Adventures in Greece During the Pandemic

My name is Alice Maksimowski, and I was lucky enough to be one of two interns at the Canadian Institute in Greece this past fall term. It was an amazing experience to have, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when so many people have been stuck at home and unable to travel. In this post, I would like to share some of my favourite experiences and pictures that I hope will encourage others to come and explore the culture, history, and archaeology of Greece.

One of the first places we visited was of course, the Acropolis. After seeing so many pictures online and in textbooks, it was so amazing to visit the site in person. Pictures truly do not do it justice, and its true scale and impact cannot be captured with a camera. I took a class on Classical Greek architecture in 2020 and we studied the architecture of buildings such as the Erectheion and Parthenon, so it was amazing to see these places in person. Below is a picture of the Caryatid sculptures in the New Acropolis Museum.

Our first island destination was Aegina. We went on a hot day, so much so that I got a bad burn, and the outlines of my swimsuit are still very visible on my back. I highly recommend not falling asleep on the beach, even though it is so comfortable. Apart from sunbathing we also rented a car and visited the temples of Apollo and Aphaia. The temple of Aphaia was particularly stunning and well preserved, and the view of the sea and the rest of the island was spectacular. The drive up was also a fun experience and helped me improve my driving skills. Below is a picture of the temple of Aphaia.

Delphi was one of my favourite destinations. Much like the Acropolis, pictures in textbooks and on the internet do not do it justice. The landscape around the site is also amazing, which only adds to the site itself, even though it is a little bit of a hike. I tried re-creating a textbook picture of the site, as can be seen on the opening picture of this post. We also visited the museum at Delphi, which was a surreal experience for me. Specifically, I couldn’t stop looking at and taking pictures of the Charioteer, which is pictured below. The food at Delphi was also exceptionally delicious, which was unexpected as I thought it would be more “tourist” style food.

Santorini was another must-see destination for me. The site of Akrotiri was a place on my bucket list that I can now cross off. It was so amazing to see all the well-preserved houses, and even walk down some of the ancient streets, which really brought the site into perspective. Seeing all the volcanic ash deposits around the island was also so interesting, and often these deposits were beautiful to look at. In the evening we were able to visit Oia in the north and take pictures of the town during sunset, such as the picture below. The weather wasn’t ideal, but the wind and dark clouds gave the island a powerful atmosphere which was really amazing to experience.

Finally, our last trip was to Crete. We stayed in Chania, a beautiful city with Venetian, Ottoman, and Egyptian influences. The old town was particularly memorable, with tiny, winding streets and repurposed mosques. We also made our way to Heraklion and Knossos, however briefly. Unfortunately, we were not able to visit the museum in Heraklion and most of the site at Knossos was blocked off, but we were still able to enjoy the landscape of the area and some delicious Cretan food and drinks while the rain was pouring outside. The food on Crete was amazing, and I probably ate way too much cheese than is healthy, but it was worth it. Below is a picture of the old port in Chania.

These are just a few snapshots of my favourite experiences I’ve had in Greece, and just a few of my favourite pictures. I’m very lucky to have had this experience and met so many new and interesting people with whom I’ve shared these experiences. The culture and atmosphere here are so inviting and relaxing, which allows for an amazing experience. I hope to come back someday soon, to keep travelling around the country and experiencing all the history and archaeology!

Alice Maksimowski
WLU intern, fall 2021

When Lockdowns End and Internships Start

After months of uncertainty about the possibility of a trip to Greece due to COVID, I was able to start my internship at the CIG on September 13, 2021. It became clear quickly that it was more than worth the wait, not just because it helped solidify my interest in Classics, but also due to the activities that I got to engage in. From the stunning archaeological sites to interacting with numerous members of other institutes, the 3 months that I was lucky enough to spend in Greece will stay with me for a long time. 

Since the first site of the Olympeion, I was captivated by the archaeological sites, which only increased as I began to explore and venture to more sites around Greece; the Acropolis, Temple of Aphaia at Aegina, Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, as well as the Tholos and Temple of Apollo at Delphi to name a few. Aside from the archaeological sites, the various natural features were just as breathtaking, from the crystal-clear water that wrapped around Hydra to the immense mountain ranges overlooking Delphi. With so many places to visit and so much natural beauty and cultural masterpieces around Greece, exploring the various cities and what they have to offer was among some of my favourite experiences.

Trying the cuisine from the various islands and cities that I was able to explore was a very pleasant experience, whether it was seafood, wine or tsipouro, experimenting with new dishes and drinks were one of the many highlights of my time around Greece. The locals in these areas were also very friendly and interacting with them allowed me to not only learn more of the language, but also of the lifestyle that goes along with each location. This gave me a greater appreciation for Greek culture and an increased desire to return to immerse myself more.

