Greek Ministry of Culture

Emerging technologies are transforming cultural spaces in a variety of ways, presenting opportunities and challenges. Autonomous robots, eXtended Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Twins, and Internet of Things are only a few examples of such technologies, with accessibility and inclusivity of people to these technologies to be considered key challenges. In general, the use of emerging technologies in cultural spaces presents exciting opportunities for enhancing visitors’ experience and engaging new participants. However, it is important to also consider the inclusion ability of people with special needs and to ensure that these emerging technologies are used in an accessible-to-all and inclusive way. The aim of this paper is to review the state-of-the-art and current trends in approaches that use emerging technologies in the domain of smart libraries designed to include visually impaired people in a common innovative way for the whole community of visitors, discuss open issues and challenges identified in such a cultural environment/case, and propose a novel approach based on specific design considerations of the specific domain.

Radon measurements within cave environments have been carried out for scientific purposes for several decades. The implementation of the European directive of 2013/59/Euratom, along with the national radon action plan, mandates the assessment of occupational exposure to radon. Within this context, radon measurements were conducted in five tourist caves. Several detectors were spatially distributed within each cave in order to estimate the worker exposure. Additionally, measurements were conducted in the Petralona cave over three consecutive periods. Solid-state nuclear track detectors were utilized for all measurements. Dose assessments were conducted by applying the dose conversion factor of ICRP-137 for caves and taking into consideration the operational schedule in each cave. The resulted doses were in the range of 3.2–15.0 mSv/year. All caves except one are subject to regulatory control by means of notification.

Franchthi Cave, in the Greek Peloponnese, is a well-known Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic site, with several human burials. In many parts of Europe there is clear evidence from archaeological and isotopic studies for a diet change between the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods. This is especially the case in coastal contexts where there is often a shift from predominantly marine food diets in the Mesolithic to terrestrial (presumably domesticated) foods in the Neolithic. However, at Franchthi Cave previous isotope research did not show changes in diets between these two periods, and also showed relatively little input from marine foods in diets in either time period, despite the coastal location of the site and the presence of marine shellfish and fish, including tuna. High-resolution compound specific amino acid isotope analysis reported here from humans from the Lower Mesolithic and Middle Neolithic periods confirms the previous bulk isotope results in showing little or no consumption of marine foods in either time period. However, it is important to note that our isotopic sample does not come from episodes when tuna is abundant and therefore do not cover the whole range of known diets from the site. Conversely, in our sample there is some evidence of marine food consumption (likely seaweed) by sheep in the Neolithic period. We also report here five direct AMS radiocarbon dates for the five analyzed humans from the site.

Numerous transport stirrup jars have been found at the site of Pefkakia. Most were manufactured in Crete with some from the Greek mainland. There were also at least two Canaanite jars from the Carmel coast. These finds and the first results of petrographic analysis attest to the site's role as a major Aegean harbour.

This paper contributes new data on animal management practices from the Greek Archaic and Classical periods. Management strategies and season of birth of caprines from the city of Argilos (ca. 655 − 357 BC) are established through the analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of sequentially sampled tooth enamel. The results reveal a variety of management regimes being practiced by farmers at ancient Argilos, with no observable differences in diet and herding strategies between the Archaic and Classical periods. The samples that provide season of birth data, however, suggest a possible distinction between the two periods. Births are centred around autumn/early winter in the Archaic period and late winter/spring during the Classical period and could be the result of the prioritisation of different commodities by farmers.

The highly perishable nature of earthen architecture in the Bronze Age Aegean, where walls were largely built of sundried mudbricks set on a stone socle, has hindered an accurate perception of buildings in this period and region. The recent proliferation of research on mudbricks is slowly recognising their systematic use in construction, but primary evidence is still difficult to collect. Here, we explore the potential of marine shells to generate data for the reconstruction of architecture in the Bronze Age Aegean, especially on Crete. We argue that tiny molluscan shells were inadvertently incorporated along the seagrasses used as vegetal temper in the mudbricks matrix. Seagrasses offer an ideal environment for specific molluscan taxa; the latter are considered by geological and archaeomalacological studies as indirect indicators for marine plants in the fossil and in the archaeological record respectively. Relying on archaeomalacological material from Early and Middle Bronze Age (3rd and early 2nd millennium BCE) contexts in the Minoan settlement at Malia and setting it in perspective against broader ethnographic, historical and archaeological evidence, the aim of this paper is to showcase the potential of specific molluscan taxa to serve as an indirect proxy for identifying the presence of disintegrated mudbrick walls.

