Communication Networks, Interactions, and Social Negotiation in Prepalatial South-Central Crete

Circular tombs are our best source of information regarding life and death in Prepalatial south-central Crete (3100–1900 B.C.E.). This article considers the phenomenon of movement in that area to shed new light on interactions among the communities that constructed and used such tombs. It employs GIS and builds on the recently developed focal mobility network procedure to gain insights into patterns of movement in south-central Crete. The results of the GIS analyses emphasize that circular tombs were as a rule constructed near optimal paths. Nevertheless, the spatial pattern testifies to synchronic and diachronic variations, which, examined in the light of the distribution of non-Cretan grave goods, support the conclusion of previous research that different social strategies underlay the appearance and adoption of this burial type throughout the study area. Even though the wide distribution of circular tombs across south-central Crete points to some kind of shared cultural values, the process of diffusion was clearly far from homogeneous.