The work that I did at the CIG primarily involved cataloguing the library and ensuring that the books matched the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, which gave me an increased appreciation for the books on various topics surrounding Classics. Another aspect was to make book exchanges with other foreign institutes, allowing me to interact and get to know many interesting people, while also giving me a better understanding and appreciation of the Athens area. Helping with the lecture events that took place at the institute was a nice experience; interacting with members of academia, as well as learning about interesting topics like looting around Greek sites or video games was not something that I expected to be a part of due to COVID but was incredibly enjoyable and something I hope to be able to be a part of again.

Looking back at my time leaves me with a bittersweet feeling. While I wish I got to stay longer and take in more of Greece, I am glad about how many experiences I was able to be a part of, and how many friends I was able to make during the past few months. The work that I was able to do here helped solidify my desire to explore more in archaeology and classics, while also showing me various other areas that are just as interesting. This internship was something that I have been looking forward to for a long time, but I could not have imagined just how incredible my time in Greece would have been, or how many amazing people I would get to meet, and I can’t wait for the next time I am able to come back.

Nekesh Nair
Wilfrid Laurier University intern, Fall 2021

SNAP 2019 redux: A new turn for the Stelida Naxos Archaeological Project

Figure 1: Location of the Stelida peak sanctuary (Dieter Depnering)

So here we are, once more reporting on the 2019 season of the Stelida Naxos Archaeological Project [SNAP], co-directed by Dr. Tristan Carter (Professor, McMaster University) and Dr Demetris Athanasoulis (Director, Ephorate of Cycladic Antiquities). So why are we talking about work that happened two years ago? Well in part there hasn’t been a whole heap to report about given the travel and work restrictions of Covid-19, but it is mainly because we have been waiting for a new paper to be published to tell you about the exciting new discoveries at Stelida, that arguably make it the most important research-active site on Naxos, if not the entire Cyclades (and I speak as a member of the Keros project…).

As anyone who has been following our work since the project’s inception in 2013 should know, Stelida is a major chert source that was exploited throughout prehistory for the production of stone tools. Two years of geo-archaeological survey were followed by excavation, with over 40 sondages dug on both flanks of the hill, and down to the modern coastal plain, with stratified deposits of up to 5 metres depth containing thousands of tools whose form, and mode of manufacture suggested the site’s use by hunter-gatherers from the Lower Palaeolithic to Mesolithic, most likely by both Homo sapiens and Neanderthals. In 2019 we published our first major paper on the site’s chronology based upon luminescence dating of Trench 1, a 3 m+ sequence on the upper western flanks of the hill, with dates extending back to at least 200,000 years old, i.e., the Middle Pleistocene.

The excavations at Stelida can be challenging. The soils are very alkaline, which prohibit the survival of earlier prehistoric organics (plants, animal and/or human remains), and virtually everything we have excavated is in secondary context. The latter issue is due to a combination of local topography (relatively steep hillslopes), and the ravages of deep-time (Ice Age) climatic fluctuation, with our stratigraphic studies detailing periods of massive erosion due to increased precipitation. This means that (a) we almost never have an insight to in situ Palaeolithic activity, and (b) the technique we use to date the last time the artefact-bearing soils were exposed to the sun, is detailing the period at which point these deposits came to rest post-erosion, rather than when the tools were first made, i.e., all our dates are minimum ages (terminus ante quem).

To address these issues, we decided in 2019 to open a handful of trenches on the uppermost, flattest areas of the hill, the logic being that anything we found in these loci should theoretically be in situ. We had hitherto largely ignored this part of the site because our 2013-14 survey suggested that much of the upper reaches were very exposed, with outcropping chert rather than well-preserved soil depths, and a trench excavated in 2017 on the hill’s western shoulder revealed a 75 cm stratigraphic sequence of almost pure lithics, the original soil having deflated/been blown, or washed away. As much as there was a research logic to excavating up top, there was also a pragmatic side to this work, in that two of the supervisors had finished existing deep trenches in the first two weeks of the season, and I did not want to open new sondages on the flanks that we could not finish in the last month of work. The first couple of trenches – as predicted – produced precious little, the 1×1 metre units on the hill’s saddle being only 5-10 cm deep before hitting bedrock, and almost no artefacts, the original soil and stone tools likely having washed away in the Ice Age. Another trench halfway along the ridge produced the same negative evidence, so we finally moved up to the southern highest peak, where it was hoped that some chert outcrops might have protected prehistoric deposits (Figure 1). They had, but not what we were expecting…

Figure 2: Kristine Mallinson and her team initiate excavation of Trench 44 (Maria Cummings).

