Ayia Irini: Area B

The prehistoric settlement of Ayia Irini on Kea, one of the Cyclades islands of Greece, is the site of an ancient settlement dating back to the late Neolithic Age.

Area B, in the southeastern part of the Bronze Age town of Ayia Irini, preserves evidence for human activity from the mid-Early Bronze Age to the mid-Late Bronze Age, or Periods III-VII in the parlance of the site.

This volume summarizes the results of excavation in the area and provides an overview of the stratigraphy, architecture, and artifacts found in it.

Owing to its status as one of the best-excavated and best-documented sectors of the site, Area B also provides an excellent opportunity to consider diachronic changes in the ceramic assemblage through time. Analysis of macroscopic and petrographic fabrics and evaluation of how fabric, ware, and shape categories intersect enables a detailed, diachronic study of changes in pottery production, trade, and consumption patterns at the site in view of broader shifts in Aegean economy and society.