The Bays of East Attica Regional Survey (BEARS) 2024: Koroni-ing Achievement

Miriam Clinton and Robert Stephan atop a ruined structure while mapping on Koroni in 2024

Anyone who spends enough time working on archaeological field projects will eventually learn several immutable ‘rules’ about how things tend to go. First, the most interesting and exciting finds always appear on the very last day of an excavation when you desperately need to backfill trenches and wrap things up to complete the season. Second, whenever you wish there would be a nice breeze to cool your team off on a hot day, the air will be a thick, humid doldrum of stillness, while on days where you need to fly your drone, the most horrendous hurricane-force gales will mercilessly pummel your site as if propelled by a vengeful god. Finally, most definitely guaranteed: you can rely on the fact that no matter how many times you test out your electronic equipment prior to the season, it will not work properly when you really need it to – this is especially true if there are important or many people staring at you as you continuously click buttons, turn the unit on and back off again, and otherwise struggle to troubleshoot various tech issues while muttering and cursing quietly under your breath.

In other words, archaeological projects almost involve at least a little bit of chaos, and even the best-laid plans end up scattered in a colorful confetti of nonsense on the lab floor. This is not meant as a criticism! Rather, it simply comes with the territory. Many practitioners (present company included) arrive in the field having freshly emerged, gollum-like, from dark winter lairs requiring struggles with musty tomes rather than dGPS units and require a few beats to reboot. Archaeological fieldwork involves a lot of elements that are out of one’s control – like the weather – or hard to predict – like what turns up when you stick a shovel in the ground. Part of the fun of the entire operation is that you don’t really know how things are going to go and must make constant adjustments to deal with surprises, as in a video game.

After 15+ years spent learning these rules, I was fully prepared to embrace a ‘chaotic era’ while getting ready to co-direct a field project for the first time in 2019, when we were setting up for the first season of the Bays of East Attica Regional Survey (BEARS), back in 2019. Weirdly, however, the project went extremely smoothly, with an almost disappointing lack of proper chaos from beginning to end, even taking into account the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Every season we had about the exact amount of time and personnel that we needed to do what we needed to do, usually finishing up fieldwork a few days early so that we could spend time tidying up loose ends. Nobody got injured, no drones were crashed, and we never even lost a team member or an artifact into the sea, despite many opportunities amidst transferring people and objects on/off a boat nearly every day of every season. There was a potentially chaotic moment on the last day of mapping on Raftis Island in 2023, when we found a gold coin while walking back to the boat to leave (see rule #1 above). But even then, all we had to do was put it in a bag and take it to the museum – hardly making a confetti of nonsense out of our plans!

Team members hopping off the dinghy onto Raftis Island via beach-rock hopscotch in July 2024

The closest we had to a chaos, I suppose, arrived courtesy of the unexpectedly massive tangle of architectural remains on the Koroni peninsula. The Koroni peninsula, located at the south end of the bay of Porto Rafti, is home to a fortified acropolis and town, mostly datable to the Hellenistic period (third century BCE) and associated with Ptolemaic mercenaries arriving to the area during the Chremonidean War (260s BCE). A small team of researchers from the American School of Classical Studies had produced a plan of the fortifications and other architecture on the site during a brief campaign in 1960. Since mapping and documentation technology has advanced considerably during the last sixty years, one of our goals in the BEARS project was to revisit the architecture on Koroni and re-document the remains to create an updated plan of the site, with a team of mappers led by Miriam Clinton from Rhodes College.

It turns out that the original plan of the site made by the ASCSA team was, to put it generously, a bit more of an abstraction, verging towards imaginary fever dream territory, than an accurate recording. As we progressed with Koroni mapping during the 2022 season, it became clear that there were hundreds upon hundreds of walls on the site that had simply been ignored by the ASCSA team, stretching across the saddle below the acropolis and down its slopes on all sides. We threw a ton of personnel at the project of completing a proper map of all these walls in 2022. However, much of the site is now badly overgrown, not to mention steep and sheltered from any breeze by the acropolis looming above, so the work was punishing, and progress slow. Moreover, the more team members slogged about the site, the more unknown and unmapped structures kept emerging from the bushes. Thus, following yet another seven-week campaign of mapping on Koroni during the 2023 study season, there remained at least eighty full undocumented structures in the saddle of the site.