As soon as Trench 44 (Figure 2) was opened we found artefacts, but not just the Mesolithic and Upper Palaeolithic tools that the survey predicted we would find in this locale, but also quantities of pottery. It quickly became evident that a dominant form of this ceramic assemblage was a small drinking vessel, typical of later Bronze Age Crete, the ‘Minoan conical cup’ (Figure 3). Another sondage (Trench 47) was rapidly opened nearby, with even greater amounts of the same kinds of pottery recovered, along with an array of other finds including stone and metalwork. The significance of these new discoveries was rapidly apparent, and we took what we hope was the right ethical decision to stop excavating two weeks early in this area, as we simply did not have the support system in place to professionally deal with such material, not least the lack of a conservator, someone we had never had a need for given the nature of our Palaeolithic archaeology. Nonetheless, the quantity, character, and location of these finds allowed us to argue strongly that this part of the site comprises a ‘Minoan type peak sanctuary’, one of only a handful of such sites known outside of Crete. This hypothesis, along with supporting evidence, has just been published in the Journal of Greek Archaeology (Carter et al 2021); we here provide a precis of our discoveries.

Figure 3: Minoan style conical cup from the Stelida peak sanctuary

The ceramic assemblage relates to the preparation and consumption of food and drink, with scores of simple, mass-produced, undecorated handleless (conical and other) cups, plus lesser quantities of jugs, cooking vessels and a very few storage vessels (pithoi). This pottery is overwhelmingly ‘Minoan’ in style, though an initial study of these vessels’ fabric suggests that most of it was made on Naxos, i.e., it represents a local emulation and appropriation of Cretan products and practices. The other finds include over a thousand beach pebbles of various raw materials, items that we believe were collected en route by the worshippers to be dedicated at the site, a practice known from many other peak sanctuaries, such as Atsipadhes in western Crete. Arguably the most significant of our other finds was a complete stone ladle of banded marble from Trench 47 (Figures 4-5). These vessels have long been associated with ritual activities, primarily at a group of sites in north-central Crete – Knossos, Juktas and Archanes – plus a handful of high-profile non-Cretan loci, including peak sanctuaries on Kythera, and Kea, plus a grave at Mycenae. Given their small size, shallow interiors, and heart-shaped (cordiform) outline, it has been suggested that they were used for blood libations.

Figure 4: Stone ladle from Trench 47 when first discovered (M. Pareja)

Figure 5: Stone ladle when cleaned (S. Crewson)

The other finds included a few bronze items, including the bottom half of a male anthropomorphic figurine, plus some small bronze strips (all of which again have good comparanda from Cretan peak sanctuaries), plus our first assemblage of animal bones, attesting to the on-site consumption of sheep/goat, and cattle. Charred plant remains also survive in these uppermost, more recent strata, with considerable evidence for burning in the form of ashy deposits and burnt stone. The lack of cereal grains suggests that most of the plant material relates to fuel; while the wood charcoal has yet to be studied, analysis of phytolith samples indicates the presence of local grasses, and bushy herbs such as vetches and thyme, the latter potentially being chosen for its aromatic properties as much as its flammability. There is also evidence for burnt palms, though these may have been in the form of baskets, or matting that had been deposited at the site, rather than being brought here as fuel alone.

The establishment of fires atop the hill may have been multi-functional, in part for the cooking of foodstuffs consumed in ritual activities, but also for communicative purposes, either smoke signals during the day, or as a nighttime beacon. Indeed, the setting of the sanctuary at Stelida is impressive, with a viewshed analysis using geographic information systems (GIS) showing that on a clear day anyone standing at the southern peak would not only have a dominant view over western Naxos, and the surrounding islands (Ios, Paros, Thera), but as far south as Crete, and as far north as Kea, Euboea and across to Ikaria and Chios (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Viewshed from the summit of Stelida; islands outlined in green are visible (C. Lopez)

Central to the site, is a small (~6 × 7 m) stone structure, the actual peak sanctuary, alas most of this building is covered by a modern communications tower, however its outline is visible, a double walled construction of faced chert blocks, with rubble between, some 1 m in width, potentially suggesting a tower-like support. The construction of buildings at peak sanctuaries is something we associate with the Neopalatial, or Second Palace period on Crete, when mountain/hill-top ritual seems to shift from an inclusive, rural tradition evidenced across the island, to a more exclusive practice associated with (and/or controlled by) some of the palaces. The dating of the Stelida pottery suggests that our sanctuary indeed falls within this later period, and potentially represents a link between north-central Cretan populations and Naxos, an argument that has previously been suggested for the political dynamics underpinning the construction of a peak sanctuary at Agios Georgios on Kythera. More specifically, the pottery is thus far dated Middle Minoan IIIB – Late Minoan IA in Cretan terms, which predates the Theran eruption. We do, however, have tiny shards of volcanic glass from the soil (as detailed in the phytolith study) indicating that the ash cloud from this cataclysmic event did cover the site. There are also a handful of pieces of pumice, which again could theoretically have been deposited naturally at Stelida, though might conceivably have been left there during post-eruption ritual activities (the peak sanctuaries on Kythera, and Kea are known to have existed in this Late Minoan IB period).

