The Blog has Moved!

Significant progress was made in the past year to improve and to extend the Institute’s electronic footprint. The next step is to consolidate all of our communications on one platform. Thus, as of this blog all future blogs will be found at the CIG website (www.cig-icg.gr) under the heading “Blog”, no less!

We will retain the address cig-icg.blogspot.gr as the Archive of the CIG Blog which started in January, 2011 through today’s “final” blog. The link on this blog will take you to the CIG website.

In the new location I look forward to continue sharing with our readers and supporters news relating to the Institute, announcements of lectures/events at CIG and in Athens, comments on archaeological topics relating to Greece, guest blogs from our fieldwork projects and images from the Frederick Winter B/W Negative Collection.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

“Amphipolimania” strikes Greece and the future paths of archaeology and heritage management in Greece

Map of northern Greece

For the last six weeks Greece has been increasingly enraptured with the excavation of the huge burial mound at a locality called Kasta near Amphipolis in Macedonia. The circumference of the tumulus covering what appears to be a barrel-vaulted, multi-room tomb measures almost 500 m! It is encircled by a tall ashlar retaining wall built with marble from nearby Thasos. The late Demetrios Lazarides first recognized the importance of the site. The present excavation started a year and a half ago under the direction of Katerina Peristeri, the proistemeni of the KH’ Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities at Serres. Work resumed this summer. It is likely that the “Lion of Amphipolis” once stood on top of the tumulus covering the tomb.

View of Argilos

This region is well-known to CIG as Prof. Jacques Perreault and Dr. Zisis Bonias have been digging the Archaic and Classical site of ancient Argilos on the coast to the southwest of Amphipolis for many years. While the city was destroyed in 357 BC by Phillip II the construction of the impressive rural mansion on the acropolis is roughly contemporary with that of the tumulus. Since 1992 the Argilos excavation has stored and studied their finds in the Archaeological Museum of Amphipolis.

General view of the tumulus at Kasta; source: http://www.theamphipolistomb.com/hill

The discovery of the entrance to the tomb, at the end of a nearly 5 m wide road, guarded by two (now headless and wingless) sphinges, stimulated much speculation as to who is buried in this monumental tomb which dates to the last decades of the 4th century BCE. Alexander the Great is often stated (despite ancient accounts of his tomb being in Alexandria), followed by Roxanne and their son Alexander IV who were murdered at Amphipolis, Alexander’s mother Olympias, as well as a general or an admiral of Alexander. The national TV news programs now follow the discoveries each day, bringing in experts and non-experts alike to hypothesize freely on whose tomb this is. One channel even interviewed a few local illegal antiquities diggers for their insights, as the looting of Macedonian tombs is unfortunately widespread in the region. Some foreign archaeologists have been bold enough as well to venture into the quicksand of this coverage, including Hector Williams (University of British Columbia). When a Greek learns that you are an archaeologist s/he immediately asks if it is the tomb of Alexander the Great!

What had been found as of September 9th: source Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sport

In order to provide accurate information and current images the Ministry of Culture and Sport posts press releases (in Greek only, to date) on its website (http://www.yppo.gr/2/g20.jsp) every few days. This is the source of the official images that one can view in the digital media now. Others of the exterior have been taken by enterprising photographers from afar and from helicopters.

With tourists flocking to see the covered-up entrance to the tomb, locals selling souvenirs and refreshments and news crews camped out, the area around the tumulus has become a circus. Since yesterday visitors are not allowed in the immediate vicinity of the tumulus and police forces are guarding the excavation on a 24-hour basis. Last night the TV coverage showed the curious visiting the area of the site at night. Even the Prime Minister visited the excavation in August before the digging had gone beyond the sphinges. In all of this media coverage and public interest the emphasis unfortunately has been on more and more “exciting new discoveries”, and little or nothing on the praxis of archaeological fieldwork, the in situ conservation needs and the overall goals of archaeological research. Further, this archaeological feeding frenzy is a distraction from the many unresolved issues related to the country’s long-awaited economic recovery. The tomb is being used by some politicians as a new component in the traditional construction of the nation’s identity by reference to aspects of its past, especially in relationship to ancient Macedonia. This has set off a debate in the media and more so in the social media about appropriateness of such use of antiquities in the national discourse. The Union of Greek Archaeologists has reacted sharply to the government’s handling of the media coverage and its direct intervention into the archaeological process.

