Archaeology and Imperialism

The study of imperial systems has been an important growth area in archaeological research in recent years. One aspect that has received attention in a variety of settings is the territorial reorganisation frequently associated with political incorporation. The paper reviews a number of general archaeological and historical patterns of imperial consolidation and outlines some underlying factors, before moving on to consider their applicability in a well-documented case study, that of Achaia (the Roman province of Greece). Direct Roman intervention in the distribution of central places and the location of political boundaries is examined, together with local-level adaptions to incorporation within a larger and more demanding imperial system. Despite the long history of archaeological research in Greece (and indeed the eastern Roman empire as a whole) to make a more significant contribution to expansion and control in empires.