On reflection, the discovery of a peak sanctuary at Stelida might not come as a complete surprise. While Naxos was never viewed as a significant participant in Cycladic – Minoan socio-economic relations in the later Bronze Age (with the so-called ‘western strong’ of Thera, Melos and Kea being viewed as the major players of the era), Andreas Vlachopoulos’ recent reappraisal of the finds from Grotta, the major Bronze Age port of Naxos, suggests that certain Naxians were in fact very well connected with Crete. In turn, we have the work by Olga Philaniotou and Robin Barber at Mikre Vigla, a few kilometers down the coast from Stelida, where terracotta figurines, plaster, and Minoan style pottery has long suggested a ritual hilltop site of Cretan style. With Stelida dominating the horizon for anyone looking southwards from Grotta, some 1.5 km distant, and the highest peak in the immediate vicinity, Stelida fulfils many of the criteria we have come to associate with the location of peak sanctuaries.

The 2019 discoveries, that we can finally share with you post-publication, take SNAP in an exciting new direction. This is not to say that we are turning our back on the Palaeolithic activity, far from it, but it does provide us with new research questions (and a number of us have also long worked on Minoan archaeology), and perhaps more importantly, new space for junior scholars. Thus, one long-term team member, Kristine Mallinson (Missouri), has shifted her PhD project from mainland Bronze Age studies, to a Stelida-focused piece, working on the conical cups and issues of Cycladic-Minoan relations. In turn, Shannon Crewson (McMaster) is developing a museological-oriented PhD on how one represents deep-time archaeology to the public, working through some of the recurrent themes we see at Stelida, from Pleistocene to Anthropocene (resource extraction, communication and vista, social gathering inter alia). Now we look forward to further work on the site in collaboration with Dr Athanasoulis, more studies, more publications, and for now, more grant applications…

Professor Tristan Carter
Department of Anthropology, McMaster University; co-director, SNAP

Unveiling the Institute's New Premises

On Monday October 25 the Institute hosted the first in-person event at its new premises, the three-storey 1930s house at 3 Orminou Street, close to the Hilton Hotel. We had moved into the new building almost exactly a year before, but the COVID restrictions on gatherings meant that we were not able to welcome guests until this autumn.

The event was a public lecture by long-time supporter and Board member of the Institute, Emeritus Professor Gerald P. Schaus. Prior to the lecture we unveiled a plaque on the building’s exterior bearing the Institute’s name. To the unveiling we invited just a few old friends and supporters of the Institute; the official opening of the new premises is scheduled to take place in the early summer of 2022.

In the meantime, we intend to host a few more in-person events this winter and spring, so you will have the opportunity to visit the Institute even before it is officially opened. Until then, you can view some more photos from the unveiling on the Institute’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CIGICGAthens/

Jonathan Tomlinson
Assistant Director

Video Games and the Classical Past

On Monday 6 December the Institute will host its second event of the 2021-2022 academic year. This will be an in-person lecture in the auditorium of the Institute’s new premises (Orminiou 3A, Ilisia).

Starting at 18.30, Dr. Craig I. Hardiman (Associate Professor, Department of Classical Studies, University of Waterloo) will give a talk entitled, "Video Games and the Classical Past: Problems, Potential and Pedagogy".

“The use of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome as settings in video games has a long, and perhaps checkered, past. Archaeology especially has often been used as a means to find an object, solve a quest or solve a puzzle, and characters such as Lara Croft have long blurred the lines between treasure hunting and archaeology. Even while some games attempt a certain amount of archaeological and/or historical accuracy in architecture or surroundings, it is often within a game that presents fantastical or outlandish characters and circumstances, often with a mythological base. Some games, such as the Assassin’s Creed series by Ubisoft, have attempted to address some of these issues. Two of their games, Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017) and Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018), dealing with (respectively) events at the end of Ptolemaic Egypt and the Peloponnesian War, have tried to craft an “accurate” vision of antiquity. So much so that they tout using the game as an educational tool for the classroom. Yet Ubisoft themselves discuss choices they had to make between accuracy and fun gameplay. One can encounter as many historical inaccuracies and anachronisms in these games as not. With an increased emphasis on “gaming” the classroom (using games as a pedagogical tool), can we fully trust the broad view of Ancient Greece and Rome to for-profit companies whose first duty is to the creation of fun gameplay? These issues and others will be explored, alongside games that (mis)represent a “classical past”.”

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, attendance is limited. Places will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis at info@cig-icg.gr. All attendees must present a certificate of vaccination.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new premises for what promises to be a fascinating presentation.