Pondering architecture amidst the thorny slopes of the Koroni saddle

Thus, Miriam, myself, and fellow BEARS lifer Robert Stephan doggedly returned to finish the Koroni map in early June 2024. All in all, we ended up mapping more than 1,000 walls on Koroni, including not only Hellenistic structures, but also architecture dating to the Bronze Age, and many probably Medieval or Early Modern installations that had been ignored in previous maps. I am happy to report that the dGPS unit (mostly) behaved itself – following the obligatory preliminary muttering session on day one, of course!

In some ways it was slightly less than ideal to have such a small rump of a 2024 season; surely much more elegant to call it a full wrap after the epic and hugely productive 2023 campaign! At the same time, it was great fun to have an opportunity to spend a mellow time in the field churning through tasks with two very old and dear friends (I met Miriam working on the Saronic Harbors Archaeological Research Project way back in 2008 while Rob and I were in grad school together from 2007–2013). I guess that’s another important rule of archaeology – one of the best parts is that you get to meet amazing and interesting people who become your friends for life!

Triumphant Koroni mappers of 2024 after completing documentation of the final feature

In addition to – at long last – completing the gargantuan task of mapping Koroni, the work of the BEARS project in 2024 included a geological component. As readers of the 2023 BEARS blog post may recall, amongst the surprising finds from Raftis Island were a huge assemblage of groundstone artifacts made from a chaotic array of different materials – andesites and basalts and granodiorites and magnetites and gabbros galore! Thus, in July we arranged for a geologist, Christos Stergiou, to visit Raftis along with our groundstone specialist Eleni Chreiazomenou to gather some material for geochemical sampling and analyses, which will help us to better understand where all these materials came from. That, in turn, will help us fill in our reconstruction of the trade and exchange networks people living on Raftis in the Bronze Age may have been involved with.

Eleni Chreiazomenou and Christos Stergiou with a heap of groundstone artifacts on Raftis Island

It was a beautiful day out on the island, though of course (see rule #2 above) it was very, very windy, which made getting onto and off the steep slopes of the island a fun challenge (especially at the end of the day when everyone’s bags were weighed down with many kilograms of special rocks). Christos and Eleni also joined us in the Brauron museum the following day to have another look at the material we had collected in previous seasons. I was excited to learn that some of our ‘mystery rocks’ (every project has them!) are in fact iron ores, which may add another prong to the “fires of industry” theme of the project’s results. Some of these will also be sent for geochemical analysis, which will help us determine where they might have come from. It will be very interesting to see how these results shake out, hopefully over the coming year.

Eleni and Christos working with groundstone artifacts in the museum

Meanwhile, my co-director Catherine Pratt and I have begun gathering chapters for the final publication of the project’s results. We are excited to have many new things to say about the history and archaeology of this beautiful corner of Attica, from the hard-earned new multi-period architectural map of Koroni to detailed information about geological materials entering the bay in the Bronze Age, and heaps more in between. Thanks, as always, to all readers for taking an interest in our work in Porto Rafti and to the many organizations and individuals who have made the BEARS project possible!

Eleni, Christos, and the author traipsing off into the horizon on the slopes of Raftis Island

Sarah Murray, University of Toronto, co-director, BEARS

Archaeology at ancient Eleon and Graduate Training

Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project team photo 2024

From May 13-June 23, 2024, the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project again conducted excavations at the site of ancient Eleon in central Greece. This project is a synergasia of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia, directed by Alexandra Charami, and the Canadian Institute in Greece working with the University of Victoria. In 2024, we continued excavations, but rather than work on the top of the low plateau where we have previously worked and uncovered substantial Mycenaean remains, this year, we moved our investigation to the lower town surrounding the acropolis. In previous seasons we had surveyed in this area and noted polygonal masonry comparable to the large polygonal wall along the eastern edge of the acropolis. We opened trenches to test our survey methods and we were very successful in exposing a significant stretch of the lower town fortification system, complete with towers and stone socles which supported mudbrick superstructure. With detailed study of the ceramics, including roof tiles, we discovered that the construction date of the fortification system is in the late Archaic period, and it was destroyed in the early Classical age (ca. 500-450 BCE). We hope to report on this work at the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America in January 2025 in Philadelphia.

