Conceptualising Processes of Monumental Architectural Creation in the Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age

Introduction

DAEDALOS aims to challenge the predominant metanarrative that uniformly sees monuments as an attribute of centralised, hierarchical political economies and top-down power structures. This view exerts a strong influence on our understanding of the organisation of Bronze Age Eastern Mediterranean societies.

Historical Context

In the 2nd millennium BCE, Mainland Greece, Western Anatolia, and the islands of Crete, Cyprus, and the Cyclades witnessed a growing architectural elaboration. Impressive ‘palatial’ monuments were built, which are often interpreted as the seat of rulers exerting centralised control over the population.

Political Power and Monumental Construction

The surmised political power necessary for the mobilisation and management of the human and material resources invested in monumental construction is taken as further evidence for the leading function of these edifices. This also supports the notion of their commissioners being at the top of hierarchical socio-political systems.

Questioning Preconceived Notions

Taking into consideration the ability of human groups with no centralised leadership to efficiently manage and control resources, DAEDALOS questions the preconceived conflation of monumental architecture and centralised hierarchical power.

Research Objectives

To assess this, the project will:

1. Analyse integration and segmentation patterns in 2nd millennium BCE monumental building projects of the Aegean and Cyprus.
2. Investigate the organisational centralisation of the societies that managed the labour and material resources invested in construction.

Methodology

Based on the architectural study of monuments distributed over 35 sites and their examination through new, specially devised analytical parameters, DAEDALOS will explore the possibility for grassroots, bottom-up building processes and their impact on architectural creation.

Expected Outcomes

By doing so, the project aims to trigger a paradigm shift in the ways we approach and interpret monumental architecture while producing nuanced and compelling definitions of Eastern Mediterranean Bronze Age socio-political systems.