Regrettably this overemphasis on the excavation of one ancient monument, unique and spectacular as it is (and which may well have been looted more than once), obscures the general state of archaeology in Greece today. On August 29th a new law was proclaimed by presidential decree which radically re-organizes and downsizes the Ministry and the Hellenic Archaeological Service as of October 1st. It is ironic that the outpouring of public support for this excavation by senior members of the government and others did not protect Ms. Peristeri from the incorporation of her Ephorate into the Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities based in Kavala.

There is pressure to privatize the major archaeological museums and sites. This year, the longer site and museum hours, seven days a week, in effect from April 1st until the end of October only, was applied only to the 33 “most popular” ones. A two-tiered system has thus been created by this policy. A recently-commissioned study by McKinsey and Company (an international management consulting firm) on the cost of entrance to major Greek archaeological sites and museums compared to those in other European countries showed that the average ticket price here is much lower than elsewhere. The suggestion was made to raise the ticket prices significantly to make more money for the government. Is culture simply a “luxury commodity” for sale? The new unified annual property tax law (EN.F.I.A) that takes effect on September 15th has serious ramifications for the properties that are presently included in the “A Zones” which encompass known, registered archaeological sites, as these were previously untaxed since the owners could not use them or build on them.

The times are a-changing in the administration of archaeological heritage in Greece. It will be some time before we know the long-term effects of these changes and the re-organization. Given the importance placed on the promotion of cultural heritage by many sectors of the society here, the ramifications from these changes could be very significant. What appears lacking in all of this is a thorough public examination and debate of where archaeology in Greece should go in the medium- and long-term future and why? At this point there is no clear long-term strategy behind these changes except the reduction of the cost of the Hellenic Archaeological Service.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

The Institute's Winter/Spring Lecture Program and Heated Exchanges over the Management of Greek Sites and Museums

The Institute’s lecture program for the winter/spring of 2014 is out! The lectures will be held at the Institute’s Library starting at 7:30 PM.

We start on Wednesday evening, February 5th, with the lecture of our 2013/14 Neda and Franz Leipen Fellow, C. Myles Chykerda (Costen Institute of Archaeology, University of California – Los Angeles). The title of the lecture is “Structuring Thessaly: Working Towards Finding Patterns in the Prehistoric Landscape”. The subject relates to the research that he will pursue for his doctoral dissertation. After Myles’ lecture we will cut our Vassilopita for the health, happiness and productivity of the Institute and its members in 2014.

A month later, on Wednesday, March 5th, Margarita Nazou will give a lecture entitled “A site with a view: Kiapha Thiti and its connections during the 4th and 3rd millennia BC”. Margarita recently completed a successful defence of her Ph.D. thesis at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. A part of her dissertation research concerned her study of the Neolithic pottery from the Queens University excavations carried out at Kiapha Thiti in southern Attika under the aegis of the Institute from 1986 through 1988.

The last lecture of the series will be on Friday, March 28th. Dr. Sophia Karapanou (Archaeologist, 15th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities) will give the lecture entitled “Early Results from the recent excavations on the shores of the dried lake Karla, Eastern Thessaly”. Dr. Karapanou is the synergatis of Prof. Margriet Haagsma (University of Alberta) on their joint excavation project at the Hellenistic city at Kastro Kallithea in Thessaly. As you can see from this lecture program we are very interested in Thessaly!

Whither Greek archaeological sites and museums in 2014 and beyond?
As the economic crisis gripping this country continues with claims of hope for an improvement by the end of this year and accusations that it will get worse, the management of cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture and Sport is challenged. As tourism at the moment is the main possibility in the shorter term for generating much needed new revenues, the country’s archaeological sites and museums are one of the reasons visitors would choose to vacation in Greece. To that end, the Ministry has announced that starting April 1st and continuing through the end of October, the 33 most visited archaeological sites and museums in the country will be open for 12 hours every day from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Operators of cruise ships and package tours will be pleased with this development. This is, of course, if the money is allocated in the end by the government and the requisite additional guards are hired.

But what of the rest of the less well-known archaeological sites and museums which are away from the touristic hotspots and, thus, not so favored by the average tourist? Many of these have been open only on reduced hours this winter as no money had been allocated for overtime or additional guards. Professor Emeritus Stephen Miller (University of California – Berkeley), Director Emeritus of the excavations at the Sanctuary of Zeus at Nemea (under the aegis of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens), was irate when the Ministry did this to the museum at the site for lack of funds for the guards. He wrote an open letter in October to the Ministry and to the media complaining of this short-sightedness and suggested that the sites and museums of the country be privatized as the Ministry was unable to administer and to protect them properly. He proposed how if private companies could own and operate the sites and museums the antiquities, the visitors and the local communities could all benefit. The Union of Greek Archaeologists which represents the archaeologists employed by the Ministry of Culture and Sport reacted sharply against this suggestion at the time. Their basic position is that if sufficient funds were given to employ permanently the requisite number of archaeologists and guards for the stewardship of all of the sites and museums the situation would be resolved.

