The Fred Winter Collection

Ancient Thera: area of sanctuares at far end of site, and massive terrace wall (Professor Fred Winter, 1982)

The Fred Winter Collection

Berlin, Pergamon Museum, Miletos Market Gate, general views and details of upper and lower storeys of columns (Professor Fred Winter, 1982)

The Institute's Annual Open Meeting is Upon Us Again! Welcome Katie!

When the weather starts turning summery in Athens it means that it is May. In addition, it heralds the annual Open Meeting of the Institute. This coming Thursday, May 24^th at 7:00 PM at the Danish Institute in Athens (Herefondos 14A in the Plaka) is the next iteration of the Open Meeting. For my part of the evening I will review succinctly the activities and events of the Institute since our last meeting in May, 2017. Then, I will highlight the many discoveries and achievements of the archaeological fieldwork conducted last summer under the aegis of the Institute with permits from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport, at Stelida on Naxos, at ancient Eleon in Boiotia and in the Argolid. The work of the study seasons at ancient Argilos in Macedonia, at Kastro Kallithea in Thessalia and in the western Argolid will be mentioned as well.

Afterwards we will be honored with a lecture by Prof. Scott Gallimore (Wilfrid Laurier University and Secretary of the CIG Board of Directors). His lecture is entitled "An Island in Crisis? Re-evaluating the Formation of Roman Crete". This is based on Scott’s major research focus which is the processes of Romanization of the island of Crete in the late Republican and early Imperial periods.

The conquest of Crete by Rome, starting from 69–67 BC, remains poorly understood in terms of its impacts on the island before and after the invasion. From an archaeological perspective, it takes decades before noticeable changes are apparent in Crete’s material culture. In this lecture he will explore this topic by viewing the available data through the lens of eventful archaeology, the archaeology of crisis, and resilience theory to reassess the formation of Roman Crete.

We look forward to you joining us for this final, celebratory event of the Institute’s 2017/2018 academic program. At the Open Meeting you will be able to meet our York University Global Intern for the summer, Katie Squires, who arrived this week from Canada.

Katie is a third-year undergraduate student from York University. Katie is an IBA Honours student who majors in Anthropology and minors in Philosophy. She has had a lifelong fascination in anthropology and other cultures, and more recently, has developed an interest in solidarity and resistance in modern Athens.

In July 2016, she participated in an acquiring research skills course through York University and College Year in Athens. She conducted ethnographic research in Athens, focusing on the spatial politics of resistance. Her ethnographic paper, “Erisian Mysteries: the art of squatting, resistance and solidarity”, is currently being published in York University’s undergraduate anthropological journal, Contingent Horizons.

Katie plans to elaborate on her research in Athens, and examine the dynamics of female resistance and solidarity as a response to the Greek financial crisis. Katie hopes to use this opportunity to build more intercultural understanding of Greece, foster positive relations between York University and the institute, and explore questions surrounding women’s solidarity networks within Athens. 

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

The Fred Winter Collection

Thera: ancient city: area of Karneios terrace (Professor Fred Winter, 1982)

A GoFundMe Campaign for the Canadian Cultural Centre in Greece!

A year ago the Board of Directors of the Institute initiated the “Million Dollar Campaign” [http://www.cig-icg.gr/appeal] to cover the costs of the purchase of our new premises at Odos Orminiou 3 in the Ilissia District of Athens, of the desired improvements and renovations and for an endowment to cover the annual costs of its maintenance.

As part of this campaign I developed last fall a proposal for the creation of The Canadian Cultural Centre in Greece on the second floor of the building. This Cultural Centre would have a reception hall, an 80-seat auditorium, two spacious smart seminar / classrooms, a kitchen for catering, washrooms and requisite access arrangements. In addition to the use by the Institute for its own activities, these spaces could be used for lectures, small ensemble concerts, educational programs, workshops, meetings or art exhibitions by other educational institutions, organizations and companies.

The estimated cost to make the proposed improvements and renovations, to outfit it with state of the art ICT facilities, to furnish the rooms and to equip it for the range of possible uses is CAD$300,000. In order to bring this dream to a quick reality, this spring we initiated a GoFundMe campaign [https://www.gofundme.com/canadian-cultural-centre-in-greece] to raise the amount needed for the Cultural Centre.

My dream since last spring was that this year’s annual Open Meeting (on May 24^th: see next week’s blog for more information) would have been held in the new auditorium of this Cultural Centre. Will you help us by making a generous donation now to our GoFundMe campaign so that next year the Open Meeting will, in fact, take place in our new home? Your support at whatever level will be promptly acknowledged and much appreciated!!!

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

The Fred Winter Collection

Thera: top, whole and bottom of new "Adenauer road" to ancient site (Professor Fred Winter, 1982)

German Archaeological "Research" in Occupied Crete during WW II

The occupation of Crete in WW II by German and Italian forces brought many hardships and great suffering to the local population. The rich cultural heritage of the island was not spared either. A number of the occupiers, both archaeologists and antiquities collectors, used this unbound opportunity to officially as well as privately “investigate”, “protect” and “liberate” known archaeological finds and sites as well as to excavate others.

On Monday, May 7^th at 7:00 PM in the Library of the Institute Dr. Georgia Flouda, an archaeologist at the Archaeological Museum of Herakleio, will give a lecture entitled «Η αρχαιολογία στην εμπόλεμη ζώνη: ο August Schörgendorfer και η υπηρεσία ‘Kunstschutz’ στην Κρήτη κατά τον Β΄ Παγκόσμιο πόλεμο».

Dr. Flouda discovered that there are various documentary sources relating to the archaeological activities of August Schörgendorfer, an Austrian archaeologist and officer of the Wehrmacht, during the German occupation of the island in 1941˗42. These sources are the archival documents of the Archaeological Service, of the German Archaeological Institute, and of the Austrian State Archives, as well as the photographic archive of Schörgendorfer himself on Crete. His ideological and archaeological backgrounds will be investigated, before and during his service in the “German Service for Protection of the Arts” (Kunstschutz). His participation in illegal excavations at Knossos and in the Mesara, the measures he took for the protection of the antiquities, as well as the establishment of the archaeological research by the occupation troops in Crete will reveal interesting and heretofore undocumented aspects of the archaeological research of the Wehrmacht. Furthermore, the political role of the members of the German Archaeological Institute in Athens during the war will be examined.

This is the final lecture in the 2017/2018 Lecture Program of the ΣΥΛΛΟΓΟΣ ΦΙΛΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΟΥ ΑΡΧΕΙΟΥ ΤΗΣ ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΚΗΣ ΥΠΗΡΕΣΙΑΣ. The public is welcome to attend.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

The Fred Winter Collection

Ancona, Arch of Trajan, general views and details (Professor Fred Winter, 1982)