The prehistoric settlement of Mikró Vouní lies on the southwestern coast of the island of Samothrace in the northeastern Aegean. The site’s stratigraphic sequence spans from the beginning of the Late Neolithic to the end of the Middle Bronze Age. Its importance has been emphasized due to the finding of Minoan pottery and clay mini-documents with Linear A inscriptions, indicative of the active links the settlement held with a Cretan palace (Knossos) in the 18th century BCE. The excavation yielded important finds related to Bronze Age metallurgy, namely furnaces, moulds, tuyères, crucibles and pieces of slag deriving from several contexts of different chronological periods, spanning from EBA II to MBA III. Notably the metallurgical finds of the MBA II-III periods derive from contexts with Minoan or Minoanising pottery and clay mini-documents suggesting a Minoan administration at the site. Recording of all relevant finds was followed by sampling of crucibles and slags that were subjected to laboratory analysis. The current article focuses on an investigation of metal production with the application of optical microscopy and SEM/EDS analysis aiming to reconstruct the prevalent processes that took place at the site during the Early and Middle Bronze Age. The results are significant as they provide crucial information on the technical intricacies of arsenical copper production in the early stages and the introduction of tin bronze technology most probably associated with the Minoan interaction on site. Evidence for cementation and co-smelting of Cu and Sn ores represent the earliest examples so far reported for the north Aegean. As the iconography of the Minoan clay documents’ seal impressions indicates, religious ideology of the Minoan palatial administration appears as an arena for encouraging metal manufacturing and trading in the north Aegean and beyond. In this context, Samothrace appears well incorporated into long-distance exchange networks for the procurement of tin to sustain bronze working practices, as the findings from Mikró Vouní suggest. Metallurgical technology seems to resonate in mythic accounts of the well-known smith deities, the Kabeiroi, who were essentially the same divinities as the Great Gods of Samothrace.

The Indo-European languages are among the most widely spoken in the world, yet their early diversification remains contentious 1–5 . It is widely accepted that the spread of this language family across Europe from the 5th millennium BP correlates with the expansion and diversification of steppe-related genetic ancestry from the onset of the Bronze Age 6,7 . However, multiple steppe-derived populations co-existed in Europe during this period, and it remains unclear how these populations diverged and which provided the demographic channels for the ancestral forms of the Italic, Celtic, Greek, and Armenian languages 8,9 . To investigate the ancestral histories of Indo-European-speaking groups in Southern Europe, we sequenced genomes from 314 ancient individuals from the Mediterranean and surrounding regions, spanning from 5,200 BP to 2,100 BP, and co-analysed these with published genome data. We additionally conducted strontium isotope analyses on 224 of these individuals. We find a deep east-west divide of steppe ancestry in Southern Europe during the Bronze Age. Specifically, we show that the arrival of steppe ancestry in Spain, France, and Italy was mediated by Bell Beaker (BB) populations of Western Europe, likely contributing to the emergence of the Italic and Celtic languages. In contrast, Armenian and Greek populations acquired steppe ancestry directly from Yamnaya groups of Eastern Europe. These results are consistent with the linguistic Italo-Celtic 10,11 and Graeco-Armenian 1,12,13 hypotheses accounting for the origins of most Mediterranean Indo-European languages of Classical Antiquity. Our findings thus align with specific linguistic divergence models for the Indo-European language family while contradicting others. This underlines the power of ancient DNA in uncovering prehistoric diversifications of human populations and language communities.

