When we visit most archaeological sites in Greece the tendency is to
imagine that they always looked like the way they are now. In many
cases, however, these ancient settlements and sanctuaries were buried
under later buildings and traditional settlements. The Sanctuary of
Apollo at Delphi is one such example. Until the excavations began in
1891 a village called Kastri sat on top of the buried ruins. Over the
years the Hellenic Archaeological Service and the French School have
laid bare the remains of the temple, buildings and monuments of this
famous panhellenic oracular sanctuary.
On Monday, October 19
th at 18:30 Athanasia Psalti (Director,
Ephoreia of Antiquities of Phokidos) will give a lecture in Greek on the
history of the excavations from the point of view of the Greek
archaeologists who worked there, the Ephoreia’s conservation efforts at
the site and of the finds as well as the modern uses of the ruins
through World War II. Psalti will weave the local, everyday “histories”
related into the bigger archaeological picture. Her study of this “Great
Excavation” is drawn from the early archives now in the National
Archaeological Museum and those of the Ephoreia which are preserved
since 1900. This research is made possible by the digitization of these
archival sources.
The lecture is the first of 2015/2016 Lecture Program of the Syllogos Filon tou Istorikou Archeiou tis Archailogikis Yperesias.
The lecture will be held at the Historical Archive Building at
Psaromylingou 22 on the cusp between the Kerameikos and the Psyri
Districts. The Theseio train station is the closest stop in the Metro
system. The public is welcome!
The “other” Santorini
Almost anyone living in Greece, and especially Athens, for the past
five years could not have failed to see the devastating effects of the
economic crisis brought on to a large part by the high level of public
debt, ineffective tax collection, and mediocre political leadership. The
economic medicine forced on the country by the then “troika” and now
the “institutions” often seems to exacerbate the situation rather than
lead the country to renewed growth and prosperity. Greater tourism is
often heralded here as the economic driving force that will create the
much needed jobs, encourage sought after development and generate the
increased tax revenue for the country. The rich and diverse cultural
heritages of the country along with the inherent beauty of Greece’s
varied natural landscapes and seascapes are frequently argued as what
draws tourists to the country. But is “industrial scale tourism” really a
long term answer to creating a vibrant, sustainable national economy
that safeguards the cultural heritage and the environmental capital of
Greece? Are there better alternatives?
Recently my wife and I joined a specialized tour to the island of
Santorini where we saw the effects of year-round “industrial-scale
tourism” (as the permanent residents call it) on the island’s fragile,
unique environment. Even in mid-October Fira and Oia with their
repetitious commercialism are overwhelmed with both individuals and
large groups while the other regions of the island and their attractions
have a different experience. What could be a more sustainable, more
culturally focused and more widely distributed forms of tourism? The
four interrelated themes of the tour were Greek cuisine utilizing
exclusively local and regional agricultural products, Santorini wines
and wineries, the production and the processing of traditional local
agricultural products, and the rich cultural heritage of the island –
archaeological and traditional.
What we saw were a series of widely-distributed local nodes – focusing
on the cultivation and processing of local agricultural products (fava,
Santorini tomatoes, white melitzanes, pistachios, indigenous Assyrtiko,
Athiri and Aidani grapes, wild capers, candied fruits, Chloro cheese),
wineries and wine tasting (Boutari, Santos, Sigalas, Canava Roussos),
the industrial heritage of the island (D. Nomikos cannery), creative
cuisine and cooking lessons (Selene, 1800, Vassilios, Krinai, Psaraki),
archaeological sites, museums and churches (Akrotiri, ancient Thera,
Archaeological Museum, Museum of Prehistoric Thera), folk heritage
(Santorini of the Past) and traditional settlements (Pyrgos, Finikia,
Megalochori) – that formed a flexible network that lies mostly beyond
the sprawl of the two tourist towns on the edge of the caldera.
These nodes have been created by individuals, cooperatives and companies
with visions for both celebrating the island’s traditional strengths
and in preserving them in a sustainable fashion. Other companies have
developed to provide tours and transport to these disbursed locations.
You can also connect the nodes on your own by following the extensive
network of marked trekking trails or by renting a bicycle. In the
process they have created jobs (especially for the younger and the older
components of the work force and for those who want to remain on the
island), they are preserving the fast-disappearing agricultural land,
they have made worthy, often unique value-added products for local
consumption and for export, and they have provided a holistic context
for understanding and appreciating Greek culture – past and contemporary
– for the visitors to this country. If this imaginative trend of
creating local nodes of interest (beyond the limit of the well-known
“sun and sea” mentality) were duplicated on the other islands of the
Cyclades then a broader network of small networks would be created.
These in turn could be linked to similar local and regional networks in
the other diverse geographical regions of Greece. In this way the
tourists to the country could be enticed away from just visiting the
often overcrowded usual “top 10” attractions. Such a small country, but
it has such diversity. The potential for a sustainable economy with
these small networks is palpable.
With these many interesting possibilities in mind one can now imagine
picturesque Santorini as more than a view of the caldera amongst the
tourist shops or watching the sunset at Oia with thousands of day
trippers from the cruise ships. The rest of Greece can be like this too
with imagination, cooperation, effort and support from the state!
Cordially,
David Rupp
Director
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