1059 EASTERN BOEOTIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT 2007-2009 V. Aravantinos, B. Burke, B. Burns, I. Fappas, S. Lupack e Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project has conducted three seasons (2008-2009) of inten- sive surface survey as a synergasia of the 9th Ephoreia of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and the Canadian Institute in Greece. e limits of our survey are well-defined (fig. 1): we confine ourselves to a 16 by 10 kilometer zone around the modern villages of Arma, Eleon, and Tanagra. East of ebes we are in a plain bounded by the Hypaton Mountain to the north and the Soros range along the south. e Tana- gra Airforce Base is to our east and the industrial zone along the National Highway is our current northern border. Our research area straddles an important region between Attica, Euboea, and Boeotia, and it is very much a ‘border zone where different systems intersect’, a contested periph- ery 1 . is part of Boeotia, throughout various points in history, was a ‘peripheral region for which one or more core regions compete(d)’ 2 . Boeotia tends to lend itself to a regional approach and the topography of this area has always played a key role in its development. e major city of ebes lies to the west, and Chalkis and the Euboian gulf to the east. Most commentators note that there were two leading cities throughout much of its prehistoric and historic periods –Orchomenos and ebes. Yet, we shouldn’t forget that a prominent role was also played by Tanagra in both the pre- historic and historical ages, as demonstrated primarily by Tanagran cemeteries and the walls of the Archaic/Classical city. Furthermore, the architectural features and surface remains at Eleon, cou- pled with Linear B evidence from ebes, suggest a well-established, economically influential set- tlement here as well, between Tanagra and ebes. Taking a regional approach to Boeotia puts our project in very good company. As Fossey has demonstrated, Homer shows a broad, expansive knowledge of Boeotia as a region of many differ- ent cities 3 . Boeotia, specifically Hyria, opens the Catalogue, and occupies 1/16 th of the entire list. ere are 29 named places plus two from around Orchomenos, contributing ships, and about 6000 men. e next highest number in the catalogue is reserved for 12 territories belonging to Agam- emnon; followed by 10 ruled by Menelaus. Homer also gives specific numbers of men and ships for Boeotia, in contrast to most other regions of Greece; each of Boeotia’s 50 ships contained 120 men. Boeotia clearly receives pride of place, and this suggests that the poet was more familiar with this part of Greece than any other. e inclusion of Eleon among the Boeotian cities in the Homer- ic Catalogue also suggests its importance among the region’s lesser towns 4 . e name has been ap- plied to the acropolis in the village of Arma based on the description –given by Plutarch, Strabo, 1. As defined by Allen 1997 and Cline 2000. 2. Chase-Dunn – Hall 1997. 3. Fossey 1988. 4. Hope Simpson – Lazenby 1970.