Jonathan Tomlinson
Assistant Director

A Looted Cave Sanctuary High Above Stymphalia, Arkadia

On Monday 25 October the Institute will host its first in-person event in over 18 months. This will also be the first event to be hosted at the Institute’s new premises, in its recently-completed auditorium at Orminou 3A, close to the Hilton Hotel.

Starting at 19.00, Dr. Gerald P. Schaus (Professor Emeritus, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University) will give a lecture entitled, “Sadly, a Looted Cave Sanctuary High Above Stymphalia, Arkadia”.

“A remote rock shelter formed by drainage from a small bowl-like valley high on Mt. Oligyrtos in northeastern Arkadia attracted worshippers for a period of about 200 years (ca. 575 – 375 BCE). The site has been pillaged by looters seeking valuable antiquities over the past thirty years. Some material salvaged from surface debris left by the looters provides clues about the cult and its worshippers. Pottery, figurines and jewelry form the bulk of the debris. The identity of the cult, its history and ritual practices, its place in local inter-polis relations and its protection from ancient thievery are subjects of consideration.”

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, attendance is limited. Places will be reserved on a first-come first-served basis at info@cig-icg.gr. All attendees must present a certificate of vaccination.

We look forward to welcoming you to our new premises for what promises to be a most interesting presentation.

Jonathan Tomlinson
Assistant Director

The Khavania Archaeological Project, 2021

The site of Khavania, from the north (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

After a year’s absence as a result of the pandemic, we returned to Khavania in 2021. The site, which is located on the northern side of Ayios Nikolaos in the Lasithi prefecture of East Crete, sits on a small peninsula with natural harbours on its northern and southern sides. Today, the shores on either side of the peninsula are popular destinations for beachgoers, while a number of luxury hotels line the coastal road. Indeed, Khavania’s environs are prime real estate today, just as they must have been in antiquity! More broadly, Khavania occupies a location on the western shores of the Bay of Mirabello, which has seen little in the way of archaeological research other than a series of rescue excavations over the past thirty or so years. Conversely, the eastern and southern shores of the Mirabello region have been the subject of intensive archaeological research since the turn of the 20^th century, with several notable sites such as Mochlos, Pseira, Gournia, and Priniatikos Pyrgos having been excavated, not to mention the three contiguous intensive survey projects, the Kavousi, Gournia, and Vrokastro surveys. With its nice harbours and location on an overland route, which connected the site to other coastal settlements, not to mention the elevated inland area of the Lasithi plateau, we believe that Khavania was a vital node in both inter- and intra-island interaction networks at various times in antiquity. As a result, our overall goal of research at Khavania is to study the development of the site, especially in terms of its local, East Cretan, and broader island-wide socio-political, economic, and ideological relationships. In other words, we hope to provide context to an important settlement in a little investigated area of East Crete.

The Khavania Archaeological Project ran for fifteen sweltering days this summer, between July 19^th and August 6^th. Our original goals for the 2020 field season, which we had cancel because of the COVID-19 pandemic, were fivefold: 1) to develop an understanding of the history of settlement and land use in the hinterland of Khavania through intensive survey; 2) to augment our existing architectural plan of the site itself through further documentation of newly-exposed anthropogenic features; 3) to produce a geomorphological study of the peninsula; 4) to develop an understanding of social, political, and economic development in and around Khavania through study of the portable material collected during survey; and 5) to lay the groundwork for future archaeological work at the site.

Sophianna Drakaki (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

Owing to continued limitations, namely restrictions placed on travel and student participation, we had to alter the scope of our intended research plan, concentrating on the peninsula itself. Thankfully, we were able to put together a crack team of highly-skilled and lighthearted individuals consisting of Rafał Bieńkowski (PhD student, Polish Academy of Sciences), Dr. Lily Bonga, Alice Crowe (PhD student, University of Cincinnati), Sara Hilker (PhD student, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and Charles Sturge (PhD student, University of Cincinnati). Sophianna Drakaki served as our Epoptria. It was truly a pleasure working with each and every one of these individuals and we thank them for their expertise and good humour during some beastly days in the field. Seriously, what’s with consistent days of 38-40°C weather?

Rafał Bieńkowski manning the UAV (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

There were three components of research for the summer 2021 season: 1) documentation and cleaning of visible architectural features on the peninsula; 2) intensive pedestrian survey of the  peninsula; and 3) study of material remains collected during the 2019 field season. As the site had been thoroughly cleaned of vegetation since we had last been there (summer 2019), we began our season by systematically walking it to document newly revealed architectural features. In addition, we employed a UAV (drone) to take aerial images to assist us in this endeavor. When we identified new features, we provided them with a proper designation in accordance with the system we had created in 2019. These were then incorporated into our site plan, using a total station, generously loaned to us by the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete. In addition to documenting and cleaning new features, we also cleaned several that we identified in 2019. Our decision to clean certain walls was based on one or a combination of the following objectives: to reveal stretches of walls that potentially communicated with others, to determine the type of features, to reveal inside/outside faces, to correct or adjust drawings, and/or to provide more general information. Once walls were cleaned, we began the documentation process, which consisted of drawing, photographing (including high resolution photography for photogrammetric modeling), measuring, and describing features on standardized field forms. During the last two days of the project, after all walls had been cleaned, we conducted a series of drone flights to acquire aerial photographs for the purpose of creating new, accurate orthophotos and photogrammetric three-dimensional models of the site.