Lower town tower (left) and wall socle (right)

Trevor Van Damme and pottery in apothiki (left) and excavation (right)

Our work in 2024, like every year since the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project began in 2007, provides research-engaged learning and university course credit for undergraduates at the University of Victoria, Wellesley College, and other universities in Canada and the US. Some of our team members miss their graduation at their home institution so we have our own ‘EBAP Graduation’ party each summer.

Graduates 2024: Lucas Goulden, Shayla Faminow, Riley Kernohan, Haley Bertram, Hana Sugioka, Ben Watts Wooldridge

Excavation supervisors: Bryan Burns, Hana Sugioka, Graham Braun, Haley Bertram, Ben Watts Wooldridge, Brendan Burke

In addition to hands-on learning for undergraduates, EBAP also provides research opportunities and experience for graduate students who engage with material from our project, supervise excavation, and conduct research projects of their own. Many of these projects have resulted in Master’s theses and PhD dissertations. In 2024, we had four excellent graduate students who supervised individual trenches and we are very grateful for their dedication. All the supervisors have worked with our project previously including Haley Bertram, who started with us in 2011 and successfully completed her dissertation at the University of Cincinnati. Haley was the senior supervisor leading the team and will start as Resident Instructor at the Intercollegiate Center in Rome in September. Hana Sugioka just completed her MA at the University of Texas at Austin in Art History and will start a PhD at UC Berkeley after an internship at the Getty Museum. Ben Watts Wooldridge is completing his MA at the University of Victoria and will start his PhD work at Princeton University this year. Graham Braun completed his MA at UBC and is in the PhD program at Cincinnati. This coming year he will be the Emily Vermeule fellow as a Regular Member of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. Our graduate student supervisors are an extremely valuable part of the team and without their detailed record keeping and effective management of our undergraduate students, we would not have accomplished all that we did in 2024.

Team on break from lower town excavation

One of the things all graduates are told about their research projects, especially their PhD dissertation topics, is that their work should be original and one that advances the field of archaeology and Greek studies. Finding something new to say can be a great challenge since the field of Classical archaeology has such a long and distinguished history. By providing newly excavated material from our excavation for study, analysis, and publication, our project believes it is a doubly successful endeavor: graduate students get original material to work on to complete their degrees and our shared research results are disseminated and published. Recent projects include Haley Bertram looking at our archaic and classical figurines for an MA at UBC; Max MacDonald looking at textile equipment for an MA at UVic; Matthew Bullock studying faunal remains from Eleon for his MA in Anthropology MA at UVic; Janelle Sadarananda studying clay chemistry of the Archaic ceramics for her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania; Scott Evans looking at the lithic/chipped stone from Eleon for his UVic MA; Alix Galumbeck examining the bull figures and Mycenaean religion at Eleon for her UVic MA; Ben Watts Wooldridge from UVic studying figural decorated pottery from ancient Eleon for his MA; and Krysten Cruz studying our early Mycenaean human population for her PhD at Texas Tech.

Janelle Sadarananda presenting her petrography research

In addition, we work with young scholars who include material from Eleon in their wider regional studies, some as post-doctoral projects. This includes Vernon Stafford from the University of Tennessee, Sally McGrath UNB, Bella Dimova of the British School at Athens, Amanda Gaggioli at the University of Memphis, Chris Hale of the Polish Academy of Science, Jeremey Beller and Annika Berendt from the University of Victoria, and Symeon Gkinoudis from Groningen University. Having advanced students and young scholars keeps our project engaged with the most recent methods of research and theory, and it provides a clear inspiration to our undergraduates on the wide variety of fields that engage with our excavations at Eleon. They see what is possible for them to continue their studies in the field of archaeology, classics, anthropology, etc.  Interdisciplinary training is also important for graduate students who are specializing in history and literature, including Luke Montgomery and Grace Niehaus, pursuing their MAs at the University of Victoria.

Symeon Gkinoudis presenting his research on paleobotany

We greatly value the contributions that all of our team members make to the project, but we especially appreciate our graduate students. We look forward to continuing working with them in the future and hope that many of them will incorporate research from Eleon in their future projects.. We look forward to continuing our work at ancient Eleon in 2025 and are very grateful to the Canadian Institute in Greece and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Boeotia for all of their help.

