Dynamics of Material Culture in Early Greek Colonies and Its Border. 

Some Archaeological Evidence of Euboean Migrants in South Italy​​​​

Author :  Kim​, Hye-jin​​​​

Page : 183-213

Abstract   

  This study examines the archaeological evidence related to the Euboeans found in Pithekoussai (or Aenaria) and Kyme (or Kymai, Cumae), two places where the Greek Euboeans settled in southern Italy around the 8th century BC, and the exports of the Euboeans found in the nearby Etruscan communities. Through this, the study examines the cultural identity of the Euboean migrants and their cultural relation with neighboring communities. The study is concentrated on some archaeological evidence, including materials on selected potteries, and analyze its cultural properties related to the Euboeans in southern Italy during the early colonial periods of the mid-8th century to 7th century BC. Using this evidence, the study aims to reconstruct the cultural topography of the colonial city and its borders.

  The Euboean craftsmen and merchants among the pioneers who migrated from the mother-city exchanged technologies and products with indigenous people and neighboring communities, and the localization of migrants was reinforced through marriages. As such, the Euboean migrants spread Greek culture (pottery, scripts, etc.) to their neighbors, and the cultural boundaries of Greece expanded as foreign people accepted it. Specifically, ‘Nestor’ Cup’ is evidence that reveals the symbol of Euboean aristocracy, and the fragment of ‘-inos’ is evidence that the Greek alphabet was used as a symbol of Greek cultural identity. Furthermore, ‘Tataie’s lekythos’ show that the Euboeans embraced local culture through intermarriages, and ‘Aristonothos’ krater’ demonstrates that Euboean craftsmanship displaying Greek epic themes and alphabets were accepted by the upper class of the Etruscan communities.

  The archaeological evidence shows how the Euboeans and their culture traveled during the early Greek colonial period in southern Italy, and the formation of the Greek cultural sphere, known as the ‘Greek World.’ It also demonstrates how the Euboeans migrated to new lands and came into contact with foreign cultures, accepting and transforming it. In this process, at the border where Greek met indigenous culture, the boundary crossed through the material culture of Greece. The diverse cultural exchanges and the varied cultural identities formed between the Greek migrants and the indigenous people, and the Etruscans, reflect the cultural dynamics of southern Italy during the early period of Greek colonization.

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<Key Words>

Greek Cities in South Italy, Greek Colonization, Euboea, Pithekoussai, Kyme, Caere​