This call for privatization has resurfaced this month when Charlotte MacDonald-Gibson published an article about the situation in the January 18th issue of Time Magazine (http://world.time.com/2014/01/18/can-privatization-save-the-treasures-of-ancient-greece/ ). This article has revived the attacks on Miller’s proposal by the Union of Greek Archaeologists and the assertions by the Minister of Culture that this will never happen (http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_wsite4_1_23/01/2014_536721 ). Miller, in frustration, claimed he was misunderstood when he said that archaeological sites were being vandalized. He meant that this assertion was directed only at unfenced and unguarded archaeological sites. His complete proposal was attached to the latter article.

The issues raised here are central to the future of the stewardship of the country’s very rich cultural heritage – known and waiting to be discovered. The lack of adequate funds (and, thus, personnel) to do this properly and thoroughly, as the administrative structure and procedures redefined and refined in in the law passed in 2002 was designed to achieve, has meant that short cuts are being taken, work is not being done and ad hoc solutions are chosen. The way things are progressing with the country’s finances it is naïve to think that in the foreseeable future the Ministry of Culture will be given what it needs to realize the broad vision of the Union of Greek Archaeologists. Having extended hours for the most popular sites and museums for the tourist season is only a band aid. In reality, it only will reinforce the narrow and superficial view that most visitors have (and are presented with) of what constitutes Greek cultural heritage. Private companies having the rights over selected popular sites and museums is no better than the making the “New” Akropolis Museum an independent entity, outside the framework of the existing ephorates of the Hellenic Archaeological Service. What happens to the other sites and museums?

Each of the three proposals misses the mark in my opinion, as they represent extreme positions that do not confront holistically all aspects of all of the interrelated problems. A significant portion of the income from ticket sales, from gift shop sales and from photographic fees that goes to the Treasury of Archaeological Funds and Expropriations (T.A.P.A.) should be spent on needs directly related to the stewardship of the archaeological heritage. Private, registered cultural resource management firms should be able to undertake - under the strict supervision of the Ministry of Culture archaeologists - the search for, the documentation of, and the testing of archaeological sites ahead of development projects and building activities. All of this needs to take place within the framework of a well-developed, broadly supported, long-term strategic plan for the stewardship of all of the country’s cultural heritage and resources. If this rich and varied heritage is truly seen by the present Greek government, as well as future ones, as crucial to the economic future of the country then it goes without saying that it should be respected and supported in every way possible.

Where do you stand on the question of the stewardship of a country’s archaeological heritage? Is it the sole responsibility of the State? Is it best managed by private entities? Or it should be a State/Private co-responsibility?

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

An Exhibition of Greek Art to Canada and the Opening of Aristotle’s Lyceum

This past week Greece’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, was on an official visit to Canada. One of the announcements that he made in Ottawa was that in 2015 a major exhibition of Greek antiquities will be on exhibit at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, across the river from Ottawa. Twenty Greek museums will contribute to the 500 works of art and artifacts. According to the Hellenic Foreign Minister this will be the largest such exhibition in North America for over 30 years.

Aristotle’s Lyceum to open this summer
The long sought-after Sanctuary of Apollo Lyceios where Aristotle ca 335 BC established his philosophical school called the “Peripatetic School” was discovered finally in 1996. Here was one of the three most famous gymnasia in ancient Athens. The others were the Academy where Plato held forth and Kynosarges. The Lyceion (Lyceum in Latin) was located on the western bank of the Illissos river (no longer visible, alas). Today it is on the north side of Rigillis Street, between the Athens Conservatory on Vas. Constantinou Avenue and the Military Officer’s Club on Vas. Sophias Avenue. The small church of Ayios Nikolaos is at the edge of the site. After the excavation of the palaistra and gymnasion on the 1.1 hectare plot, the site was hidden from view by a tall fence. Recently the archaeological site has been developed for public access and will open in the mid-summer according to the 3rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities.

The remains consist of a gymnasion with a large peristyle courtyard. The rooms that ringed the open space were used for both activities related to athletic exercise and the ephebeion. This was for training of 18-20 year-old aristocratic young men for military service and citizenship. The building complex was abandoned in the 4th century AD after a long period of limited use.

With the almost 2 hectare grounds behind the Byzantine and Christian Museum immediately to the north a large park is being developed into a park-like setting as well. The two areas will be connected and open to the public during normal archaeological site hours.