Team leaving ancient Eleon 2024

 Brendan Burke, Bryan Burns & Trevor Van Damme, EBAP

My Life is in (Ancient Greek) Ruins

When I got the news I was accepted for the CIG internship I was ecstatic. I just finished the third year of my undergraduate degree in Mediterranean Archaeology and felt a longing to engage with the material I was learning about in class. I had never been to Southern Europe before, but even as I saw the sun rise near the end of the 8 hour plane journey, I know I was going to embark on a life-changing adventure.

I was put to work straight away, helping out and guiding other travelers who had also just arrived in Greece to the CIG guest apartments. I also set to exploring my new home for the summer, and getting used to the entirely unfamiliar Greek sun. Although I started to melt right away, I was able to visit Hadrian's library. I was fascinated by the supple marble, porous clay bricks, and the simple fact that I was standing in the same places as the people I studied while an ocean away.

My time in Greece followed this pattern of helping keep the institute running and cataloguing newly arrived books, then going out to explore on the evenings and weekends. One weekend I was visiting Delphi and the scenic Mountain town of Arachova, while the next I was off to ancient Mycenae and Epidaurus. I was able to cross the Aegean to visit Aegina; sampling pistachios and running up mountains scattered with ruins of a long gone city. Even within Athens, after work was over, I toured through the city visiting sites like Philoppapos Hill, The Agora, The Acropolis and more. Much to my delight, I had the opportunity to peruse the collections of artifacts and sculptures like those at Benaki Museum or the National Archaeological Museum, unburdened by the cost of entry thanks to the Ministry of Culture pass I received as part of my internship.

On top of all this, then there were darts nights at the Red Lion. Here I was able to bask in the familiar presences of my Professors from Trent, alongside new faces like Janne, the Intern from the Finnish institute. I was able to talk to working Archaeologists, those who I hope to join as I continue onwards forming my skills as an apprentice in the field, pushed on by a reinforced passion for history. Now, I also may or may not have a new hobby to pick up back in Canada. I even had the opportunity to celebrate Canada day under the Acropolis with the Ambassador of Canada; an event I was extremely privileged and honoured to be invited to, and which was only possible through the Internship.

Now not only do I have hobbies and souvenirs to bring back, but also friends and experiences that will last with me for the rest of my professional and personal life. One of these memories was a trip to Meteora, where I was able to watch the sun slowly slide below the horizon, casting bronze light across the Thessalian plains. Here, I met some friends and acquaintances I knew from back home, which made the fading sunlight feel even warmer. Another fond memory I'll keep with me is watching the sunset over the Odeon of Herodes Atticus as Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto is beautifully played by an orchestra as part of the Athens-Epidaurus festival.

The story doesn't even end there, as my last excursion outside of Athens during the internship came and went like the sun over the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. Through my work at the internship, I found the resources and advice I needed to be able to make a pilgrimage to Mount Athos in August. This experience, I hope, will round out this chapter of my life as one full of professional, spiritual and personal growth. While I’ve seen a few beautiful sunsets over the ruins in Greece, I hope that because of the time I spent here, I’ll be able to come back one day and experience the sunrise over the ancient sites to which I’ve decided to dedicate my career.

Brandon Montague

Trent University intern, summer 2024

Many visits to Greece, yet more to discover!

As my internship at the Canadian Institute in Greece ends, it brings up the reflection on my time spent here in Athens and the responsibilities and activities I have partaken in.  Over the last two and a half months, I have been able to learn new things and experience places I have visited before but go to others I had never been to.  This internship helped me to step out of my comfort zone and put myself out there a little more. 

My graduate studies in European Affairs led me to the institute for the completion of an internship in Europe, and I am grateful to have been introduced to the institute in the past while completing a course for my undergraduate studies here in Greece.  Although I do not have a strong knowledge of archaeology, this internship motivated me to learn more about Greece’s history and be more aware of how archaeology has influenced our modern world.  While my main tasks at the institute were working in the library organizing and cataloguing the books, I was also given the opportunity to assist with events and meet new people.

