Greeks and Vikings in a colonial setting. A comparative study of the Greek settlement on the Northern Black Sea shore between the end of the 8th and the 4th centuries BC and the Norse Rus in northwestern Russia and the Middle Dnieper during the early Middle Ages.

The comparative study of colonial phenomenas brings scholars from specific fields together in an attempt to analyse the processes at work in a local context and to make significant evaluations about local responses to colonial interactions, cultural assimilation, issues of power and trade, as well as the impact of the colonial experience on the hypothetical centre from which the “colonial appendix” stems. The comparative study of the Greek and Viking colonial movements allows for the discovery of many common aspects; archaeologists can compare the two phenomenas and to answer specific questions about how these came to be. In this paper, I have analysed the evidence for the Greek settlement of the Southern Ukrainian coast in the Archaic and Classical periods, specifically the sites of Olbia and Berezan, and the Viking expansion into present-day Russia and Ukraine. By bringing together the historical tradition of both, as well as the most recent archaeological research in this area, I...Show moreThe comparative study of colonial phenomenas brings scholars from specific fields together in an attempt to analyse the processes at work in a local context and to make significant evaluations about local responses to colonial interactions, cultural assimilation, issues of power and trade, as well as the impact of the colonial experience on the hypothetical centre from which the “colonial appendix” stems. The comparative study of the Greek and Viking colonial movements allows for the discovery of many common aspects; archaeologists can compare the two phenomenas and to answer specific questions about how these came to be. In this paper, I have analysed the evidence for the Greek settlement of the Southern Ukrainian coast in the Archaic and Classical periods, specifically the sites of Olbia and Berezan, and the Viking expansion into present-day Russia and Ukraine. By bringing together the historical tradition of both, as well as the most recent archaeological research in this area, I have discovered that the comparative study of these two processes allows us to understand colonial settings in a clearer fashion, especially if the geographical setting is shared and the politico-economic situations bear several resemblances. This is the case for the Milesian colonies and the Viking hillforts and trade-posts along the Russian and Ukrainian rivers.Show less

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Greeks and Vikings in a colonial setting. A comparative study of the Greek settlement on the Northern Black Sea shore between the end of the 8th and the 4th centuries BC and the Norse Rus in northwestern Russia and the Middle Dnieper during the early Middle Ages.