The Final Neolithic period in central and southern Greece is considered to have witnessed a transformation of the landscape and a general change in settlement patterns. The use of marginal environments and the dispersion of small sites, which were probably engaged in long-distance trading, imply extended and more fluid social networks of interaction. At the same time, the archaeological record indicates an intensification of mortuary expression through the creation of several burial areas where continuous practices of exchange and deposition of material culture seem to have taken place. This paper reviews old and new evidence, and presents recent analysis on material from several sites in the above region (e.g. Phthiotida, Attica, Laconia), supported by new radiocarbon dates, in order to elaborate on the role of these mortuary areas as focal places for social integration in the end of the Neolithic period.
Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece
International conference 29-30 May 2015