As many of you have been following our adventures on social media, managing and providing content gave me the opportunity to explore parts of Athens that I never had before.  One of the expeditions that I was most excited to go to and gather content for was the ancient Greek Agora.  For years I have been trying to go to this archaeological site, and with my internship here, I finally was able to do so, while bearing in mind the significance of the archaeological remains.  Completing my internship at the institute helped me put into perspective and be more aware of the significance of archaeology in Greece.  Not just the usual tourism aspect of visiting the site, but actually taking the time to understand everything there.  Sometimes we take for granted that we have these marvels in our world, but it is important to realize their significance to the past and how important it is that we still have these artifacts and sites today.

Being Greek and having been to Greece on numerous occasions, I have been fortunate to have seen many of Greece’s museums and archaeological sites.  However, working at the institute gave me the privilege of to explore more of what Greece had to offer.  Not only did the institute give me the opportunity to explore more of Greece, but to meet new people.  I was able to meet various diplomats and professors and have meaningful conversations with them.  I am grateful to have been able to meet so many different people and the impact they had on my perspective of Greece. 

 

Overall, my time here in Greece, as always was enjoyable, but this experience as an intern will be unforgettable.  The opportunity to work at the Canadian Institute in Greece was very impactful for my continuing education.  Thank you to all those who make it possible for the institute to be available to us and being a resource for Canadian scholars.

Christina Coutsougeras
University of Toronto intern, Summer 2024

Les derniers jours de l’École d’été 2024 de l’ICG! / The finale of CIG’s 2024 Summer Schools

Durant cette dernière semaine de l’École d’été, les deux groupes francophones participant à l’itinéraire Attique-Péloponnèse ont continué leur périple dans la péninsule. Bien qu’il tire à sa fin, beaucoup reste à découvrir!

The final week of the CIG's Attic-Peloponnese Summer school saw the francophone groups continue their travels. Although they knew the journey was nearing its end, they still had much to discover and many more memories.

Alors que le groupe 2 l’avait visité la semaine dernière, c’est maintenant au tour du groupe 1 d’explorer le site de la cité byzantine de Mystras, nichée sur le flanc du mont Taygetus, en parcourant ses rues et en découvrant les racoins de ses nombreux monastères. Offrant un panorama de toute la vallée à ses pieds, autrefois sous la dominion de Sparte, la vue à partir des ruines de son château était époustouflante.

While the second group had seen it last week, it was group 1 turn to explore the awe-inspiring site of Mystras, nestled on Mt. Taygetus. They traversed the ancient streets, paying their respects at the numerous monasteries. The view from the site, encompassing the entire valley once under the dominion of ancient Sparta, was a sight to behold.

L’un après l’autre, les deux groupes ont également eu l’occasion de faire un arrêt sur la route vers Pylos, pour visiter le site de l’ancienne Mèssene. Les nombreux vestiges d’époques hellénistique et romaine, dont de nombreux sanctuaires, une agora, des commerces, le stade et même des latrines romaines ont permis aux étudiants de s’imprégner des différents lieux de la vie quotidienne antique.

Both groups, brimming with excitement, stopped in Messenia on their way to Pylos. Here, they eagerly delved into the remnants of the Hellenistic and Roman city. The students immersed themselves in the various sanctuaries, the bustling agora with its many stores, the grand stadium, and even the Roman latrines, their curiosity piqued by the place's rich history and culture.

S’ensuivait le lendemain une journée dans la ville moderne de Methoni, afin de visiter son château et son église. Après le rythme effréné des derniers jours, les étudiants ont passé un après-midi libre bien mérité! Alors que le groupe 1 en a profité pour explorer la ville davantage et pour passer du temps à la plage, le groupe 2 est retourné à Pylos où les étudiants ont pu participer à un tour de bateau. Cette excursion dans la baie de Pylos fut l’occasion de voir de nombreuses grottes de l’île de Sphaktiria ainsi que les nombreux monuments érigés à la mémoire des alliés des Grecs lors de la guerre d’indépendance.

The next day was spent in the modern town of Methoni. Here, the students explored the castle and its lone church. Once finished, they had time to explore the town and take advantage of the beautiful weather to go to the beach. Once back in Pylos, the second group decided to organize a little boat ride to see the various coves in the region and stop by the island of Sphaktiria and its many monuments.