The analytical findings concerning the red pigments used on various decorative features originating from a Macedonian, as well as the purple dye from the deceased's attire, are presented. The cist tomb, discovered in 1987 at the area of Lakkoma Chalcidice (Macedonia, Greece), dated to the 4th century bc and featured a wooden funeral couch with intricate ornaments, such as clay “eyes,” colored plaster, and clay gorgoneions. Vermilion and red ochre served as the main pigments of these decorative features. The pigments were applied in various combinations to produce a range of red hues, from deep to bright red. Furthermore, the precious vermilion was also used in every element of the couch. The stucco on the decoration was gypsum, whereas the preparation layers over clay and stucco elements consisted of calcite and lead white, respectively. The cloth covering the deceased was dyed with the most expensive organic dye of antiquity, the Tyrian (shellfish) purple. In this research, the preliminary identification of the chromophoric minerals in the colors of the samples was carried out with the examination of their optical characteristics in thin sections using polarizing light microscope (PLM) and with portable XRF. Physicochemical techniques, Raman and HPLC, were also used to definitively identify the pigments. Portable Raman spectrometer was used for the in situ analysis of the inorganic colorants of the decorative materials, whereas laboratory Raman spectrometer served for the identification of inorganic and organic colorants of the grain samples and the dye. High‐pressure liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC‐DAD) was applied for the identification of the coloring components of the purple organic dye from the deceased's clothes. The samples examined (0.5‐ to 1.5‐mm diameter) were collected during the initial cleaning of the surface.

Abdera is an ancient Greek colony in northern Aegean. It exhibits a unique foundation history as it was first established in 654 BC by the Ionian city of Klazomenae and in 545 BC by the city of Teos. The first colonial endeavor failed due to harsh living conditions and conflicts with local populations. Exposed to unfamiliar challenges, the settlers faced physical strain and maladies, particularly affecting the subadults, who were deprived of proper care and nutrition during critical periods of life. After about a century the city of Teos colonised Abdera under the pressure of the Persian attacks. The new colonial endeavor was successful, and the city managed to capitalize on its natural resources, flourishing through the centuries. This study reconstructs the diet of 109 adults and subadults from Abdera dating from the Archaic through the Roman times (654 BC–400AD) using stable isotope ratios of carbon (δ ¹³ C), nitrogen (δ ¹⁵ N) and sulphur (δ ³⁴ S) from bone collagen. Bayesian modeling was implemented to quantify the relative consumption of different food sources in Abdera and compare it with other contemporary sites. Weaning duration was estimated to investigate the nutritional and health status of infants that is believed to have affected the fitness of the population in the long run. Our results indicate that the first settlers of Abdera primarily relied mostly on local resources such as terrestrial C3 plant and fish resources, complemented to a lesser extent by animal protein and millet (C4 plant). This pattern persisted over time. However, Bayesian modeling indicated different levels of food access on an individual level and variations in consumption patterns between other contemporary populations of ancient cities. Weaning during the first colonization phase began around nine months whereas during the Roman period weaning started earlier, around four months. In both cases weaning was completed around the age of six years old. The sulfur analysis revealed that females were not local but migrated to Abdera especially during the first colonial phase. Our study highlights the significance of diet as a key lens for studying the trajectory of a settlement, and a key factor for understanding the growth, the resilience, and the cultural evolution of the ancient Greek colonies.

This article presents the results of the 2008 excavation in the ancient theatre of Sparta conducted by the British School at Athens and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Laconia. Focused on the west side of the cavea , work aimed to locate the southern edge of the Late Antique settlement between the theatre and the sanctuary of Athena Chalkioikos; to establish the northern limits of the Late Antique settlement over the former orchestra; and to establish a more precise ceramic characterisation and chronology for the Early–Middle Byzantine period in Sparta. The area between settlement clusters on the acropolis and over the former orchestra was essentially open, with just a Byzantine terrace wall and path recorded. In the north-west part of the former cavea , a tomb built in the late eighth or early ninth century AD was used at least until the late thirteenth century for the burial of c. 29 individuals. This article presents the first results of a bioarchaeological study of the human remains, and studies of Byzantine pottery from the tomb interior and from the backfill of the pit in which the tomb was built (the latter including a notable quantity of Early Byzantine domestic ware). The 2008 findings are set in the larger context of research on post-antique phases in the theatre (drawing on the British School at Athens Archive) and on the material culture and urban topography of Byzantine Sparta. Almost all excavated contexts contained residual material of all periods. The article concludes with short catalogues of material which pre-dates the construction of the theatre and of inscriptions of all periods.

