W.G. Cavanagh, C. Gallou & M. Georgiadis (ed.). Sparta and Laconia: from prehistory to premodern.

W.G. Cavanagh, C. Gallou & M. Georgiadis (ed.). Sparta and Laconia: from prehistory to premodern. W.G. CAVANAGH, C. GALLOU & M. GEORGIADIS (ed.). Sparta andLaconia: from prehistory prehistory,period of human evolution before writing was invented and records kept. The term was coined by Daniel Wilson in 1851. It is followed by protohistory, the period for which we have some records but must still rely largely on archaeological evidence to to premodern pre��mod��ern?adj.Existing or coming before a modern period or time: the feudal system of premodern Japan.(British School at Athens The British School at Athens (BSA) (Greek: Βρετανική Σχολή Αθηνών) is one of the 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes in Athens, Greece. Studies16). xxxii + 424 pages, 407 b&w & colour illustrations, 6tables. 2009. London: British School at Athens; 978-0-904887-61-7hardback 97 [pounds sterling]. The British School at Athens' interest in Laconia islong-standing. In 1904, the BSA 1. BSA - Business Software Alliance.2. BSA - Bidouilleurs Sans Argent. published its first papers on Laconiansubjects: one on epigraphy epigraphy:see inscription. and another on a topographical study in thetradition of Pausanias. Shortly thereafter, spades first broke ground inthe BSA-sponsored excavations at Geraki (now a Dutch project). From thebeginning, the BSA's interest in Laconia has been an eclectic mixof epigraphy, archaeology and art history. This volume, produced tocommemorate the 100th anniversary of British interest in Laconia, isvery much the product of this tradition. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The volume contains the proceedings of a conference held at Spartain 2005; there are 42 papers arranged in 5 sections. Most papers are inEnglish (of the 42, 9 are in Greek and 1 is in French) and there areabstracts, in both English and Greek for all the papers. The volume isarranged roughly chronologically: 9 articles concern prehistory, 21Archaic to Roman subjects, 9 medieval and later topics, and 3 could beclassed roughly as historiographical. The papers are a mix ofspecialised studies on particular artefact See artifact. classes (Early Helladicceramics, Mycenaean terracottas, Archaic bronzes, ivory reliefs, Droopcups, urns, Roman statuary) and round-ups of current work on individualsites (various Neolithic caves, Geraki, Epidaurus Limera, the city ofSparta) or site types (caves, quarries, cemeteries, religiousstructures), and as with any such collection the contents are variable. Those papers that focus on individual sites will be of interestonly to a specialised few, as little interpretation is included amongstthe descriptions of pottery assemblages and artefact classes. Theexceptions to this are the contributions by Greek Ephoreia staffdescribing the rescue excavations in and around the modern city ofSparta, as the Greek system has no real equivalent of the'grey' literature common in Britain and publication of anysort is vitally important. Of the prehistoric papers, the mostinteresting to this reviewer are those by Mee and Cavanagh, which seekto situate the archaeology of Laconia within broader archaeologicaldiscussions of connectivity and territoriality TerritorialityBehavior patterns in which an animal actively defends a space or some other resource. One major advantage of territoriality is that it gives the territory holder exclusive access to the defended resource, which is generally associated with . The highlights withinthe Archaic to Roman periods include a novel reassessment of bronzemanufacturing by Stibbe, Roy's study of the changing frontierbetween Sparta and Arkadia up to c. 370 BC and its role in shaping localidentities, and Kennell's assessment of the third century AD'civic militia' of Sparta. Also of note are the implicationsin Langridge-Noti's and Pickersgill's papers on ceramicassemblages at Geraki and Roman Sparta respectively, both studies oflocal assemblages from stratified stratified/strat��i��fied/ (strat��i-fid) formed or arranged in layers. strat��i��fiedadj.Arranged in the form of layers or strata. deposits which will help tocomplement, refine (and perhaps refute) regional trends observed insurface survey. It is interesting to note that 6 out of the 9 Greek contributionsare in the section devoted to the medieval and later periods, perhapssuggestive of a renewed emphasis on later historical periods withinGreece, and a shift away from the traditional focus on Classicalantiquity. Of note are Bakourou's paper on extra-mural MiddleByzantine public buildings, Armstrong's examination of thetwelfth-century olive oil trade, and Morris' historiographicalappraisal of early modern travellers to Sparta. However, many of thecontributions in this section are quite narrow and specific, and eitherdescribe the topography of individual sites, detail aspects ofparticular buildings, or outline the methodology of ongoing projectswithout providing results. So while it is heartening to see Byzantineand later periods become the focus of research, it is disappointing thatlittle synthesis or interpretation beyond the site is offered. This volume is well produced, despite some inconsistencies inanglicising Greek terms, and in the formatting of references (somein-text, some in footnotes, some non-existent). But beyond thesuperficial, it is difficult to characterise such a diverse collection.That contributions should vary in quality, style and breadth of interestis to be expected in a publication of this sort. Some papers are ratherinsular and descriptive and will interest few beyond a handful oflike-minded specialists. Others offer unique insights into thearchaeology of Laconia and highlight significant finds that willundoubtedly change our understanding of the region, and will appeal toall those with an interest in the southern Peloponnese. Bur only a scant few tie developments in Laconia to broaderPeloponnesian and Mediterranean trends in a critical andtheoretically-informed manner, and these should rightly fuel syntheticstudies for some time to come. In short, this volume is an epitome ofthe 100 years of scholarly endeavour it seeks to commemorate. DANIEL R. STEWART School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester HistoryThe University was founded as Leicestershire and Rutland College in 1918. The site for the University was donated by a local textile manufacturer, Thomas Fielding Johnson, in order to create a living memorial for those who lost their lives in World War I. ,UK (Email: ds120@le.ac.uk)