Sarah Hilker cleaning Wall 8 (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

Despite our limitations, we had an incredibly productive summer. We discovered 24 new architectural features at the site, all of which were fragments of ancient walls. Several additional possible features were left unrecorded because they consisted of single stones or were only minimally visible. Excavation is required in order to determine their true nature. We cleaned 24 architectural features: 19 previously-identified features and 5 newly-identified ones. These were all drawn, photographed, and integrated into our overall site plan. To date, 77 architectural features, including a quarry, have been identified and fully documented on the Khavania peninsula. Most extent features were identified on the western and northwestern slopes, while several others can be found on the southeastern slope. Few remains were found on the summit of the peninsula, since it is heavily eroded.

Alice Crowe cleaning Wall 12 (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

Partial outlines of at least three independent buildings have been identified on the Khavania peninsula. The remains of one large structure (ca. 100m² measurable extant area) can be seen on the northern slope of the peninsula. The northern façade of this structure (W17) is impressive with a maximum width of ca. 1.80m (average width is 1.40m). Walls 17–19 are well-bonded, clearly indicating that this part of the building was built in one phase. In addition, W17 sits on a projecting plinth course. This is a sophisticated architectural technique used to stabilize buildings. Finally, as W15 abuts W17 it is clear that later additions were made to this edifice. Another building comprised of walls W8–12, 38, and 42 (ca. 116m² measurable extant area) appears just below the summit of the promontory on the north side. This building appears to have been constructed in two phases. Finally, a third building comprised of walls W3–6 and 35 can be seen to the west of the site’s summit (ca. 143m² measurable extant area). Like our second building, this one is also multi-phased. The architectural remains at Khavania attest to the presence of several monumental buildings, perhaps official buildings. Unfortunately, at present without proper systematic excavations, we cannot determine whether the buildings at the site are all contemporary. The difference in orientation between some buildings and individual architectural features suggests that this is not the case.

The Khavania team surveying the north slope of the peninsula (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

The second component of our research program involved intensive pedestrian survey of the peninsula. The survey was conducted with a view toward determining the general settlement history of the site, to determine spatial patterning, specifically as it pertains to defining the site boundaries for each period of use, and to establish a comprehensive ceramic profile and sequence. To complete this goal, team members walked transects within predetermined areas, side-by-side, and spaced at equal distances apart. As they were walking, they scanned the ground for artifacts and picked up all identifiable ones and bagged them. At the end of each day, the artifacts were brought to the Ayios Nikolaos Museum for storage and future study. This survey produced more than 1,500 ceramic sherds, as well as fragments of mudbricks, roof tiles, ground stone tools, and chipped stone artifacts, as well as one (exploded) fragment of a WWII era mortar shell. Although the pottery has yet to be cleaned and studied, our ceramicist is happy to report that Late Minoan II materials are present at the site. This is an interesting development, since Late Minoan II ceramics rarely appear in East Cretan contexts.

Matt Buell, Sophianna Drakaki, and Charles Sturge examining some of the survey pottery in the Ayios Nikolaos Museum (photograph by R.D. Fitzsimons).

Finally, all materials collected from our 2019 season were washed in the Ayios Nikolaos apothiki. The prehistoric pottery was studied by Charles Sturge this summer, while Jane Francis (Concordia University) will conduct the analysis of historical materials over the winter break. Lily Bonga will photograph and draw our material. The prehistoric ceramic assemblage consists of all fabrics (coarse, medium, cooking, fine). Identifiable shapes include amphorae, basins, bowls, cooking pots, cooking trays, cups, dishes, gutters, jars, jugs, loomweights, and pithoi. The prehistoric periods represented include Early Minoan II, Middle Minoan II, Middle Minoan III, Late Minoan IA and IB, Late Minoan II, and Late Minoan IIIA-C. The majority of the identifiable pottery can be attributed to the Late Minoan I period, though Prepalatial and Late Minoan III remains are common.

Plan of the site of Khavania (digital image by D.M. Buell and R. Bieńkowski).