The Kastro peninsula constitutes the extension towards the West of Myrina, the Lemnos capital, on the western coast of the island, in the North Aegean Sea. The ongoing research project on rock-cut features and rock-art of this complex site included a five-year (2002-2007) subsurface investigation, during which, among other mobile finds, charcoal and seashell samples were also collected, associated in situ to rock-cut features. Subsequently, in an attempt to bring about information on the dating of the rock-cut site, an investigation based on 14 C has also been undertaken. Therefore, the purpose of the present paper is the AMS dating of the unearthed anthropogenic deposits and the calculation of the regional marine reservoir effect during the end of the Late Bronze Age. Our results show that the age of the deposits is spanning from the 13th century BC till the 6th century AD. Moreover, the 14 C ages of two pairs of charcoal-seashell samples showed that the mean marine reservoir age R(t) in this region from the 13th to the 10th centuries BC is 175 ± 59 14 C yrs and the mean local sea surface reservoir deviation ΔR is found to be-288 ± 108 14 C yrs (within 1σ).

Ancient monuments are constructed following the dry construction system. Large dimensional structural members, with perfectly plane interfaces, are placed without mortar. Two types of iron connectors, vertical and horizontal, used to connect individual stone blocks, are activated in case of relative displacements, e.g. earthquakes. The paper focuses on, iron or titanium, vertical connectors, crossing the interfaces between successive stone courses, and investigates their seismic behaviour. In situ and bibliographical documentation of vertical connections in ancient Greek monuments, including their topology, dimensions, and typical pathology attributed to them, served as a basis for the design of an experimental program. First, specimens simulating the original connections are tested under monotonic and cyclic actions. The behaviour of those connections, affectuated using iron vertical connectors, having confirmed the pathology observed in situ, i.e. fracture of the substrate, an alternative connection was tested aiming at avoiding or significantly delaying the failure of the substrate (marble). An unbonded length was provided to the connector, close to the interface, to postpone the contact between the connector and the marble. The test results confirmed the anticipated change of behaviour, associated though with smaller shear resistance and larger displacements at its attainment than for the original connections.

Underwater excavations require an immense amount of logistics and have inherent time limitations. Underwater challenges such as nitrogen toxicity, underwater color change, and dive time limits increase with working depths, affecting the interpretation of archaeological contexts. Thus, underwater excavations involve methods and approaches to extract the maximum information from small areas while providing a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological record. Here, we present the benefits of using an on-site laboratory comprising a microscope, binocular microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and blue light inspection device. Three case studies are presented, focusing on the identification of stratigraphic boundaries, as well as the preservation and identification of archaeological materials. The results show a complex stratigraphic sequence containing seven layers divided into four mineralogical units: (1) Calcite, (2) Calcite and aragonite, (3) Aragonite, and (4) Dolomite. Additionally, the use of an on-site laboratory is effective in preventing the misidentification of archaeological materials, which could affect the final interpretation of the archaeological site (e.g., glass, lead, bone), and enabling the identification of materials invisible to the naked eye, such as opaline phytoliths. In the case of the Antikythera shipwreck, the on-site laboratory facilitated the examination of stratigraphy and quality of the archaeological context while streamlining excavation practices and documentation. Furthermore, the on-site laboratory allowed for the assessment of material preservation and provide crucial insights to inform post-excavation treatments and analysis of artifacts.

