The Owl and the Bee: Investigating the concept of ethnic identity in Archaic and Classical Athens and Ephesos through the study of early coinage

In this thesis I have done research on expressions of ethnic identity in Athens and Ephesos in the Archaic and Classical period. This concept has mostly been researched by means of sociological and anthropological studies. However, I utilized coinage as an archaeological proxy to further contribute to its understanding. In the context of these two cities were ethnic proclamations used to conceal true purposes of achieving social, political and economic goals. Identities were effortlessly constructed, discarded, replaced or reactivated in a new form. In Athens ethnic identities were expressed in three phases which ultimately led to a dominant position in the eastern Mediterranean. In Ephesos an Ionian descent was expressed to root their ancestry deep in the history of the Greek mainland for political and military support. The implementation of coinage has shown how deeply embedded the expressed ethnic identities were in the social and political landscape of Athens and Ephesos in the...Show moreIn this thesis I have done research on expressions of ethnic identity in Athens and Ephesos in the Archaic and Classical period. This concept has mostly been researched by means of sociological and anthropological studies. However, I utilized coinage as an archaeological proxy to further contribute to its understanding. In the context of these two cities were ethnic proclamations used to conceal true purposes of achieving social, political and economic goals. Identities were effortlessly constructed, discarded, replaced or reactivated in a new form. In Athens ethnic identities were expressed in three phases which ultimately led to a dominant position in the eastern Mediterranean. In Ephesos an Ionian descent was expressed to root their ancestry deep in the history of the Greek mainland for political and military support. The implementation of coinage has shown how deeply embedded the expressed ethnic identities were in the social and political landscape of Athens and Ephesos in the Archaic and Classical period. Furthermore I have suggested an alternative view to symbolism on early Greek coins. In this thesis I have suggested that from the fifth century BC onwards, when coinage trade networks expanded beyond local spheres, message broadcasting became a part of coinage. This study therefore has subsequently made way for a better understanding of early coinage in the Greek world.Show less

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The Owl and the Bee: Investigating the concept of ethnic identity in Archaic and Classical Athens and Ephesos through the study of early coinage