Communication networks in archaeology: The case of Mycenaean Messenia

Abstract

Scientists are regularly troubled with the way ancient societies communicated, interacted and functioned due to lack of written records. However, many of the artefacts and remains of material culture found along excavations suggest trading networks and communication exchanges among different settlements.Οften, the geographical location of a site and its analysis can provide further insight into such communication networks. The aim of this paper is to study the interconnectivity among the organized settlements of the Kingdom of Nestor, i.e. the modern area of the Messenian Prefecture (Bennet, 1999; Nakassis, 2013; Simpson & Dickinson, 1979; Simpson, 1981), and attempt to derive the movement pattern within the rural landscape of the region. This methodology could also be applied to other aspects of organized societies, enhancing our knowledge of the widely unknown Ancient Networks. Furthermore, the authors introduce an additional application of GIS beyond spatial imaging and prediction modeling.Mycenaean Messenia is examined in this paper for two main reasons. First, the Mycenaean period is one of the historical periods in Greece without extensive written documentation excepting a limited number of clay tablets, and offers no specific testimonials of the functions of the residential complexes developed in the area. Second, based on the abundant number of settlements and burial sites found within the region, Messenia seems to have been a prominent and flourishing area during the Mycenaean period. 140 sites are examined in this study, a particularly large number when taking into consideration their archaeological significance. All the information was sourced the archaeological research that has been carried out in the area, as well as from the archives and catalogues of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia (Liko, 2012; Simpson & Dickinson, 1979; Simpson, 1981, Simpson, 2014).