Author Description
Lin Foxhall explores the cultivation of the olive as an extended case study for understanding ancient Greek agriculture in its landscape, economic, social, and political settings. Evidence from written sources, archaeology, and visual images is assembled to focus on what was special about the cultivation and processing of the olive in classical and archaic Greece, and how and why these practices differed from Roman ones. This investigation opens up new ways of thinking about the economies of the archaic and classical Greek world.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates how the cultivation and processing of olives served as a critical lens for understanding the broader economic, social, and political structures of archaic and classical Greece. Lin Foxhall, a scholar specializing in Greek history and archaeology, synthesizes diverse evidence to challenge existing models of ancient agricultural production. By contrasting Greek practices with Roman agricultural systems, the author provides a framework for reevaluating the complexity of ancient Mediterranean economies.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of agricultural practices in archaic and classical Greece
- Comparative study of Greek versus Roman olive cultivation techniques
- Integration of archaeological findings, textual sources, and iconographic evidence
Scope Limits
- Does not provide a comprehensive history of all ancient Greek crops
- Does not focus on post-classical or Byzantine agricultural developments
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of ancient Mediterranean economies and agricultural history. Scholars frequently highlight the author's meticulous integration of archaeological data with classical texts to provide a nuanced view of ancient production systems.
Page Count:
320
Publication Date:
2007-01-01
ISBN-10:
0191518417
ISBN-13:
9780191518416
History
Archaeology
Ancient Greece
OLIVE
Ancient History
Economic History