#MAREMonday 26

On 08.01.2024 we present the 26th session of our online lecture series with a contribution of

Nireas Markakis
(Aix-Marseille University)

Maritime commerce, naval supremacy and piracy in the Peloponnese-Crete strait: the island of Kythera. A geoarchaeological assessment

Abstract:

The island of Kythera is located upon one of the most dangerous passages, of one of the most important maritime routes of the Mediterranean. Subsequently, the island’s geostrategic value was exploited for commercial, military, and paramilitary purposes by various agents throughout its known history.
The island has been the subject of research mostly focusing on terrestrial sites and specific periods. Generally accepted as a prominent hunting zone, pirate activity in the waters of Kythera is well attested during the modern period but remains mostly inferred during antiquity. Additionally, the operational specifics determining pirate activity in the region remain unclear.
In order to investigate pirate activity in Kythera across time, and delineate the modus operandi of attacks at sea, this study utilizes a synthetic geo-archaeological approach – namely the investigation of the fundamental geomorphological parameters and technological constraints defining navigation in the region, in order to define specific potent zones of operation off the island’s coasts, and the subsequent re-assessment of associated archaeological sites corresponding to periods of increased pirate activity in the region.
This article is part of a wider, ongoing, geo-archaeological GIS-based assessment of the island’s maritime history. It utilizes textual and iconographical sources, as well as current geomorphological, historical, and archaeological research. This corpus is complemented by historical cartography, cross-examined with present-day data, reports from local seamen recently interviewed, and field observations.