We explore the ways in which residents of Neolithic Çatalhöyük in Anatolia differentiated themselves as well as the ways in which they did not. We integrate numerous data sets in order to assess patterns of inequality (A) across buildings with contemporaneous occupations, (B) between buildings that did or did not burn at abandonment, and (C) through time. We use Gini coefficients so as to maximize comparability with other studies of inequality in the ancient and modern worlds, discussing the underlying data and our results to clarify and enhance the value of the quantitative analyses. We evaluate whether or not trajectories of inequality align across data sets in order to determine how far success in one realm correlated with success in another. Our results indicate no unified trajectory of inequality through time. We perceive broadly similar access to staple foods, but not to goods less directly related to survival; relatively elevated income inequality during the middle portion of the site’s occupation, plausibly deliberately tamped down; and no evidence for institutionalized or lasting economic or social inequality. These findings shed light on Neolithic social dynamics and also contribute to broader discussions of inequality and the social ramifications of early agropastoralism.

Fossils of large animals have long influenced social practices and ideologies in human societies, including the fantastic myths of giants, heroes, and gods in ancient Greece. It has been estimated that purposeful fossil collecting in Greece began in the Late Bronze Age. However, previous archaeological finds of fossils from mainland Greece were not well documented in secure contexts that dated this far back in time. Herein, we present a newly recognized fossilized astragalus bone recently found in the legacy collections of the archaeological site of Mycenae. It was originally recovered by excavations in the 1970s and recently reanalyzed at the Mycenae Museum. Our analysis explored the available evidence of the find location, the state of fossil preservation, and the species represented. The results suggest that a fossilized rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus) astragalus was collected in the past, possibly from afar. Evidence indicates it was brought to Mycenae, where it was deposited near an interesting array of artifacts in a basement storage area of the Southwest Quarter, sometime in the thirteenth century BCE. This find represents the earliest secure evidence of large animal fossil use by people in mainland Greece, dating to the Late Bronze Age.

The article focuses on the analysis of a reel post uploaded on the Basil & Elise (B&E) Goulandris Foundation’s Instagram account on the occasion of the exhibition “Nouveau Réalisme”, presented at the homonymous museum in 2023. It aims to investigate the role and function of communication messages in the digital environment of the post-COVID-19 era and especially in that of social media (SM). The article addresses various parameters related to the wider context of the message production, its role in the Foundation’s communication strategy as well as the influence of the pandemic crisis and its effects on the planning of this strategy as regards the utilization of SM. Moreover, an interpretation of the communication message based on the decoding of its symbolic meaning is proposed through the use of the visual and sociological communication model of Barthes. Finally, the message’s reception by the public is detected. The complexity and polysemy of communicative act, which is revealed through the analysis, indicate both the need for a combined interdisciplinary approach and the crucial importance of considering its variables (the message itself as well as its production and reception contexts) in a holistic manner.

In this article, the authors present an analysis of radiocarbon dates from a stratified deposit at the Greek Geometric period settlement of Zagora on the island of Andros, which are among the few absolute dates measured from the period in Greece. The dates assigned to Greek Geometric ceramics are based on historical and literary evidence and are found to contradict absolute dates from the central Mediterranean which suggest that the traditional dates are too young. The results indicate the final period at Zagora, the Late Geometric, should be seen as starting at least a century earlier than the traditional date of 760 BC.

Anthropogenic factors have impacted the diversity and evolutionary trajectory of various species. This can be through factors such as pressure on population size or range, habitat fragmentation, or extensive manipulation and translocation. Here we use time-calibrated data to better understand the pattern and processes of evolution in the heavily manipulated European fallow deer (Dama dama). During the Pleistocene, fallow deer had a broad distribution across Europe and were found as far north as Britain during the Eemian interglacial. The last glacial period saw fallow deer retreat to southern refugia and they did not disperse north afterwards. Their recolonisation was mediated by people and, from northern Europe and the British Isles, fallow deer were transported around the world. We use ancient and modern mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and mitogenomic data from Eemian Britain to assess the pattern of change in distribution and lineage structure across Europe over time. We find founder effects and mixed lineages in the northern populations, and stability over time for populations in southern Europe. The Eemian sample was most similar to a lineage currently in Italy, suggesting an early establishment of the relevant refuge. We consider the implications for the integration of anthropogenic and natural processes towards a better understanding of the evolution of fallow deer in Europe.