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a n d u n iv e rs a l th e o rie s o f s o c le ty a n d c u ltu re , a n th ro p o lo g is ts h a v e o fte n b e e n te m p te d t o p a u s e a t th e in te rm e d ia te le v e l o f a n a ly s is re p re s e n te d b y s o m e v e rs io n o f th e c u ltu r e a re a c o n c e p t. T h is

d is c ip lin e ( G ilm o r e l9 8 2 :1 7 6 ; se e a ls o 1 9 7 9 :8 7 ). Y e t e v e n th e m o s t c o m m itte d p ro p o n e n ts o f a c o m p a r a t ~ v eM e d ite rra n e a n p e rs p e c tiv e h a v e a d m itte d t o s e rlo u s p ro b le m s o f d e fin itio n ; th e ir e x p e d ie n t b u t s o m e w h a t u n s a tis fa c to ry d e n ia l th a t th e M e d ite r r a n e a n re g io n q u a lifie s as a true "culture

g ra p h ic a n d e th n o h is to ric a l re c o rd h a v e in c re a s in g ly d e m o n s tra te d a d is tu rb in g t e n d e n c y t o c i r c u l a r i t y , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n s t u d ~ e s o f t h e s y m b o l i s m a s s o c i a t e d w ~ t h s e x u a lity a n d e n v y . T h is c ir c u la r ity

has extended to the uses o f archaeological e v id e n c e :s ~ m ila r itie sb e tw e e n a n c ie n t a n d m o d e r n s y m b o ls h a v e v ir tu a lly b e e n c re a te d in s u p p o rt o f th e M e d ite rra n e a n is t th e sis.

o n ly a re s tric te d p a rt o f th e c irc u m - M e d ite rra n e a n re g io n . A s a re s u lt, M e d ite rra n e a n a n d o th e r s te re o ty p e s a re re - in fo rc e d , w h e re a s th e y s h o u ld in s te a d b e c r itic a lly e x a m ~ n e da s p a r t o f th e s y m - b o lic

p le x " o f m o r a l v a lu e s w a s d e v e lo p e d b y a r e la tiv e ly c lo s e - k n it g r o u p o f s c h o la rs (e s p e c ia lly P e ris tia n y 1 9 6 5 ). T h is m a y h a v e b e e n a t le a s t p a r tia lly re s p o n s ib le fo r th e c u rlo u s g e o g ra p h - ic a l b r a c k e tin g

m ost s u b s ta n tiv e e s s a y in M e d ite r r a n e a n a n th r o p o lo g y t o a p p e a r s o fa r (D a v is 1 9 7 7 , e s p e c ia lly p . 41; see

a rra n g e m e n ts o f d a ta , th e y d o a t le a s t p o s s e s s th e v irtu e o f p e r m ittin g g lo b a l c o m p a ris o n s . C u ltu re a re a s , b y c o n tra s t, a re

c e rta in ly b e y o n d a rg u - m e n t th a t M e d ite rra n e a n la n d s s h a re a g o o d d e a l o f c o m m o n h is to ry ( D a v ~ s1 9 7 7 :5 -6 . 2 5 5 ; G ilm o r e 1 9 8 2 .1 7 8 -1 7 9 . 1 8 1 ). b u t e v e n th is

a s s u m e d th a t th o u g h n a m e s m ig h t d iffe r, th e g o d s o f o n e ra c e c o u ld b e e q u a te d w ~ t ht h o s e o f a n o th e r" (H o d g e n 1 9 6 4 :2 1 , 2 5 ). T h e p ro c e s s o f c u ltu r a l tra n s la tio n p re s u m a b ly

re q u ire d s o m e s u c h a tte m p t, a n d th e re s u lt is th e firs t c o m p re h e n s iv e s u rv e y o f c irc u m -M e d ite rra n e a n c u ltu r e . S in c e H e ro d o tu s 's tim e , h o w e v e r, th e k n o w n w o r ld h a s e x p a n d e d fa r b e y o n d th e b o rd e rs o f th e m o s t g e n e ro u s ly d e - fin e d M e d ite rra n e a n re g io n , w ith th e re s u lt th a t w e s h o u ld n o lo n g e r e x p e c t g lo b a l g e n e ra l- iz a tio n s