So there are good things, Greek archaeologically speaking, to look forward to both in Athens and Canada in the coming months and years!

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

The Thessalian Goddess on Horseback and Archaeology in the News

Our next Institute lecture is this coming Wednesday evening, the 27th, at 7:30 PM. We are very pleased to have Gino Canlas, our Alföldi-Rosenbaum Fellow this year speak on the subject of dissertation research. He is a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia. In his lecture, entitled “The Goddess on Horseback: the Spread of the Cult of the Thessalian Goddess Enodia”, he will explore the archaeological and epigraphical data for this unique regional deity who carried a torch. Originally restricted to eastern Thessaly, Enodia became one of the most important Thessalian deities in the 4th century BC and her cult spread throughout Thessaly and beyond. This lecture will revisit the previous scholarship on the cult and discuss the reasons for its spread by examining the evidence for the nature of the cult in and out of Thessaly.

We will learn what Gino has uncovered concerning Enodia in the growing stack of journals and books that have engulfed him in the CIG library over the past five months!

Some effects of the "Greek Economic Crisis" on access to archaeological sites and museums
Archaeology in the Mediterranean basin frequently has a contentious relationship with construction activities and, especially, with large scale development projects. The long history of habitation, combined with the substantial architectural remains of Greek, and more so Roman and later, urbanism has created a landscape densely populated with archaeological remains. While many are known, many more archaeological sites await discovery. These antiquities are among the prominent drawing cards that the national tourist organizations use to lure visitors to their countries. The monumental public and religious architecture of an imperial Roman city is particularly impressive and photogenic.

For Greece, its long and rich past, as Prof. Dr. Yiannis Hamilakis (University of Southhampton) and others have argued, has been used repeatedly in its modern history to define its national identity and to support its status in the international community. The ruins of “Classical” Greece, where democracy was born and the people ruled, are presented as timeless exemplars of the many remarkable achievements that ancient Greek culture gave to western civilization. The extensive network of archaeological sites and museums that the Greek state has developed throughout the country over the past half century provides visitors and citizens alike with many potential opportunities to interact with this rich and diverse cultural heritage.

As I pointed out last year the economic crisis that has engulfed Greece since 2009 has had collateral damage to almost every aspect of life here, in particular services. Few ministries have been spared from reductions in their budgets and employees. The Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, Culture and Sport through its General Secretariat of Culture is responsible for cultural heritage, in general, and archaeological sites and museums, in particular. Staff shortages have resulted in the temporary closing of many of the regional museums and of the smaller archaeological sites. Shorter opening hours are the norm for those that remain open. The National Museum in Athens and the Archaeological Museum in Thessaloniki do not have all of their galleries open on each day. The campaigns of the Ministry of Tourism to draw tourists here to invigorate the economy are set against the reduction of the access to the touted cultural heritage by another Ministry. A workable model for long-term sustainability is needed for Greece’s cultural heritage and the sectors of the economy dependent upon it.

A major preservation conundrum in Thessaloniki
In Thessaloniki there is a dispute now over what to do with some spectacular architectural remains that have been found underneath the streets during the construction of the city’s Metro. This city has a long, vibrant history stretching from the Hellenistic period to the present. Under the Roman Empire and its Byzantine successor the city was a major center in southeastern Europe with important political, administrative and economic functions. As a result all of the features of Roman and Early Byzantine urbanism were present: orthogonal grid layout, agora, forum, odeion, imperial palace, hippodrome, theater, marble-paved portico streets with shops behind, triumphal arch, tetrapylon, rotunda, mosaic floors, Christian basilicas, etc. These are the type of ruins that tourists go to Turkey, Jordan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Syria and Lebanon to see.