Les deux groupes ont finalement pris la direction d’Olympie, en prenant toutefois le soin de visiter les vestiges du Palais de Nestor. À Olympie, Dr. Angelos Gkotsinas, archéologue en charge de la restauration de l’atelier de Phidias, a offert une extraordinaire visite privée du site et du musée archéologique d’Olympie. Sa présentation vive et imagée a véritablement permis aux étudiants de s’imprégner de l’ambiance qui a pu autrefois habiter l’ancien sanctuaire, bien sûr couronnée par une ultime course dans le stade. En soirée, les étudiants ont logé à Patras, ce qui leur a donné l’occasion de visiter la troisième plus grande ville de Grèce et de traverser son pont, merveille d’ingénierie moderne!

The next day, the groups passed by the Palace of Nestor as they left Pylos on their way to Olympia. Dr. Angelos Gkotsinas, an archeologist in charge of restoring Phideas' workshop, gave both groups a private tour of the ancient site and museum. The final running competition was held at the ancient stadium, where the winners were crowned with wreaths. That night, the students stayed at a hotel in the heart of Patras to give them a chance to explore the third biggest city in Greece.

À Delphes, la beauté des environs et la grandeur du site expliquent pourquoi ce dernier a été le favori de plusieurs! Ils ont aussi été marqués par le remarquable état de préservation de plusieurs de ses bâtiments tels que le Trésor des Athéniens, le stade et la Tholos du sanctuaire d’Athéna Pronaia.

The following day, the students arrived in Delphi to visit the ancient site, which had become many students' favourite. They were fascinated by the preservation of monuments such as the Athenian Treasury, the Stadium, and the Tholos from the sanctuary of Athena Pronaia. Afterward, they ate and spent the rest of the night exploring the cute village of Arahova.

Après une dernière nuit passée dans le village d’Arachova, les étudiants se sont arrêtés à la forteresse d’Éleuthère sur leur chemin de retour vers Athènes. Les étudiants ont pu explorer la structure de cette fortification qui compte parmis les mieux préservées en Grèce, en marchant sur les murs et entrant dans les tours, comme les soldats l’ont fait plusieurs milliers d’années auparavant.

The trip to the Peloponnese ended with a final visit to the fortress of Eleutherai. The fortifications are known as one of the most well-preserved in Greece, and the students were fascinated by the structure as they walked through old doorways and along the walls, attempting to relive what life must have been like stationed in that spot thousands of years ago.

Avec un retour à Athènes 2 jours avant le groupe 1, le groupe 2 en a profité pour visiter le sanctuaire d’Artémis à Brauron ainsi que son musée qui se démarque par ses nombreux artéfacts liés à l’enfance, le temple de Poséidon au Cap Sounion, et le cimetière du Kerameikos.

The second group arrived in Athens a few days before summer school ended, allowing them to visit a few sites they had not had a chance to before. The first was a visit to the Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron and its beautiful museum before continuing onto the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. The following day, they finished their trip with the Keramikos, where they visited the ancient cemetery along with one of the gates of Ancient Athens.

Les deux groupes, séparés depuis près de 2 semaines, se sont retrouvés à l’occasion d’un souper d’au revoir à la taverne Zeus Xenios dans le quartier Anafiotika. Rires et anecdotes etaient au rendez-vous. Bien sûr, la perspective de leur départ et de la fin de cette expérience enrichissante en a ému plus d’un.

On the final day, both groups gathered at Xenos Zeus for a heartwarming dinner. The air was filled with laughter and chatter as the students shared stories and experiences from their trips. Amidst the joy, there were also a few tears from students who were not ready to say goodbye, their shared experiences forging bonds that they wished could last a lifetime.

Merci d’avoir suivi nos voyages à travers l’Attique et le Péloponnèse avec nos deux groupes d’étudiants exceptionnels. C’est déjà avec beaucoup d’enthousiasme que nous pensons aux programmes de l’année prochaine, où nous espérons vous revoir!

Thank you for following our journey throughout Attic and the Peloponnese. This year, we spent time with an amazing group of students with so much potential that it will be very hard to beat. But we will, once again, take on the challenge in next year's summer schools!