The Village People: Social Aspects of Rural Settlements—Comments on Method and Theory

The village is usually viewed as a basic geographic and economic unit, characterized by unsophisticated social organization, limited interpersonal ties and weak external social networks. However, studies in rural archaeology and anthropology revealed that village life was more complex. This article offers a survey of several key theoretical issues relevant for interpreting archaeological remains of villages, farmsteads and estates/villas from a social perspective. It focuses mainly on the organization of the settlement as a holistic unit and the specific houses/households within it. The article seeks to explore the complex correlation between the spatial and social aspects of rural housing—the way in which the archaeological record attests to interpersonal contacts, their frequency and character. It demonstrates that the rural population was not merely a passive supplier of agricultural products to the neighboring towns and cities, but rather actively shaped its own culture.