Abstract
Edwin De Vries
Free University at Amsterdam
Domestic space at Himera: a colonial context
The primary objective of this study is to investigate the culturally specific traits of a Greek colonial society, by investigating the use and meaning of space within the colonial society of Himera, on Sicily. As the Greeks settled on the shores of the Mediterranean from the 8th century BC onwards, they encountered and interacted with indigenous populations. This interaction may have had a profound impact on the development of Greek colonial culture, an impact that one may expect to be reproduced in the domestic architecture.
The archaeological remains at Himera consist of architectural features dating to the Classical period, during which the Greek identity became firmly established. Furthermore, the excavation has been recorded in an outstanding manner, which allows a detailed study of the structures in the archaeological record. Therefore, the archaeological record at Himera forms a potentially rich source of information for the development of Greek culture within a colonial context.
Return to CACW 2006 "Household and Society in the Ancient World" Program