Unfixed boundaries: Regions, evidence and models in archaic Sparta

In this chapter, I argue that the regional concept enhances our analysis, but that it is not defined by stable features of the landscape. In order to develop a coherent regional model, we must acknowledge and incorporate into our analyses the complex relationship between different (or disparate) bodies of evidence between which there is no necessary connection. In light of these theoretical considerations, I provide some preliminary thoughts on key historical and archaeological problems concerning the emergence of Sparta as a key regional power in both Laconia and Messenia, adopting as a case study the ‘Messenian Wars’. I argue that the ‘Messenian Wars’ are a route into the consideration of regional formation in Laconia and Messenia, rather than historical ‘events’ the details of which we can reveal through close source analysis.