“semitisches pantheon”. eine “männliche tyche” - MOSAIKjournal.com

DOMESTIC SPACE AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY |69
Crete and the Eastern Aegean. Limitation to the island evidence is
central to the conception of this study. The “island environment”
not only serves as a geographical set of evidence other than the
mainland or even as three distinct island environments (Cyclades,
Crete, Eastern Aegean) displaying different geomorphologic, environmental
or cultural realities, but also serves as a theoretical entity,
exploring the relationship between insularity and architectural conception.
I will not attempt, given to the limitations of this paper, to
fully explore all differences or similarities of architectural types, use
of space and domestic morphology of the three island regions, but
I will however try to delineate when features are shared across islands,
and how is insularity affecting their perceptions of domestic
space.
Before turning to the examination or region-specific factors of
household morphology (in part II) it is important to review some
of the recent theoretical debates in household archaeology as well
as their influence on the study of the Greek Iron Age.
PARAMETERS OF HOUSEHOLD ANALYSIS
First we need to identify the research questions to which we engage
when working with household material of any time or geographical
region. The main set of questions refers of course to the private
sector of the society, the household. There are many aspects of
domestic architecture that relate to the functional, social, economic
and symbolic spheres of the household. Of those that refer to the
social and functional dimensions, the number of rooms within the
house, which shows the scale of functional division is most important.
For example, if the house has only one room, then it surely
had a multifunctional purpose. The more rooms exist, the greater
the possibility of separation of functions within the house. The
subdivision of the house, the nature and number of rooms, and the
position of the doorways indicate the nature of internal communication.
1 By considering these parameters we can assume the type of
relations between the residents of the household as well as the type
and size of the family that dwelled in it.
1 BERNBECK (1997) 196–197.