Social Place and Space on Early Late Bronze Age Kos: The Burial Arena of Eleona and the Making of Mycenaean Identity in the SASCAR

This paper examines the important role played by the early Late Bronze Age cemetery of Eleona for the making of Mycenaean Kos. Emphasis is placed on burial location, ancient landscape, and tomb categorization, as well as on the composite character of the artifacts associated with the burials. An eclectic approach that takes into account the theoretical frameworks of mobility, acculturation, cultural fusion, and social agency is used to comprehend and interpret the archaeological data. The results of this contribution indicate that Eleona provided a physical and symbolical arena for the development of a Mycenaean landscape and material culture on Kos. These features were implemented using local technology and cultural practices and were thus the result of socio-political strategies actively implemented by the island’s elites. A fresh look at recent data from the wider SASCAR (Southeast Aegean-Southwest Coastal Anatolian Region) shows that this may have been the case for the whole area.