AURA Volumes by Athens University Review Of Archaeology
AURA, 2023
This article presents forty-two unpublished metal pins (41 copper-based and 1 silver) housed in t... more This article presents forty-two unpublished metal pins (41 copper-based and 1 silver) housed in the National Archaeological Museum (Collection of Metal Artefacts). In the past, they were part of the Collection of doctor Konstantinos Lambros, confiscated in Berlin and repatriated to Greece in 1899. Unfortunately, their provenance as well as their function (ex-voto? burial offerings? part of a dead's clothing?) are unknown. A typological and stylistic analysis based on researchestablished typologies and comparison with published examples from various sites have allowed us to date the majority of the pins from the Submycenean/Protogeometric to the Archaic period and to consider them products of ancient workshops operating mostly in central Greece and the Peloponnese. All the copper-based pins are made of bronze (binary copper-tin alloy). ΕΙΣΑΓΏΓΗ Μέρος του θησαυρού των μετάλλινων αντικειμένων που φυλάσσονται στη Συλλογή Έργων Μεταλλοτεχνίας του Εθνικού Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου (στο εξής ΕΑΜ) αποτελεί ένα ιδιαίτερο σύνολο από αδημοσίευτες μετάλλινες περόνες διαφόρων χρονικών περιόδων, που είχε συλλέξει ο ιατρός Κωνσταντίνος Λάμπρος. Η Συλλογή Λάμπρου περιλάμβανε διάφορες αρχαιότητες, στην πλειονότητά τους ιατρικά εργαλεία, οι οποίες κατασχέθηκαν στο Βερολίνο και επαναπατρίστηκαν στην Αθήνα το 1899. Την ίδια χρονιά εισήχθησαν στο ΕΑΜ και κάποια έτη αργότερα (1922) καταγράφηκαν στην τότε Συλλογή Χαλκών. Μέρος της εντυπωσιακής συλλογής των ιατρικών εργαλείων εκτίθεται στη μόνιμη έκθεση της Συλλογής Έργων Μεταλλοτεχνίας του EAM (Αίθουσα 38, Προθήκη 59). Το παρόν άρθρο αποσκοπεί στην παρουσίαση 42 περονών από το σύνολο των κοσμημάτων της Συλλογής, κατά χρονολογική σειρά, οι οποίες μπορούν να θεωρηθούν προϊόντα εργαστηρίων που δραστηριοποιήθηκαν εντός ελλαδικού χώρου και χρονολογούνται από τα τέλη της 2ης/αρχές 1ης χιλιετίας έως και την Αρχαϊκή περίοδο. Δυστυχώς, η προέλευσή τους είναι άγνωστη και ως εκ τούτου η αδυναμία σύνδεσής τους με κλειστό ανασκαφικό σύνολο καθιστά αδύνατη την ακριβή και ασφαλή χρονολόγησή τους, η οποία στηρίζεται αποκλειστικά στη μορφολογική-τυπολογική θεώρηση, στη σύγκριση με δημοσιευμένα παραδείγματα από διάφορες θέσεις και στην ένταξή τους σε καθιερωμένες στην έρευνα τυπολογίες περονών (ενδεικτικά αναφέρονται Kilian-Dirlmeier 1984, 2002. Felsch 2007). Οι περόνες στην αρχαία Ελλάδα συνήθως κατασκευάζονται από χαλκό, σίδηρο, οστό, μα και από πολυτιμότερα υλικά, όπως χρυσό, άργυρο και ελεφαντόδοντο. Ανήκουν στα λειτουργικά κοσμήματα
AURA, 2022
This paper investigates the prehistoric tumulus discovered in 2001 at Klopas, Marathon, by the la... more This paper investigates the prehistoric tumulus discovered in 2001 at Klopas, Marathon, by the late Maria Oikonomakou. Despite the difficulties caused by the prior discovery and then exploration of the monument, part of which was destroyed by modern seekers after treasure, the available evidence yet allows us to reconstruct something of its history of development, demonstrating its use from the end of Early to the beginning of Middle Helladic. A brief overview of the contemporaneous tumuli in northeastern Attica, namely at the nearby sites of Aphidna and Vranas (Tumulus I), reveals interesting affinities with mounds in other areas of mainland Greece and further away. This kinship is a result of the strategic location of the region in question, which enabled the local communities to participate in a wider exchange network that was maintained even after the abrupt end of the Early Helladic II culture. The mound is additionally examined within its regional context, especially in conjunction with the nearby settlement of Plasi. It is proposed that the close spatial relationship observed between an Early Helladic II large building and the later Middle Helladic megaron there might indicate strategies for the deliberate assimilation of the past, which can be also detected in the development of the tumulus.
