The Archaic Gap of Crete and the New Archaeological Discoveries at Lyktos

The great Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff once described Crete of the early to mid-1st millennium BCE as “an isolated island occupied by semi-barbarous people.” Much has changed since then, but the island’s 6th and 5th centuries BCE are still conceived of as the “Archaic Gap,” a time of impoverished material culture, socio-economic stagnation, and cultural isolation. Professor Antonis Kotsonas challenges these assumptions based on new discoveries made by NYU’s team at the major site of Lyktos in central Crete, which offers methodological insights into data recovery and interpretation from periods of (presumed) low archaeological visibility.

Please note that this event will take place in our lower gallery spaces.

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