Crete and the islands of the Northern Aegean before the Palaces: reconsidering the evidence from Poliochni, Lemnos

For years, scholars from different fields have discussed the long-range interaction system between the north Aegean and Crete during the 3rd millennium bc. It has often been claimed that there is a close relationship between Early Minoan I-II pottery and the EBA north Aegean ware. It might rather be suggested that, during the EBA II, with an "International Spirit" in evidence in much of the Aegean, similarities in shapes and decoration might suggest general interconnections between different areas of the Aegean. However, these correlations are difficult to define and, in many cases, have been explained in terms of direct or indirect contacts. The aim of thi paper is to explore the long distance system interaction between Northern Aegean and Crete in the Early and Middle Bronze Age, focusing on the evidence collected at Poliochni on Lemnos.