In terms of future work at the site, the pottery that we collected this summer still needs to be washed and studied. We hope to complete this goal during the Winter of 2022. It is our hope to initiate a two-year, multinational, and interdisciplinary excavation project soon. Finally, we would like to express our thanks to all of those who helped and supported us this summer, including Jonathan Tomlinson, Jacques Perreault, and Brendan Burke at the Canadian Institute in Greece, Tom Brogan and Eleanor Huffman at the INSTAP East Crete Study Center, and Vance Watrous. We also thank the Bagnani Trust and the Institute for the Study of Aegean Prehistory for their generous financial support.

D. Matthew Buell & Rodney D. Fitzsimons
Concordia University & Trent University; co-directors of KAP

The Fred Winter Collection

Pamphylia, area to S of Aspendos(?) (Professor Fred Winter, 1957)

The Fred Winter Collection

Kapikaya, wall ascending slope to N of modern road (Professor Fred Winter, 1957)

The Fred Winter Collection

Termessos, the toll gate (Professor Fred Winter, 1957)

Welcome, Katerina, Nekesh and Alice!

The 2021-2022 academic year has begun at the Institute, and we welcome the Institute’s 2021-22 Neda and Franz Leipen Fellow, Katerina Apokatanidis, and Wilfrid Laurier University interns Nekesh Nair and Alice Maksimowski.

Katerina Apokatanidis is a PhD candidate in Classical Archaeology at the University of Toronto, under the supervision of Prof. Sarah Murray. Her thesis, entitled “Greek Religion and Funerary Culture in the Archaic and Classical Periods: The Case-Study of the Worshippers of the Orphic Dionysos,” focuses on the tomb assemblages that yielded the Orphic Gold Tablets.

The Orphic Gold Tablets are thin, gold inscriptions that point to the existence of a Bacchic-Orphic religious group. The Bacchic-Orphic cult seems to have operated on the periphery of public religious practice. The texts record what each deceased initiate should do to be free of the cycle of reincarnation on earth and enter the Elysium Fields, previously reserved for descendants of the gods. This cult is visible to us only via these tablets as well as the Derveni papyrus. Such textual references enable us to detect this unusual religious practice and identify key aspects of the worship of a different Dionysos, one more intimately connected with death and the afterlife.

With the support of the Canadian Institute in Greece and the Neda and Franz Leipen Fellowship, Ms. Apokatanidis wishes first to assemble the funerary context of the Orphic Gold Tablets that have not been adequately situated in material cultural perspective to date. Second, she wishes to assess the objects of the tomb assemblages of each worshipper both as isolated cases and as they compare to others of the same and subsequent periods. To accomplish these objectives, a hands-on study of the archaeological material from these tombs will be carried out at museums in Greece and Italy. This project will fill several gaps in our knowledge of the Bacchic-Orphic cult by interpreting the tablets within a robustly archaeological framework, considering issues of production, material properties, and assemblage.

Nekesh Nair is a recent graduate of the Archaeology and Heritage Studies program at Wilfrid Laurier University, who is planning on continuing his education in Classical Archaeology at the graduate level.

Through the various courses and experiences undertaken while doing his undergraduate degree, particularly excavations and courses related to the Classical world, Nekesh developed a fascination with the history and the archaeology of Greece. Nekesh will be starting his graduate program in the fall of 2022 and will be hoping to develop more insight and gain new experiences in Classical Archaeology.

Being given the opportunity to work as an intern at the Canadian Institute in Greece, Nekesh hopes to learn more about the archaeology of Greece. Additionally, he hopes to gain more knowledge about further careers in archaeology that can be undertaken after his graduate program.

Alice Maksimowski is an undergraduate student in her fourth year at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is majoring in Archaeology and Heritage Studies and double-minoring in Ancient Studies and Medievalism Studies. She plans to continue her archaeological studies to a graduate level.

Through her studies and opportunities to participate in archaeological excavations in Romania and Jordan, Alice has formed an interest focusing on the Classical world and the medieval era in Europe and the Middle East. She is also interested in the study of osteology, and would like to continue her studies in that area.

By being given the opportunity to work at the Canadian Institute in Greece, Alice hopes to learn about Greek culture, language, and history, as well as the history of archaeological excavations in the region. This position will help her understand what other career paths there are in the archaeological community.

Jonathan Tomlinson
Assistant Director

The Fred Winter Collection

Sillyon, built road up cliff-face to acropolis (Professor Fred Winter, 1957)

The Fred Winter Collection

Sagalassos, theatre, end of the outer wall of cavea (Professor Fred Winter, 1957)

Argilos 2021

Fig. 1 Le site d’Argilos à l’avant-plan, avec vue vers le delta du Strymon et le Mont Pangée.

