Topos: socializing the land

Jusseret, Simon [UCL] Driessen, Jan [UCL] Letesson, Quentin [UCL] Hacigüzeller, Piraye [UCL] Devolder, Maud N. [UCL]

In this short contribution, we wish to explore potential ways of approaching land ownership in prehistoric archaeology, with a particular focus on Minoan Crete. "Owning" is one of the many configurations of meanings projected onto the landscape. As these configurations of meanings depend on how individuals or communities are conditioned by social, politico-economic and ideological forces (Knapp and Ashmore 1999: 8), a first step towards the approach of past land ownership is the recognition of our own pre-understandings of this notion. “Land ownership” indeed has connotations of possession related to varied aspects of the modern and post-modern society such as law, economy, social organization and individualism. Hence, understanding how one could own a land in the past is far from being explained in a straightforward manner by "contemporary minds" and should be treated with considerable caution.