The construction of the Metro station at Venizelos Street has revealed extensive, well-preserved architectural remains. Here, where the east/west running, marble-paved main thoroughfare of the city (decumanus) intersected with the main north/south street to the port, stood a monumental tetrapylon. Major public buildings stood along the street. Associated with this structure are shops dating to the 6th-9th centuries A.D. What should be done with these impressive and important remains? This is a classic collision of developmental needs, construction deadlines, cost and cultural heritage preservation. The Central Archaeological Council of Greece which makes recommendations to the Minister for decisions relating to heritage matters proposed that the remains from this stretch of the road be removed so the construction work can continue as planned. Their suggestion was that they would then be reconstructed on an ex-army camp outside of the city at some distance. This idea has enraged many residents and officials of Thessaloniki who believe that these important remains should be saved in situ, can be safe-guarded from the Metro and a cost-effective repositioning of the station can be found. With the support of the Board of Directors of the Kentro Byzantinon Erevnon of the Artistoleian University of Thessaloniki and Dr. Polyzeni Adam-Veleni, Director of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum , the Association of Greek Archaeologists have started a petition campaign to reverse the recommendation to bolster the other efforts in Thessaloniki. There is a facebook group, “ΝΑ ΣΩΣΟΥΜΕ ΤΟ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΚΟ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΟ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΔΡΟΜΙ ΤΗΣ ΘΕΣΣΑΛΟΝΙΚΗΣ” that is supporting this effort as well. It appears that almost 8,000 individuals have signed the petition so far. Check out this preservation conundrum and follow your conscience.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Meeting the New Minister of Culture and Tourism and the CIG Colloquium is in Sight

Since the inclusive national elections held on May 6th the affairs of Greece are in the hands of the “caretaker government” of Prime Minister Panagiotis Pikrammenos. His Ministers have not been just sitting in their offices, however, just waiting until the next round of national elections on June 17th. They have been out and about attempting to encourage the civil servants to continue to work hard and to exhort their fellow citizens to support their country in these most trying times. The new Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ms. Tatiana Karapanagioti, has been active as well. On Monday evening, the 4th, she invited the directors of the 17 foreign archaeological schools and institutes to the veranda off her spacious office on the 5th floor of the Ministry on Odos Bouboulinas, behind the National Museum. There, along with the General Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Lina Mendoni, the General Director, Dr. Maria Vlasaki and the Directors of the core units of the Hellenic Archaeological Service, she introduced herself and stressed the importance of the research, the economic contributions through much of Greece and the dissemination of knowledge relating to Hellenism in its broadest conceptualization that the foreign schools and their members contribute to contemporary Greek culture and to the Greek economy year in and year out. Further, Minister Karapanagioti wanted us to convey to both the friends of Greece and to potential visitors that Greece is working hard to deal with the challenges it is facing.

The Minister is a noted photographer. Her company is a producer of investigative reportage as well as documentaries that often focus on archaeological topics.

What my colleagues and I had expected, a short formal meeting with a specific, set agenda, was not, in fact, the case. Rather, it was an open, informal gathering with the Minister and her associates talking with each of us individually and in small groups on a wide range of topics of mutual concern and interest. I had the opportunity to discuss with her the potential benefits to a down-sized Hellenic Archaeological Service of permitting private Cultural Resource Management firms to undertake efficiently the requisite documentation of archaeological resources in areas to be developed under “fast-track” permits designed to promote economic growth.

Thus, on this first, hot evening of summer there was so much to discuss and to share that it lasted for over 3 hours! This event was written up in the local online media as well: http://news.in.gr/culture/article/?aid=1231198921. When the new government is formed I am certain that the foreign school directors would hope for another such opportunity to meet the new minister at her/his earliest possible convenience.

CIG Colloquium in Memory of Professor Emeritus Frederick Winter

It is just two weeks until the two-day Colloquium we have organized on Greek architecture in memory of Professor Frederick E. Winter (Department of Art, University of Toronto) begins. The program for the 22nd and the 23rd at the Italian School at Athens in Makriyianni is varied and interesting. The keynote paper of Dr. Rune Frederiksen, the Director of the Danish Institute at Athens, will demonstrate the importance of Professor Winter’s writings on Greek fortifications on our knowledge of these very visible ancient remains and how he shaped the scholarly discourse on them. There is plenty of “Canadian content” as many of papers will discuss architectural remains uncovered at sites that are being excavated or surveyed under the aegis of a permit from the Ministry obtained through the Institute. Others are given by professors at Canadian universities. Professor Winter’s daughter, Mary, will share her thoughts on her father’s career and life. The program on Friday, the 22nd, begins at 3:00 pm and that on Saturday, the 23rd, at 9:00 am. The public is welcome.

Cordially,

David Rupp

Director

Akrotiri Reopens to the Public

We have just received the official announcement from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism that the archaeological site of Akrotiri on Thira (Santorini) has reopened to the public.

The site was closed in 2005, following the collapse of a shelter which killed a British tourist.

Akrotiri is now open daily 10.00-17.00.

