June 30th - Day 20

Another busy day! This morning we went to the Nafplion Archaeological Museum. It was a small museum consisting of just two floors, both with single rooms. The coolest thing I saw was Mycenaean armor made of bronze. After that we walked a few blocks to the Folk Art Museum where we saw displays of crafts and traditional clothing from Nafplion and the surrounding area. It too was a small museum, so it didn’t take long to get through it. It was nice to spend the morning out of the sun, but alas it was not to last.

Palamidi

After a short snack break we got on the bus and headed off to Palamidi, a Venetian fortification with some spectacular views. The site consists of several bastions and we all enjoyed running from bastion to bastion and climbing the different bastions to see what was to be seen. It was certainly not for the faint of heart however. The bastions were all incredibly high and not all of them were in the greatest shape, so it often required some creative climbing to make it to the top. I had to force myself not to look down several times.

When we finished at Palamidi, we headed off to Epidauros. Along the way we stopped to see a Mycenaean bridge. We got to Epidauros early so we got to spend some time relaxing on the lawns and playing with the site dogs. Many of the sites that we have seen have site dogs, some of which are used to help guard the sites. Many are just strays who are taken care of the people to run the sites. While I had fun playing with the dogs, they reminded me of Jack and Precious and how much I am missing them, even if they are not missing me.

Epidauros

Vassillis Lambrinoudakis, an archaeologist on the site, toured us around the site. Epidauros is a sanctuary dedicated to Apollo and Asklepios and is associated with medicine and healing. At the Temple of Asklepios Vassillis showed us a really cool feature of the temple. Across from the temple was a cistern where water was pumped through underground pipes to the temple. The water was then pumped up into a statue base that contained a bronze statue of Asklepios. The water flowed out of the statue’s hand and was collected in a basin which was located at its feet. The water then flowed from the basin through more underground pipes to the bath house located next to the temple. This suggests that water was an important element for this site, as it both cleanses and gives life.

Athletic games were also held here and the site hosts a rather large stadium. It is also home to a famous theatre which is renowned for its acoustics and performances are still held there. We were able to experience the wondrous acoustics as Bella stood in the middle of the orchestra and recited a poem for us (in ancient Greek, of course) and even though we were all spread out around the theatre we could still hear her. Not always well, but that was due to the large number of other tourists that were at the site. It was still pretty impressive, especially considering the theatre’s mass. It can hold up to 12,000 people.

After the theatre we headed to the museum to see some of the finds from the site. We even got to go around back and see some of the pieces from the temple and tholos which are currently being reconstructed. They have not been published yet, so we could not take pictures. You’ll just have to take my word for it – it was really neat!

I like Nauplion much better than New Corinth. Our hotel is much nicer, but it has the smallest bathroom in the world! You literally have to step into the shower to close the door so that you can get to the toilet. We do have a nice balcony even if our view is just of other buildings. The whole town has a very Venetian feel and we are just a short walk to the main square which is surrounded by little restaurants and shops. Tonight we went to a small little family owned restaurant and I ordered slouvaki, which is skewered meat and veggies that are grilled. It was delicious!

Tomorrow is our last day/night in Nauplion and another busy day with 4 sites, so I’m heading to bed – goodnight all! :)

June 29th - Day 19

Isthmia

Today was another day in the blazing sun as we traveled to Isthmia to see the Sanctuary of Poseidon and Nemea to see the Sanctuary of Zeus. I was not sad to leave New Corinth. Our hotel and the area surrounding the hotel left a lot to be desired. Other than a really comfortable bed it really wasn’t anything to write home about.

Both of the sites we visited today were home to stadiums were games were held to honor the gods. We started the day in Isthmia where Martha Risser, an archaeologist on the site, took us around. We started the tour by looking at the Great Pit, which seems to be the site for the feasting associated with the games. We then moved on to the Temple of Poseidon, which was built around 690 BC. It was built of stone and the roof was made of tiles. The alter associated with the temple is about 100 feet long and the temple was destroyed by a fire sometime between 460 and 450 BC. Across from the temple are some dining caves which consist of 2 rooms lined with benches. These would probably have been used by past victors, priests, or political representatives. Isthmia was the home of both musical and athletic games and we got to see the remains of the old athletic stadium which a reconstructed wooden starting gate.

