Analysis of the Application of Central Place Models in Mycenaean Archaeology

This study investigates the use of central place models in Mycenaean archaeology, particularly as applied to the notion of "second order centers." Traditional models are strongly hierarchical, and their evolutionary, taxonomic basis has limited understanding of Mycenaean centers and settlements and, by extension, of the polities and regions in which they are located. On the other hand, dynamic models allow scrutiny of local social and economic organization and can complement approaches like peer polity interaction. Diachronic analysis of households and collective action, including market behaviors, are key to the dynamic approach adopted in this study; these are compared spatially and chronologically to palatial trends and administrative practices. Application of this model to the Messenian second order centers Nichoria and Iklaina suggests that while the former retained considerable local independence, the latter suffered the effects of palatial centralization strategies. In the Argolid, competition among at least three palaces combined with areas of strong market potential contributed to the formation of a strikingly wealthy society of urban character, but correspondingly weak potential for the development of second order centers. Application of the model to Kalamianos also suggests the likelihood of an independent center with strong market potential. The results advocate a return to classic central place theory's original emphases on services and markets, and an abandonment of top-down taxonomies of central places.