AURA 4, 2021
The sanctuary of Hyria on Naxos, excavated between the years 1986-1998, has long attracted academ... more The sanctuary of Hyria on Naxos, excavated between the years 1986-1998, has long attracted academic attention, mainly because of its importance for the history and evolution of ancient Greek temple-architecture. Apart from the architectural interest, however, the study of the archaeological material brought to light enlightens us about the connectivity of the sanctuary with areas of the Aegean and the Near East over the centuries and increases our knowledge on aspects of Naxian society, especially during the early phases of historical times. Extensive research on Panhellenic sanctuaries confirmed that written testimonies, literary and epigraphic, combined with impressive and costly dedications, are fundamental sources of information about the origin of the donors and the network of interactions. Unfortunately, both the above are completely missing from Hyria, as well as from most of the sanctuaries of the Cyclades. We are, therefore, obliged to settle for the imported pottery and the minor objects/ offerings found in these sites. There is no doubt that the sanctuary of Hyria takes precedence over the other sanctuaries of Naxos in terms of the quantity of small dedications, be they local imitations or imported, in clay or in more valuable materials. This paper attempts to identify cultural and commercial relations of the islanders with the wider Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean areas, as documented by the analysis of pottery and of the minor objects found in the sanctuary and to show to what extent the emerging image complements our knowledge from previous relevant studies.
AURA Volume 1 (2018), 2018
Papers by Athens University Review Of Archaeology
AURA 7, 2024
Cyprus proclamation as an official independent state in 1960 is a milestone in the island's moder... more Cyprus proclamation as an official independent state in 1960 is a milestone in the island's modern history. However, the given constitution contained provisions of a dichotomous nature, which caused problems both for the smooth functioning of the state and for the peaceful coexistence of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The attempts at constitutional changes triggered the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964, while the political, social and military instability of the following decade culminated in the Turkish invasion of 1974. This study presents the tools and methods of history, historiography and cartography, highlighting their positive contribution to forensic archaeology. Specifically, the authors analyze the aspects, methodological tools and the contribution of historical, historiographical and cartographic research to the identification of possible burial sites and victims. The authors present these through case studies, which fall within forensic archaeology, and are contrasted both within the framework of the identification programme of the Republic of Cyprus and the programme of the Committee on Missing Persons in Cyprus. A point of reference is international groups of experts highlighting these tools; these experts helped organize and consolidate Cypriot identification programmes and the ways of continuously strengthening these aspects since the beginning of the first exhumations in 1999 until present. At the same time, the authors emphasize that the operation of these programs not only helps in the scientific verification of the identification of the remains, but, through the historical background of their operations reaching to present day, and together with oral testimonies, they can become a reference point for good practices (technical-scientific operations and methods), which foreign programmes could follow.
AURA 7, 2024
Governmental reports of the late 19th century, kept in the National Archive of Monuments in Athen... more Governmental reports of the late 19th century, kept in the National Archive of Monuments in Athens, contain information regarding the discovery and protection of antiquities in the region of Thessaly. Among these documents are the records detailing the fate of two inscribed statue bases, with dedications to Homer, found in the town of Farsala (ancient Pharsalos) in 1882 and 1886. Due to infrastructural challenges and episodes of military instability, the two bases were mistakenly published as a single object and have until now been treated as such. The historical sources, the two inscribed bases, and the implications of Homeric monuments in ancient Pharsalos, are presented here, together with the text of the key source documents. In an appendix, a base for a bust of Homer found 1909 in Larissa is also presented.
