Society and economy in archaic southern Italy

The study deals with the social and economic development of southern Italy during the period of the so-called `Greek colonization`, i.e. from about the 8th to 5th century BCE. Here, groups of different traditions come together: newcomers from the East M editerranean region (especially Greeks) and the populations that have been living in this area for centuries. In contrast to earlier studies, which mostly focused on the new settlers, this study takes a look at the natives, their living conditions and their reaction to the new situation. Starting point is the site of Ripacandida in the M elfi region. The features excavated in the 1970s/1980s are for the first time subjected to a more detailed analysis and presented in full. The local community consisted of nuclear families who probably did not settle permanently at this site. The grave goods bear witness to their supra-regional networking within the local Italian social fabric. Greek imports can be found as early as the 6 th century BCE, but with regard to burial customs and furnishings the graves remain rooted in Italian traditions - import vessels are only additions to the traditional inventory. The gender roles in the grave goods show that men were mainly responsible for the protection of the household (weapons), while women were assigned more complex tasks: administration and preparation of food, raising children, responsibility for the ritual well-being of the community as well as textile and possibly also ceramic production. The locally observed conditions are then placed in the larger context of the southern Italian region. It is shown that the basic principles of social order are very similar throughout the area under investigation. However, tendencies towards social stratification can be observed in larger places. Elite burial sites indicate that dynastic tendencies developed in the centres from the 6th century BCE at the latest, while in small communities such as Ripacandida an egalitarian social structure predominates. The supra-regional elites were well connected both among themselves and towards the coasts, and erected buildings that made their status visible, served as meeting places and for the construction of which specialized craftsmen from the Greek cities were hired. The work also takes a look at the economic conditions and discusses the role of transhumance, for whose existence a number of indirect indications can be observed. Along their routes, the goods acquired by the new settlers may have been passed on in their own interpretation along trade routes that have existed in the region for generations. In these exchanges, the locals did not act as passive recipients, but as active partners playing a decisive role. 1