Coldstream John Nicolas
University College London
Foreigners at Lefkandi?
Lefkandi, a prosperous and commercially active coastal town of the Early Iron Age, is very likely to have attracted some foreign residents; but how far, if at all, can their presence be detected from extant archaeological evidence? This paper attempts a critical review of various claims for foreign metoikoi which fall into two categories:
(a) sudden leaps in the technology of metalwork (bronze tripods, gold jewellery) perhaps indicate tuition from eastern master-craftsmen;
(b) some exotic imports in the richer tombs are especially appropriate for foreign spouses marrying into the local aristocracy. When reinforced by burial practices unusual at Lefkandi, the case is strongest for a few foreigners from one particular direction: from Athens.
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