La mission d’Argilos a repris ses activités de terrain cet été avec une courte campagne de fouille de 4 semaines au mois de juillet. Avec l’appui de l’Éphorie des antiquités préhistoriques et classiques de Serres, du personnel du musée d’Amphipolis, de l’équipe d’archéologues et d’ouvriers, ainsi que de la participation d’une vingtaine d’étudiants, les recherches se sont concentrées principalement sur le bâtiment « Q ». Il s’agit d’un long complexe d’habitations constituées de 13 unités situé derrière la zone commerciale de la cité. L’objectif principal était de vérifier l’état de conservation des sols dans les unités dont l’affleurement des murs avait été dégagé en 2019. Des sondages ont été pratiqués dans trois de ces unités.

Fig. 2 Vue aérienne du site, juillet 2021.

La première, Q6, de forme tripartite, est constituée d’une pièce oblongue sur le devant donnant accès à deux pièces mitoyennes à l’arrière. Les recherches se sont limitées à la pièce avant, où la moitié Est a été fouillée jusqu’au sol de l’occupation récente, celle qui a pris fin avec le passage de Philippe II en 357. Ici, les fouilleurs ont dégagé un petit réduit situé immédiatement à l’Est de l’entrée de la pièce Nord-Est. Quelques monnaies et de petits vases à vernis noir ont été trouvés sur le sol. Le seuil et les jambages latéraux de la pièce Nord-Est, tous en marbre, sont de très grande qualité et nous croyons que cette pièce servait d’andron, une hypothèse que nous espérons pouvoir vérifier à l’été 2022.

Fig. 3 Complexe « Q », pièce Q6, vue vers le Nord.

Fig. 4 Une partie de l’équipe des fouilleurs de la pièce Q6 (Chloé Fernandez, Justine Lefebvre, Kostas Konstantinis et Marina Ragheb).

La seconde unité, Q9, ne semble être constituée que d’une seule grande pièce rectangulaire. Un sondage a été effectué devant l’entrée de la pièce. Ici aussi les restes d’une baignoire ont été dégagés, ainsi qu’une meule « olynthienne » fragmentaire, plusieurs tuiles, et quelques fragments d’amphores.

Fig. 5 Une meule « olynthienne » trouvée cette année.

Deux équipes de fouilleurs ont participé au dégagement de l’unité Q13 qui ferme le complexe Q à l’Est. Celle-ci est composée de deux pièces qui s’ouvrent vers l’Est, contrairement à toutes les autres unités du complexe dont l’accès se fait par la rue qui longe la façade au Sud. D’ailleurs, ces deux pièces ne sont pas des habitations. Elles sont petites, et la découverte de couvercles circulaires de grandes jarres de stockage semble indiquer que ces pièces servaient de magasins.

Fig 6. Vanessa Choinière, Jérémy Scraire et Lander Chery devant les grands couvercles de jarres.

Des sondages ont aussi été effectués entre l’extrémité Est du bâtiment « Q » et la grande rue R1, voie principale du site qui mène, à partir du port, vers les bâtiments sur le flanc Sud-Est de la colline et qui devait sans doute suivre la colline jusqu’à l’acropole.

Deux autres opérations ont été effectuées, une dans la pièce Q2, l’autre dans la pièce P2. Dans les deux cas, il s’agissait de poursuivre la fouille sur des unités qui avaient été partiellement fouillées en 2019.

Fig. 7 Les équipes se préparent pour la fouille des pièces P2 et Q2.

Fig. 8 Elena Navarre dégage une cruche sur le sol de la pièce Q2.

La découverte la plus spectaculaire de la campagne 2021 demeure le dégagement de la totalité du bâtiment « P ». Ce complexe, qui se place dans le prolongement du bâtiment commercial « L » et dont les deux pièces les plus à l’Ouest avaient déjà été mises au jour en 2016, comprend 10 pièces. Tout porte à croire qu’il s’agit aussi d’un bâtiment à vocation commerciale, en tout cas c’est ce qui ressort de la fouille des pièces les plus à l’Ouest, P1 et P2.

Fig. 9 Vue aérienne du bâtiment P en cours de fouille.

Nous sommes donc en présence d’un complexe commercial des époques archaïque et classique tout à fait unique dans le monde grec ! Nulle part ailleurs, pour ces périodes, n’a été fouillé un groupe de 22 boutiques réparties en deux complexes dont l’architecture et les sols d’occupation sont aussi bien conservés. Si la construction du complexe « P » remonte, comme le bâtiment « L », au milieu du VIe siècle av. n.è., nous pourrons suivre l’évolution de l’architecture commerciale et de l’organisation des marchés publics pendant une période de deux siècles, de la construction des boutiques vers 550 av. n. è. à leur abandon à la suite du passage de Philippe II en 357 av. n. è.

Fig. 10 L’équipe Argilos 2021 !

Un grand merci à tous les membres de l’équipe 2021 !

Jacques Perreault
Professeur Titulaire, Université de Montréal; Co-directeur de la fouille