The Historical Greek Village [Hardback]

This volume presents the Protogeometric through Hellenistic material (ca. 970–175 B.C.) from ASCSA excavations conducted in the 1950s at Lerna in the Argolid, one of the most important prehistoric sites in Greece. The material derives from two main sources: burials from a Geometric cemetery near the settlement and Late Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic wells from the mound proper. Although the material consists primarily of pottery and other ceramic finds, it also includes human remains, animal bones and shells, coins, inscriptions, and bronze and stone objects. Heather Graybehl provides a petrographic analysis, Mark L. Lawall discusses the transport amphoras and import patterns, David S. Reese presents the faunal material, and David Scahill presents and catalogues two Doric capitals. This study not only gives scholars greater insight into ceramic developments in the Argolid, it brings much-needed focus to the material culture of a historic settlement not known for strategic trading, politics, or military prowess. Lerna VIII will greatly facilitate comparative studies with other modestly sized communities in ancient Greece.

"“Nobody ever went in search of the historical Greek village of Lerna. But through the unwitting efforts of anonymous German soldiers, the professional practice of American prehistorians, and the meticulous work of Erickson, a portrait of the settlement has emerged. Erickson’s book provides a model for the rehabilitation of aging excavation data. As a compendium of pottery produced and used in the Argolid for more than half a millennium, it will be a valuable tool for excavators and scholars working in the region. Beyond this, it sketches the beginnings of a map of the Argolid in a time that is poorly documented in the published archaeological record. It provides much food for thought concerning the archaeology of small settlements and how their histories played out in relation to the cities that dominated the countryside and continue to dominate our thinking about ancient Greece.”"

American Journal Of Archaeology (Vol. 123, No. 3, July 2019)

""[T]his is an important and ground-breaking publication, which is in many ways exemplary as a pottery study... The amount of work Erickson has invested in his very comprehensive analysis and interpretation is impressive. This will surely be the reference work for decades to come.""

Bryn Mawr Classical Review ()

""Brice Erickson's The Historical Greek Village is an excellent new addition to the Lerna series and significantly furthers our understanding of the nature and character of the site from circa 970 to 175BC […] Ericson's work significantly furthers our understanding of village life and culture in Geometric - Hellenistic times.""

Journal of Greek Archaeology ()