AURA 7, 2024
The present study focuses on the pithos production of Ainos and its distribution in the Aegean Se... more The present study focuses on the pithos production of Ainos and its distribution in the Aegean Sea during the Ottoman period. Ainos (Turkish: Enez) was one of the major economic and commercial centers of the Northern Aegean throughout antiquity on the eastern bank of the Evros River delta. During the Byzantine and Ottoman periods, it developed a great maritime power, controlling the entire transit trade of Thrace and the Balkans. The town traded in a variety of goods, but it was most famous for its storage pithoi, which were large and extremely durable and thus ideal for storing olive oil. The Ainian pithoi, with their characteristic keel-shaped-almost biconical-body, as well as their relief, stamped or incised decoration on the shoulder, were transported to almost all the coasts and islands of the Aegean, but also to the interior of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. One of the earliest samples dates to the first half of the 18th century, but there is strong evidence that the pithos production of Ainos probably dates back to the 16th century, if not earlier. 1
AURA 7, 2024
This paper presents the provenance of numerous Archaic sculptures found on Delos based on preserv... more This paper presents the provenance of numerous Archaic sculptures found on Delos based on preserved dedicatory inscriptions, material, and typological, stylistic and iconographic criteria. These sculptures were often either communal dedications from Archaic poleis or votive offerings from private individuals. Defining with relative precision the centers where these sculptures-primarily kouroi and korai statues, along with other types-were created, serves as a reliable basis for understanding the political, artistic, cultic and cultural interactions between the sacred island and the places of their origin. On a broader level, these sculptural dedications-alongside other material evidence such as architecture and ceramics-highlight the movement of goods, artists and ideas from sculptural centers, primarily Naxos, Paros and beyond, to Delos. On this occasion, the movement of sculptures from these centers to the wider island area, mainland Greece and the entire Mediterranean basin during the same period is concisely presented, contributing to the reconstruction of the networks of 'traveling' of cultural goods and the multifased interaction between a multitude of Archaic centers.
AURA 7, 2024
The study deals with the ceramic beehives that came to light during excavations in the centre of ... more The study deals with the ceramic beehives that came to light during excavations in the centre of Chania, in parts of the ancient city's (Kydonia) cemetery of the 4th/3rd c. B.C. Nine beehives were found within a deep layer of sand, with premature and newborn infant inhumations accompanied only by few simple grave goods. Two others were found in a cist grave with adults' burial. They belong to the horizontal open-atone end type with a hole at its closed end. Five are almost cylindrical and have a ring-shaped base, while the rest are bell-shaped.
AURA 7, 2024
The construction of the Short Perimeter Road of Patras constitutes a public work of prime signifi... more The construction of the Short Perimeter Road of Patras constitutes a public work of prime significance, not only because it reduced traffic congestion in the city center, but also because it enriched the archaeological and cultural map of Patras. This paper aims at discussing briefly the main antiquities that have been discovered in the framework of this project, which have resulted in new important data concerning the public water supply system from the Roman to the Ottoman era, and have also clarified the limits and character of the ancient city towards the east and southeast of the Castle of Patras.
AURA 7, 2024
This article presents two inscriptions from Ambracia, a colony of Corinth, which was founded at t... more This article presents two inscriptions from Ambracia, a colony of Corinth, which was founded at the exact same location where the modern city of Arta extends today. The latest study of these published inscriptions leads to different hypotheses as to their type (funeral or votive), providing evidence for the personal names and the citizens of the ancient city. ΕΙΣΑΓΩΓΗ Αφορμή για τη συγγραφή του παρόντος άρθρου στάθηκε η συγκεντρωτική μελέτη που πραγματοποιήσαμε κατά τα έτη 2015-2023, με θέμα τα ανθρωπωνύμια της Αμβρακίας, η οποία πρόκειται σύντομα να εκδοθεί. 1 Κατά τη διαδικασία συγκέντρωσης του πλούσιου επιγραφικού υλικού, χρειάστηκε αρκετές φορές να ελέγξουμε ξανά ή και να αναθεωρήσουμε ακόμα παλαιότερες αναγνώσεις κάποιων επιγραφών. Χαρακτηριστικά παραδείγματα, για τα οποία έχουν προταθεί διαφορετικές αναγνώσεις αλλά και ταυτίσεις, αποτελούν δύο επιγραφές, οι ΑΜΑ 37 (Αρχαιολογικό Μουσείο Άρτας) και ΑΜΑ 2918, που βρέθηκαν αμφότερες στην Άρτα, τη θέση της οποίας κατείχε στην αρχαιότητα η σημαντική κορινθιακή αποικία, Αμβρακία. 2
AURA 7, 2024
Transport amphoras from Herakleia Pontica are common finds at sites around the Black Sea. Their s... more Transport amphoras from Herakleia Pontica are common finds at sites around the Black Sea. Their stamped fragments are essential for dating 4th-century-B.C. archaeological deposits in the region. Despite various challenges that have hindered the development of a reliable chronology of the Herakleian stamps in the past, recent advancements have been made in establishing the sequence of magistrates mentioned on them. However, the absence of historically fixed points has made it difficult to firmly anchor this sequence in time, leading to considerable uncertainty about the dates of the officials' terms. This article considers two settlements on the west Black Sea coast and suggests that they were abandoned after being attacked by Philip II's armies in 339 B.C. The abandonment provides a historical terminus ante quem for the terms of multiple Herakleian magistrates, whose names appear on stamped amphora fragments found at these sites. This allows for estimation of absolute dates for the magistrate list spanning the first three quarters of the 4th century B.C.