Middle Ground in Christian Art of the Medieval Near East, Don’t Risk Missing Out! and Greek Monuments Are Gaining Voices

Glenn Peers, David Rupp, Metaxia Tsipopoulou

The final lecture of the Institute’s Winter/Spring Program will occur on Wednesday, March 28th at 7:30 PM. We are pleased to welcome back to the lectern Professor Glenn A. Peers (Department of Art and Art History, University of Texas at Austin). He publishes on the theoretical aspects of Byzantine art, on frames and framing in Byzantine art as well as on theological and hagiographical problems. One of his current research interests is Christian-Muslim interaction in the Middle East. His lecture, “Finding Middle Ground in the Christian Art of the Medieval Near East”, will delve into the complexities of art in this region during this seminal period. We will be treated to another excellent lecture I am certain!

Don’t Risk Missing Out!
The 31st of March is fast approaching and you are in grave danger of missing out! Why risk the unending embarrassment of not buying the book (or three) that your archaeological library lacks before the sale ends? It is so simple; it is so easy. All you have to do is go to http://www.cig-icg.gr/?cat=2&item=4&lang=en. and make your bid. Why resist further?


“Monuments have no voice. They must have yours” Campaign Gains Voices
Each week the news from the Hellenic Parliament gets worse on the proposed plans and the bills that are voted on which deal with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s obligations and abilities to fulfill its sacred stewardship mission for Greece’s cultural heritage in all its forms. As I reported on last week The Association of Greek Archaeologists has started a campaign, “Monuments have no voice. They must have yours” to combat these IMF-caused cuts and to galvanize worldwide support to convince the Papademos Government that this is the wrong path to follow if it is seeking truly sustainable economic development and growth. If cultural heritage, especially archaeological sites and museums, is one of the prime attractors that drives Greek tourism, then to gut the Hellenic Archaeological Service is economically counterproductive to say the least. Their Facebook page has become a rallying point for expressing concern and for giving active support: http://www.facebook.com/AssociationOfGreekArchaeologistsAgainstImfCuts.

You can get many of the details of what is happening here in Greece as well as what is in the pipeline from this source. As you will see there is active support from our colleagues in the UK and the United States. So far, Canadian archaeologists, epigraphers, philologists, historians and art historians who do research in Greece and interact with the Hellenic Archaeological Service are silent. Why??? Why haven’t my colleagues in Canada written to the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Pavlos Geroulanos, to express their professional opinion on the current developments in this central feature of Greek society? What is happening here and now is a radical change in the paradigm for the protection, the preservation and the study of Greece’s expansive cultural heritage. As they say here, «Ξυπνα, Ρε!!!»

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Monuments have no voice - They must have yours, Book Sale Deadline Approaching, Free Offprints, Re-Constructing Ancient Landscapes

On Wednesday, the Association of Greek Archaeologists which represents the 950 Greek archaeologists who work for the Hellenic Archaeological Service of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism held a press conference (see: http://www.sea.org.gr/press/pages/viewpress.aspx?PressID=107) to publicize the launch of their campaign, “Monuments have no voice, They must have yours”. This is an attempt to rally widespread support to oppose the proposed reduction in their numbers in the Service and in the Ministry as a whole by 30-50%. This is more “house cleaning” of the Greek government that is required by the recently signed Second Memorandum with the infamous Troika/IMF. The threat to the government’s sacrosanct obligation to protect and to preserve the country’s cultural heritage for posterity is very real if these cuts indeed go through. The crisis in the Service and in Greek archaeology, in general, is more collateral damage from the hyper-austerity that has been imposed on the country over the past two years. Last week there was a conference organized by another independent group here, the Union of Archaeologists of Greece. My paper at “Archaeological Research and the Management of Archaeological Materials” discussed the implications and the opportunities of such a “new reality” for the Hellenic Archaeological Service and for Greek archaeology.

The Association of Greek Archaeologists is seeking the active support of individuals and organizations throughout the world to demand that this rich and varied cultural heritage is not sacrificed on the altar of expediency. You can find out more about their campaign from their Facebook page with attractive posters that you can download and share. Don’t be silent!! Speak up immediately for Greece’s monuments!!! http://www.facebook.com/AssociationOfGreekArchaeologistsAgainstImfCuts

The end of the CIG Book Sale is approaching
Don’t be the last one at the archaeological site to have made a bid for a book or three that are missing from your archaeological library and available now from CIG! The books that are for sale can be scrutinized at: http://www.cig-icg.gr/?cat=2&item=4&lang=en. The instructions for making your bid are simple and time is running out. You have until Saturday, March 31st!

Free Offprints Available
In the process of cataloguing and organizing our Library’s ‘Offprint Collection” we have identified over 150 duplicates. These are available now, without charge, on a first come, first take basis. Come and give these treasures of scholarship a new home in your library.

