P. Nick Kardulias - Böcker

Includes 167 figures, 16 tables and 2 maps. Since 1990, the Athienou Archaeological Project (AAP) has investigated the Malloura valley on the edge of the central Mesaoria plain near the modern town of Athienou, Cyprus. Excavations have concentrated on the Archaic-to-Roman sanctuary and the adjacent settlement and cemeteries at the ancient site of Malloura. Survey in the Malloura valley has revealed other sites ranging from Aceramic Neolithic through Cypro-Classical, Roman and Late Medieval up to hamlets abandoned only in the 20th century. This research has focused on how successive rural populations in the Malloura valley have adapted to local environmental changes and shifting political tides in the region, and how this adaptation is reflected in the archaeological, historical, and ethnographic record recovered by the project and reported in this volume.

In The Ecology of Pastoralism, diverse contributions from archaeologists and ethnographers address pastoralism’s significant impact on humanity’s basic subsistence and survival, focusing on the network of social, political, and religious institutions existing within various societies dependent on animal husbandry.Pastoral peoples, both past and present, have organized their relationships with certain animals to maximize their ability to survive and adapt to a wide range of conditions over time. Contributors show that despite differences in landscape, environment, and administrative and political structures, these societies share a major characteristic—high flexibility. Based partially on the adaptability of various domestic animals to difficult environments and partially on the ability of people to establish networks allowing them to accommodate political, social, and economic needs, this flexibility is key to the survival of complex pastoral systems and serves as the connection among the varied cultures in the volume.In The Ecology of Pastoralism, a variety of case studies from a broad geographic sampling uses archaeological and contemporary data and offers a new perspective on the study of pastoralism, making this volume a valuable contribution to current research in the area.