Pylos Regional Archaeological Project, Part VII: Historical Messenia, Geometric through Late Roman

Abstract

In this article, the authors explore patterns in regional activity in Messenia, the southwest corner of the Greek Peloponnese, from the Geometric to the end of the Late Roman period (ca. eighth century B.C. to seventh cen-tury A.D.). The analysis is based on extant historical evidence, the campaigns of the Minnesota Messenia Expedition, and—above all—the results of the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project. These three data sets have been integrated, as far as possible, in order to trace long-term changes in the region and to provide a foundation for further work in this still underexplored portion of Greece's historical landscape.