Change and Transition on Crete: Interpreting the Evidence from the Hellenistic through to the Early Byzantine Period

Change and Transition on Crete: Interpreting the Evidence from the Hellenistic through to the Early Byzantine Period is presented in honour of G.W.M. Harrison, whose academic contributions have enriched our perspective of Roman Crete and has inspired others to take on the challenge of this subject area. The study of Hellenistic and Roman Crete is, in many respects, still in its infancy. Whilst there is still much that we do not know about life on the island during these times, the past 40 years have seen a marked advancement of research and investigation into these periods at an ever-increasing pace, with the result that today we have a far better understanding and clearer perspective of the era. The theme of this volume, which was inspired by the 1st International Conference of the Colloquium on Roman Crete in 2016, is change and transition, a topic that challenges some of the earlier approaches to Hellenistic and Roman Crete, and which presents a different perspective on historical events and archaeological evidence. After an opening discussion, the papers explore aspects of change and transition in social and material archaeological contexts, with contributions on social organisation, economy and trade, health and diet, and the maritime landscape. In discussing change and transition for the Hellenistic and Roman periods, this volume also raises questions about existing interpretations of the archaeological evidence and the current chronological framework.