the horns of the Mediterraneanist dilemma

Abstract

Recent studies of moral and symbolic systems have taken for granted the concept of a “Mediterranean culture area.” Consequently, readings of the ethnographic and ethnohistorical record have increasingly demonstrated a disturbing tendency to circularity, particularly in studies of the symbolism associated with sexuality and envy. This circularity has extended to the uses of archaeological evidence: similarities between ancient and modern symbols have virtually been created in support of the Mediterraneanist thesis. These generalizations, moreover, often rely selectively on materials from only a restricted part of the circum‐Mediterranean region. As a result, Mediterranean and other stereotype..