Timothy E. Gregory (Dept. of History, Ohio State University

Lita Tzortzopoulou-Gregory (Dept. of Archaeology, La Trobe University)

Household Archaeology in Australia and Kythera: Examples of Two-Way Exchange.

Kythera is a small island located directly off the southern coast of Greece,mid-way between the mainland and the island of Crete. The connections between Kythera and Australia are particularly strong. Up until very recently, these connections were associated with a one-sided migration from Kythera to Australia: over the past century thousands of Kytherians have come to Australia and they and their descendants mow live in all parts of the country. It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 people of Kytherian descent in Sydney alone and only 3000 Kytherians left on the island. Much has been written about the "migrant experience" and the effects migration has had on language, culture and identity in an Australian multicultural landscape. What is not widely discussed, however, is the effects of migration in reverse, meaning the transfer of Australian culture - or multiculture - back to the countries of origin. Following a very recent trend in migration patterns, many Australian Kytherians of various ages and economic disposition have returned to Kythera to reside there permanently. This return to Kythera has unavoidably resulted in the creation of a very visible new cultural identity for the returning Australo-Kytherians. This new identity has in turn impacted greatly on the Kytherian cultural landscape. This paper describes the visibility of both impacts and their implications in terms of Australo-Kytherian and Kytherian relationships through an investigation of the material culture.