Book of the Blog
The use of digital technologies to visualize aspects of the past has been the subject, directly or indirectly, of many of the volumes reviewed for this feature of the Blog (see, for example, http://cig-icg.blogspot.com/2011/11/another-donation-of-books-to-library.html). Even the case studies focusing on the construction and interpretation of ancient landscapes have only summarized how this is done and what types of data sets are required to start this arduous process. Often a clear conceptual/theoretical framework for this research is either inadequately articulated or is missing altogether.

The pioneering work of Sofia Pescarin and her mentor/supervisor Maurizio Forte, first at the Supercomputer Centre at the University of Bologna, then at the Virtual Heritage Lab at CNR-ITABC in Rome, and now at the University of California – Merced, have resulted in a holistic approach to such efforts in Virtual Archaeology. In Pescarin’s Reconstructing Ancient Landscapes (Archaeolingua, Series Minor 28, Budapest, 2009) she details how one can “reconstruct” virtual ecosystems that are reproductions of past realities based on five conceptualizations of the “landscape”. They are, “archaeological landscapes” or the present landscape with the distribution of data sets relating to past settlement and exploitation; “mapscape” or the interpretive landscape which we imagine exists; “pastscape” or what could have been there at some point in the past; “mindscape” or how we think that past populations perceived the landscape; and “webscape” or the networks and relations in the “digital pipeline” for sharing the results of this research. With this as the foundation she describes systematically how one can proceed. At each stage there are ample references to similar efforts in GIS-oriented and virtual reality-oriented projects focusing on the past. The latter is mostly driven by computer scientists, architects interested in landscapes and the computer-game industry. The former is the realm of archaeologists, geographers, ecologists and historians.

In Chapters 3 (“Archaeological Landscape Reconstruction: Mapping the Space’) and 4 (“Potential Landscape Reconstruction”) she takes the reader through the numerous steps required, from Data Acquisition to Data Post-processing to landscape reconstruction and visualization. The technical details are explained and the means to do this are outlined with both equivalent commercial and open source tools indicated. There are numerous color illustrations and ample tables and charts. The illustrative examples are mostly drawn from research in the Roman and Medieval worlds of the Italian peninsula. The means available to disseminate the results via the internet are explored in Chapter 7. The links that she provides here are a treasure-trove of what is out there. Appendix A features five case studies with differing approaches to the construction of the past landscapes, archaeological sites, building complexes and cities.

The volume demonstrates clearly that the construction of ancient landscapes is not for the technically-challenged or the impatient archaeologist. It is not, however, beyond the scope and expertise of a well-organized cadre of researchers with a long-term vision for their collaborative investigations. In doing these constructions one is surely stimulated constantly to ask perceptive and complex questions that could drive future research. Our Library has a solid collection of books and volumes that can serve as the foundation for the formulation of such ancient landscape construction research.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Ancient Olympia Antiquities Theft

Early this morning two masked robbers overpowered the guard in the Museum of the Olympic Games at Ancient Olympia and stole some 65 artefacts, including coins, figurines and gold jewellery. The Minister of Culture, Pavlos Yeroulanos, has tendered his resignation.

Athens News article (in English)
Kathimerini article (in English)
NewsIt.gr article (in Greek)

More Collateral Damage in Greece from the Economic Crisis and Religion and Society in Roman Corinth

For the past two years Greece has been enduring the ever worsening effects of the “Economic Crisis”. The desperate need of the government to reduce the size and the cost of its operations in order to reduce its huge annual deficits affects every aspect of Greek life. All manner of taxes are rising, especially related to property and consumption items. The drastic reduction in consumer spending due to less liquidity and general pessimism has driven the high rate of small and medium business closures and fast rising unemployment. For example the mini-market across the street from the Institute closed in September.

In this rush to create a more manageable, less costly and ultimately sustainable state there has been significant collateral damage to core institutions, such as IGME (Greek Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration) and ERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation). A law passed on October 27th – 4024/2011 – by the Papandreou government said that 30,000 older public servants with many years of service would either be forced immediately into unpaid pre-retirement or placed on “labor reserve” on reduced salary for two years before automatic pre-retirement.

Given the demographics of the Greek Archaeological Service and its pattern of irregular intake of archaeologists for permanent positions this law has hit it very hard. For many of our Greek colleagues I am disappointed to say, today, November 25th, is their last day of employment whether they were qualified for normal retirement or not. Our loyal collaborators Vasilios Arvantinos of the 9th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Zisis Bonias of the 37th Ephorate, and Olga Philanioutou of the 20th Ephorate are included in this most unfortunate and abrupt loss of talent and experience. My wife, Metaxia Tsipopoulou, Director of the National Archive of Monuments, joins them too, alas. As this law will engulf more employees next year, other members of the Service have taken premature retirement this fall. Thus, on Monday the Service will be a shell of its former self. The Greek public and media are mostly unaware of this development.

