A Regional Survey of the Uninhabited Islands of the Western Cyclades: The Small Cycladic Islands Project, 2021–2022

ABSTRACT: The Small Cycladic Islands Project (SCIP) is a regional archaeological survey that covered 87 small, currently uninhabited Aegean islands between 2019 and 2024. Fieldwork in 2021 and 2022 included comprehensive surveys of 14 islets around and between Kythnos, Seriphos, Siphnos, Kimolos, and Melos. Material culture from multiple periods was found on nearly every island. In addition to habitation, archaeological evidence was documented for numerous other forms of exploitation, including hunting, fishing, agriculture, pastoralism, mineral extraction, fortification, and surveillance. Comparative analysis indicates a strong correlation between the size of an island and the intensity of occupational history. Other factors, including natural resources, network centrality, and proximity to larger landforms, also influence histories of island occupation and use.