Tuesday, October 29, 2013

The Fred Winter Collection

Pergamon, Demeter propylon and precinct from slightly above to E by S. (Professor Fred Winter 1966)

Friday, October 25, 2013

The Institute’s "Portal to the Past" is Coming to a Computer Near You, Very Soon!!!


For over a year now we have been working diligently on creating an online archive relating to the archaeological fieldwork that our members have conducted under the aegis of CIG and with a permit from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture since 1980. Everyone who has been associated with CIG (including all of the Fellows and the interns) has contributed to making this dream of the Canadian Ambassador Robert W. Peck for a “virtual photo exhibition” of our archaeological accomplishments come true. This is another one of the initiatives that Ambassador Peck set in motion to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and Greece in 1942. A timely grant from the Eldorado Gold Corporation (Vancouver) provided the requisite funding to support the work.

The CIG Portal to the Past is an interactive, online archive of information and imagery relating to the archaeological projects of CIG undertaken under the aegis of CIG and with permits from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture since 1980. The range of archaeological research of the 18 projects spans from the 9th millennium BCE to the 20th century CE. Each winter the Portal will be updated with the results of the previous field season and the advent of new projects. As we gather additional materials from older projects, these too will be added to the Portal. When fully implemented, the texts of the Portal will be in English, French and Greek.

This online resource contains information on all of our projects over the years as well as the Frederick E. Winter B/W Negative Collection. For each project there is a selection of images to highlight the work, the archaeological finds and the results of the fieldwork and related research. The individuals involved in the project, the associated and supporting institutions as well as the complete list of publications are given too. Every major field is searchable.

We are presenting the Portal in Athens on Wednesday evening, the 30th. If you would like an invitation to the event please contact Jonathan for details at: ad@cig-icg.gr. Next week I will share with our readers how one can access the Portal.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

The Fred Winter Collection

Pergamon, looking down on Demeter precinct from above to NE and NNE. (Professor Fred Winter 1966)

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Friday, October 11, 2013

The Much Awaited Autumn Lecture Program and Events of the Institute


Institute Autumn Lectures
November will be a busy month for us and our followers. Our first lecture will be on Wednesday, November 13th at 7:30 pm when Prof. Margriet Haagsma (University of Alberta) will give a lecture entitled, “Cities and Sustainability: Reflections on Household Management in New Halos, Thessaly”. As Margriet is beloved in two countries, Canada and the Netherlands, the lecture is jointly sponsored by CIG and the Netherlands Institute at Athens. For this special occasion the lecture will be held in the NIA’s Library at Odos Makri 11, in Makrigianni [Metro: Akropoli].

Our second lecture features Prof. Sarah James (University of Colorado at Boulder) who is doing research in Athens and Corinth this fall. It will be on Wednesday, November 27th at 7:30 pm at the CIG Library (it should be noted!). The title of her lecture is, “Late Hellenistic Corinth: New Finds from the Panayia Field”. Sarah is another Canadian scholar studying material from the recent excavations in this area of ancient Corinth conducted by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

Autumn Events for the Athens Association of Friends of CIG
However you interpret the fact that there is absolutely nothing of value to watch on Greek TV, except if you are paying for a satellite service, this Fall we are going to give our loyal Friends a reason to get out of their ruts and come to the Institute on two evenings. The first treat that we have organized for Wednesday, November 6th at 7:30 pm in the CIG Library is a showing of the Canadian film “Men with Brooms” (102 minutes; English; 2002). Yes, this offbeat comedy set in a small town on a lake north of Toronto is about CURLING!!! Come for your dose of undiluted “Canadian Content”! As it features original music and special appearances by Canadian rockers the Tragically Hip this is a movie that any Canadian living in Athens can’t miss! Be there or be square!!!

Remember the special lecture and concert that we had planned for last fall that was cancelled at the last minute due to transportation problems??? Well, I am very pleased to announce that the accomplished classical and contemporary clarinetist and composer Krista Martynes will give a lecture and recital entitled, “The Integration of Traditional Music in European and Canadian Composition”. This will happen on Wednesday, December 4th at 7:30 pm in the CIG Library. We will use the occasion to hold afterwards our annual start the Holiday Season reception.

So put these Fall lectures and events on your dance card and come!

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Fred Winter Collection

Pergamon, Upper Agora, and Main Street ascending across plaza, at times above, also below. (Professor Fred Winter 1966)

Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Director’s Canadian Lecture Tour


The lecture at Brock University
I have just returned on Thursday afternoon from my lecture tour in Ontario and Quebec. I drove over 2,000 km in 10 days going from Waterloo to Montreal, from St. Catharines to Peterborough, and many places in between. The purpose of this trip was to share with Canadian audiences the important and varied archaeological accomplishments of the Institute’s permit holders since 1980. My lecture was entitled, “Canadians Take the Field Throughout Greece. Over Three Decades of Archaeological Discoveries by the Canadian Institute in Greece.” I gave an overview of the Institute’s history, mission, membership and varied activities. The focus was on the characteristics and the purposes of fieldwork executed under the aegis of the Institute. To illustrate these trends and innovative research, I highlighted the goals and the results of our four current projects, in Naxos, Boeotia, Thessaly and Macedonia. I concluded with the many ways that Canadians can learn about us and what we are doing on a regular basis through the Internet and social media.

This lecture tour was the inspired idea of the Canadian Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, Robert W. Peck, to conclude the yearlong celebration of the 70th anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and Greece. Zografia Welch of The Board of Directors of CIG organized the tour in an exemplary fashion.

Trent University: Drs Ian Begg, Thomas Symons and David Rupp
I started in Toronto on the 24th where the Archaeology Centre of the University of Toronto was my host. On the 25th the Department of Classics at McMaster University sponsored my lecture. In Ottawa on the 26th the local society of the AIA and the Parnassos Hellenic Cultural Society welcomed me warmly. In Montreal on the 27th the McNaughton Chair of Classics in the Department of History and Classical Studies and the Papachristides Chair in Modern Greek Studies at McGill University organized the event. On the 29th at Brock University in St. Catharines my old Department of Classics and the local society of the AIA were my hosts. On the 30th in Peterborough the Trent University Archaeological Society invited me to give the lecture. Finally, in Waterloo on October 1st the Department of Classical Studies of the University of Waterloo and the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University sponsored the lecture.

Ottawa lecture: David Rupp, Laura Gagne, Heather Loube and Eleftherios Angelopoulos
The audiences were enthusiastic about what we have achieved in such a short period of time and what we offer both to Canada and to Greece. There were undergraduate and graduate students, professors, CIG members and interested lay people in attendance at each lecture. It was a treat to see the members of the Board of Directors, old colleagues and researchers, former CIG Fellows and interns as well as to meet new individuals. I was honored that the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Canada, the Honorable Mr. Eleftherios Angelopoulos, came to my lecture in Ottawa. At Trent University the founding President of the University, Dr. Thomas H.B. Symons, introduced me.

Waterloo lecture: David Rupp with former CIG intern Alisha Adams
Although the experience was exhausting I believe that I was able to heighten the level of awareness of CIG and its field projects at these venues and that this will translate into more active support of our work in the coming years. New individual and institutional members were invited to join the Institute and members to renew their membership. Such lecture tours which include as well the Maritimes, the Prairies and British Columbia should be done by the Director on a regular, rotating schedule.

Jonathan and I look forward to seeing in Athens at the Institute, sooner rather than later, the people I met along the way!

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Fred Winter Collection

Pergamon, descending from Altar area toward Upper Agora. (Professor Fred Winter 1966)