AURA 7, 2024
Over the past two decades, there has been a surge of interest in applying spatial concepts and te... more Over the past two decades, there has been a surge of interest in applying spatial concepts and techniques in archaeology, underscoring the versatility of GIS technology as a crucial asset for humanities. The focus of this paper is to present an overview of GIS applications in the archaeology of North Greece, specifically highlighting the endeavors of the AeGIS Laboratory of Archaeological GIS (http://aegis.athenarc.gr/). The exploration spans from intra-site analysis and data management, exemplified by the Aristotle University excavation in Karabournaki, to macro-scale investigations, such as studying the interplay between environment and settlements in Aegean Thrace. The paper also delves into the integration of GIS data with game engines, such as Unity 3D, for reconstructing and exploring movement and visibility in archaeological landscapes. Emphasizing the theoretical complexity of these spatial tools, the authors argue that, as familiarity with GIS and game engines grows in the archaeological community, these systems, particularly open-source GIS, offer an invaluable and adaptable toolbox. As archaeologists themselves, they contend that platforms like GIS and Unity 3D possess the potential to evolve into heuristic devices, aiding in challenging assumptions and framing insightful archaeological inquiries. The collaborative and open nature of these tools facilitates customization to suit the diverse requirements and preferences of archaeologists.
AURA 7, 2024
In the present study, the Egyptian standard of proper social behavior during the interaction of a... more In the present study, the Egyptian standard of proper social behavior during the interaction of ancient Egyptians is outlined. This social standard is traced through ancient Egyptian texts and iconography. I am mainly interested in the appropriate social behavior as it was expressed through various body postures and gestures. This particular "body behavior" mainly concerned the proper way in which ancient Egyptians approached and interacted with social superiors: higher officials, elders or the Pharaoh. Aspects of appropriate body behavior are evidenced in religious contexts, too: when approaching a temple or a divine statue, or even in the mythological afterlife journey of the dead.
