The fragile communities of Antikythera

Abstract

While many Mediterranean islands have been subjected to archaeological survey methods of one kind or another, until now few if any have been covered in both a comprehensive and intensive manner. In this article the authors describe a survey on the Greek island of Antikythera (the Antikythera Survey Project – ASP) and demonstrate how full investigation of a tiny, remote and very sparsely populated island offers distinct analytical advantages for archaeologists. Some of the resulting benefits are methodological, relating to simplified sampling procedures, while others relate to the archaeology itself and include the documentation of rollercoaster demographies, changing connections with the wider world and the development of idiosyncratic insular lifestyles.