, highlighting a significant divergence from their use and symbolism in Egypt. The presentation underscores the necessity of understanding the social facets of cultural interaction. What is considered elite in one culture can be transformed into assets that emphasize collective power in another. This approach requires us to acknowledge the role of broader, often overlooked populations in mediating cultural exchanges.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Many New Worlds: Alternative global histories through material stories

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52774