AURA 6, 2023
In this paper, I discuss the notion of "repatriation" of antiquities that have been illicitly exc... more In this paper, I discuss the notion of "repatriation" of antiquities that have been illicitly excavated and exported, against the backdrop of Greece's attempts to achieve their return. Taking the British Museum Caryatid as my primary case study, I survey recent Greek theater plays and children's storybooks in order to examine how the stolen statue is invariably portrayed as the nation's missing "daughter" or "sister", suffering in solitary exile and eagerly awaiting "her" return. Based on this discussion, I proceed to claim that the repatriation narrative serves as a means to reconfirm Greece's whiteness, and the Greek nation's rightful place as part of the West. Employing the methodological tools of coloniality and crypto-coloniality, as well as the parallel modern example of Egypt, I argue that it is through such attempts at partial representation that political communities in the periphery of the West imagine themselves into being. ARCHAEOPOLITICAL REGIMES In recent scholarship, the term "archaeopolitics" has been used by myself and others to describe a sort of archaeologically informed politics, or in other words a condition of enforced archaeophilia (Plantzos 2023). The art to govern through the use of antiquity and its material remains as a template, as well as hegemonic discourse in the present, I have named "archaeomentality": a state of being and doing politics that deploys narratives of the past in order to implement the political agendas of the present (Plantzos 2023, 87-8). If, in other words, biopolitics affects, informs and enables modern technologies of governmentality (as in the Foucauldian notion of gouvernementalité; see e.g. Lemke 2012; Nilsson and Wallenstein 2013), that is the organized practices through which subjects are governed, then archaeomentality is the governmental rationale effected through the prioritization of antiquity over the present. Such archaeopolitical regimes, one could add, are in dire need of available bodies-at the same time archaeomanic and archaeopathic-who would be (or become) willing to carry out such archaeopolitical agendas, or be subjected to them. Assuming that the love of things ancient is inherent in modern national populations, archaeopolitical regimes become encoded into social practices as well as everyday gestures across the nation; through the enforced naturalness of archaeopolitics, human subjects are gradually taught to comply with subtle regulations and expectations of the social order, from arbitrarily enforced "states of emergency", to biopolitical sorting within and without the nation-state. In this article I am discussing a number of subtle (or not, as the case may be) archaeophiliac gestures, in order to show how these reenforce the archaeopolitical regimes that produce them and how these regimes organize
AURA 6, 2023
The Mycenaean citadel of Ephyra, on the coastal passage of the Ionian sea, is perhaps the most im... more The Mycenaean citadel of Ephyra, on the coastal passage of the Ionian sea, is perhaps the most important site of the Late Helladic III period in Epirus, as a trading post on the plain of Phanari and the mouth of the river Acheron, with a desirable harbour available. The new Mycenaean grave under discussion was discovered by chance in the year 2012, outside the walls of the Mycenaean citadel of Ephyra, during the enhancement work of the archaeological sites of Nekromanteio and Ephyra. The skeleton was found richly furnished, with bronze weapons (a T-handle dagger, a leaf-shaped and two lanceolate spearheads) and tools (a single-edged knife, a flat chisel and a socketed chisel), a few items of personal ornament (three bone pins and a golden bead), as well as nine wheelmade vases. The new tomb was located outside the walls, in contact with the fortification wall and at a short distance from the main southern gate of the Mycenaean citadel. Due to the location of the find, the wealth and variety of the gifts, it is significantly distinguished from the other known tombs of the three burial mounds inside the Mycenaean citadel, and all of Epirus. Endowed with the virtue of valor, the local 'hero' of Ephyra was honored by the members of the thriving Mycenaean community in a transitional period with many vicissitudes.
AURA 6, 2023
Following the European Recovery Program and the Greek tourist model introduced by the United Stat... more Following the European Recovery Program and the Greek tourist model introduced by the United States of America, the Greek National Tourism Organization encouraged the celebration of artistic events at ancient theaters that would attract external attention. Multiple events across the country created a new tourist market that would contribute to international propaganda and the reconstruction of the Greek economy. At the same time, they would serve the nationalistic ideals of early postwar Greece and satisfy American policy. In this sense, the celebration of the Homecoming Year, a cultural and sociopolitical event that the Greek state organized in 1951 to tighten the link between Greek American diaspora and the 'homeland', shaped this artistic tradition. Theatrical productions organized at the theater of Epidaurus, Delphi and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus reflected the 'theatrical fervor' that the emergence of mass tourism had generated. The interest of renowned theatrical directors in performing at ancient venues during this period showcased their attempt to dominate the theatrical stage and displayed the phenomenon of 'festivalism'. However, it was the National Theater that would eventually absorb some of these artists and would dominate the Greek theatrical stage since 1954, producing large-scale productions at the main ancient theaters.
AURA 6, 2023
Elis is considered to be at the margin of the so-called Mycenaean palatial world. However, during... more Elis is considered to be at the margin of the so-called Mycenaean palatial world. However, during the last decades the archaeological research discovered numerous burial complexes, providing new data on the social structure and economy of this region. The article presents the main properties of the Elean Late Helladic III pottery, focusing on the idiosyncratic regional features of Late Helladic pottery from Elis and trying to reveal relationships with other regions.
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AURA Volumes by Athens University Review Of Archaeology
Papers by Athens University Review Of Archaeology