AJA

For a long time, the emergence of Aegean states was explained in terms of general evolutionist models based on evidence from a handful of major palatial sites. Recently, however, a growing emphasis on regional diversity has demonstrated the importance of specific models for understanding the multiple pathways to social complexity.

In the absence of extensive written sources, the history of the Macedonian kingdom prior to the reign of Philip II remains largely understudied. Yet, the archaeological record of the region, although primarily of funerary character, has much to contribute in this direction. In this article, I examine the funerary evidence particularly from the Classical period until the rise of Philip II.

Several surviving artifacts of Roman imperial date consist of two small plaques designed for connection by balks (rectangular beams) and cylindrical dowels. All but one of the surviving specimens are of ivory and were probably luxurious versions of utilitarian objects. All have decorative details; three particularly lavish specimens bear mythological narratives in relief on both sides of each plaque.

Kassite Babylonia counts among the great powers of the Late Bronze Age Near East. Its kings exchanged diplomatic letters with the pharaohs of Egypt and held their own against their Assyrian and Elamite neighbors. Babylonia’s internal workings, however, remain understood in their outlines only, as do its elite’s expansionary ambitions, the degrees to which they may have been realized, and the nature of ensuing imperial encounters.

The Late Bronze Age was a period of profound transformation on the island of Cyprus. Through investigations at the Maroni complex and at Kalavasos-Ayios Dhimitrios—two urban centers in south-central Cyprus—the Kalavasos and Maroni Built Environments (KAMBE) Project seeks to understand the relationship between these changes and the coeval rise of the island’s first cities.