‎Milena Melfi, Maria Stamatopoulou (eds)‎
‎Redefining Ancient Epirus‎

‎, Brepols, 2024 Paperback, 283 pages, Size:216 x 280 mm, Illustrations:55 b/w, 81 col., 1 tables b/w., 11 maps b/w, 5 maps color, Language: English. ISBN 9782503581484.‎

Reference : 70998

‎Summary Ancient Epirus, 'the Mainland' of the Odyssey, has meant different things at different times. Covering a region that today spans parts of south Albania and north-west Greece, Epirus was an important crossroad in antiquity, a meeting place of different peoples and cultures. Yet while the history of the region is well-known, thanks to a combination of historical studies and major Greek myths, its archaeology has remained relatively little studied. Now, derived from a larger project based at Oxford University entitled 'Beyond the Borders', this volume for the first time offers a reliable and up-to-date account of the archaeology of Epirus. The contributions gathered here, written by some of the most influential international scholars currently involved in archaeological research in Epirus, aim to offer a balanced synthesis of the different cultural and historical phenomena at play in the region. Chapters span the Archaic period to Roman Imperial times, and starting from the material record, touch upon a wide range of subjects: landscape studies, urbanization, fortifications and defence, ritual, sanctuaries, burial practices, relationships between mother cities and colonies, and borders and borderlands. Through this approach, the volume effectively moves Epirus from the border to the centre of the map of current archaeo-historical research, as well as offering a starting point for further historical investigations in the field. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations Abbreviations Redefining Ancient Epirus: An Introduction Milena Melfi and Maria Stamatopoulou Settlement 1. Chaonia in Epirus: A Fresh Assessment in Light of New Archaeological Data Julian Bogdani 2. Settlement patterns in Molossia: The Case of the Ioannina Basin Georgia Pliakou 3. Habitation in Thesprotia from the Late Classical to the Late Hellenistic period: A General Overview Kassiani Lazari, Vasiliki Lamprou, and Antonia Tzortzatou Fortifications 4. Territorial Occupation and Defensive Models in Chaonia and the Drino Valley between the Fourth and Third Centuries BC Roberto Perna 5. Fortifications and Spatial Organisation in Molossia: The Contribution of Historical Geography and Archaeological Sources Marie-Pierre Dausse 6. Gitana, Elea, Dymokastro, Doliani?Remarks on the Fortifications of Four Thesprotian Centres Christos Spanodimos 7. Beyond the Tangible: Archaeology and Borders in South-eastern Epirus, Fourth to First Century BC Maria Kopsacheili Sanctuaries 8. Temple-Like buildings among the Epirote Ethne: The Archaeology and Architecture of a 'Peripheral' Sacred Landscape Lorenzo Mancini 9. Polis and Religion in Epirus Milena Melfi Cemeteries 10. Burying the Dead in Southern Epirus: The Necropoleis of Ambracia Anthi Aggeli 11. Phoenice: A Necropolis of the Koinon of the Epirotes Giuseppe Lepore‎