It is clear that the departure of so many senior archaeologists will allow the government to downsize further and to re-organize radically the Service. In 2012 we will learn how the Greek state plans in this new reality to fulfill its vital mission and to meet its obligations as the steward of the rich and diverse cultural heritages of this country.

In closing, on behalf of the Institute, its staff and its members I wish to extend to our Greek colleagues who are setting out tomorrow on a new path in their lives our deepest appreciation for their invaluable assistance in our research over the years and for the firm friendships forged. You are always welcome to use the Institute and its Library. We look forward to your participation in our lecture series to present the results of your research.

Books of the Blog
The Institute’s Library is growing from purchases, exchanges and donations. Among our many loyal supporters with regular financial contributions and donations of books are Mary and Michael Walbank. Recently they enriched our holdings with two volumes dealing with religion and society in Ancient Corinth from the Late Hellenistic through Early Byzantine eras.

The first volume, Urban Religion in Roman Corinth. Interdisciplinary Approaches (Harvard Theological Studies 53, Cambridge, MA, 2005) is edited by D.N. Schowalter and S.J. Friesen. Using a plethora of sources – archaeological and architectural remains, funerary assemblages, art, inscriptions, literary texts and apostolic letters – the 16 contributors plumb the depths of the polytheistic and Christian religions of Corinth across seven centuries. The broader urban and regional context of this religious observance is surveyed first by G. Sanders and D. Romano. Mary Walbank’s contribution examines the grave goods and practices from cemetery to the north of the city where ordinary people were buried from the early colony through the 6th century CE. The references cited in the volume cover almost 40 pages! The maps, plans, drawings and images supply sufficient visual documentation to support the various lines of argument and the many comparisons.

The second, again with Friesen and Schowalter as editors along with J.C. Walters is entitled, Corinth in Context. Comparative Studies on Religion and Society (Supplements to Novum Testamentum 134, Leiden, 2010). This collection of contributions takes a broader perspective, both in the timeframe, the geographic scope and the thematic issues. There is more emphasis on the period before the establishment of the Roman colony, on the polytheistic religions, and the Corinthia as a whole as revealed by pedestrian survey. Six of the 13 authors participated in the previously mentioned volume. Mary Walbank presents the coinage of Roman Corinth from an iconographic perspective. She discusses the depiction of religious monuments and buildings as well as statuary in the city and the Sanctuary of Poseidon. Michael Walbank , using grave inscriptions dating from the 4th through 7th centuries CE, identifies 390 names and 107 occupations from a prosperous subset of Christian Corinth. Again there is an extensive up-to-date bibliography and numerous useful illustrations. The two volumes taken together form the starting point for many discussions not just on the religious life and practices of the city spanning over 800 years but also on the character of the society in the urban core and in its rural hinterland.

Cordially,
David Rupp
Director

Byzantine Museum of Chios reopens

We have just received notification from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism that the Byzantine Museum of Chios, which has remained closed since 15 February 2011, is once again open to the public. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 08.30-15.00.

Corfu Archaeological Museum reopens

We have just received notification from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism that the Archaeological Museum of Corfu, which has remained closed since 6 October 2010, is once again open to the public. Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 08.30-15.00.

Archaeological Site and Museum Opening Hours, summer 2011

The National Archaeological Museum, Athens

There has been much discussion lately about Greek museums and archaeological sites remaining closed or operating only limited hours. Notable was a report in the English edition of Greek newspaper Kathimerini, on the many closed galleries of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. You can read the report here.

Nevertheless, on June 3 the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism released a list of sites and museums operating double shifts (and thus remaining open from 08.00-17.00 or later; some until 20.00). This list was updated in a press release of  June 6 and now includes some 57 sites and museums around Greece. The list (in Greek only) can be found here. (The National Archaeological Museum is not on the current list.)

Ancient Messene

It is also noted in the press release that the list will be expanded as more summer guards are hired. The degree to which sites and museums are added will presumably be dependent on the government's programme of austerity measures. Visitors to Greece should also keep in mind that some of the strikes organised to protest these measures will affect site and museum openings.

Best wishes,
Jonathan Tomlinson
Assistant Director

Temporary Museum Closures

This just in from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture:

The Museum of the Roman Agora of Thessaloniki and the Archaeological Museum of Kalymnos are closed to the public until further notice.