INTENSIVES URFACES URVEYi n the Mediterraneanw orldh as beeni n a state of
almost constant change since its introduction to the region some twenty years ago.1 Central
issues of survey methodology and interpretation are frequently debated, contributing to
the increasing sophistication of the technique. One recent, and radical, development is the
redefinition of the targets considered suitable for surface study. In the early days, "survey"
meant work conducted exclusively in the ancient countryside; "big sites" such as urban
centers were considered to be the province of the excavator and thus were avoided. Since the
early 1980's, that deeply entrenched division of labor has been challenged sharply by the
rise of urban survey; surface reconnaissance is now being applied to all sites in the landscape,
regardless of size or character. This article presents the methodology and results of
one such study, the Nemea Valley Archaeological Project (henceforth NVAP), at the site of
Phlius in the northeastern Peloponnes