ABSTRACT
Founded at ca. 1200 BCE and surviving for merely a couple of generations before its eventual abandonment by the middle of the twelfth century, Maa-Palaeokastro literally encapsulates the critical years that coincide with the collapse of the ‘Age of Internationalism’ and affords generous insights into the transformations taking place on the island. This contribution investigates the architectural, ceramic, and other remains brought to light at Maa-Palaeokastro, with the aim of unravelling pursuits indicating the promotion of social status and exertion of authority at the site. The prolific numbers of impressed pithoi at Maa are interpreted as bureaucratic mechanisms in relation to the management of agricultural produce, while hearth-halls containing large numbers of drinking vessels and animal bones, including wild prey, could correspond to communal social gatherings and feasting activities, organised by the settlement’s elites. The paper further addresses the excessive numbers of imports to discuss the vigorous involvement of Maa in overseas trade.