We were then passed to Tim Gregory, another archaeologist on the site, who toured us around a Roman bath built in about 400 AD. The bath had an incredibly elaborative mosaic floor, which appeared to be white until Tim sprayed it with a hose. The mosaic is mostly off white with black tiles, but it does contain some colored stones as well. After that we trudged back up to see the site’s museum containing finds from the site.

Then it was back on the bus and off to Nemea, home to the Temple of Zeus. In addition to being a site honoring Zeus, Nemea is also home to the hero cult of Opheltes. Opheltes was the son of King Lycurgus of Nemea and it was his tragically premature death, which led to the first Nemean Games. We started in the museum where our guide, Kim Shelton, pointed out some interesting artifacts related to the site, including some curse tablets. When a person wanted to curse someone they would write the curse down on a tablet, which they would then bury. It was believed that the heroes could read these tablets and communicated the information to the underworld where curses were believed to come from.

Nemea was also a site where games were held to honor Zeus and after touring the baths and temple we headed across the way to the ancient stadium where the games were held. We entered the stadium through the entrance that would have been used by the athletes and saw where some of the athletes had scraped their names into the walls while they waited to compete. After staging an impromptu footrace, we climbed back onto the bus and headed to Nauplion where we will spend the next 3 nights.

June 28th - Day 18

Corinth Canal

Our trip to the Peloponnese started with an early departure at 7:30 am. While I am having a fantastic time, I must admit that I am starting to miss the ability to sleep in that normally accompanies summer vacation. I’m just grateful that I will still have a few weeks of sleeping in before heading back to school in August.

Temple of Apollo

We stopped at the Corinth Canal as we passed over it. It is quite an impressive site and I don’t think the pictures I took really show how deep the canal really is. It was a little terrifying looking over the edge of the bridge…Our group was shown around the site of Corinth by Guy Sanders. I was a little disappointed by his presentation as he mostly focused on the geography and its significance to the site, rather than the site itself. As a result I have a bunch of pictures of the site, but I don’t really know what any of it is. We also walked through the site fairly quickly, so there were many things that were bypassed. We stopped at the archaeological museum on site to look at the finds from the area before heading to Acrocorinth.

Acrocorinth

Acrocorinth is located on a steep rock to the southwest of ancient Corinth. It is a fortified citadel of ancient and medieval Corinth and was the most important fortification in the area from antiquity until the Greek War of Independence in 1821. It is 575 m high and its walls are a total of almost 2,000 m in length. Because of its location, it required a “forced death march” to the top. The biggest problem with Acrocorinth was not the steep incline, but that fact that the stones that made up the walkways have been rubbed glass smooth from the thousands of people who visit the site each year. Needless to say it was like walking on a very steep incline covered in ice…I’m lucky I didn’t fall and break my face (or anything else for that matter)! We didn’t make it all the way to the top to see the Temple of Aphrodite because the site closed at 3 pm, but we did make it high enough to make it through all 3 gates and see the underground cisterns, which were really cool. The trip back down was just as treacherous as the journey up and again we all had to be careful not to fall on the stones.

Demeter Sanctuary Theatre

Our last stop of the day was at the remains of the Demeter Sanctuary, which unfortunately is largely overgrown so we couldn’t see much. We did get to see the remains of the theater and a tile mosaic floor, but that was about it. We then piled back on the bus and headed to New Corinth where we will spend the night. Tomorrow we move on to Nauplion for 3 days.

June 27th - Day 17

Panathenaic Way

Today we headed back to the Athenian Agora for our second tour of the area. We met back up with John Camp, an archaeologist with the American School who has been excavating and studying the Agora for many years and who took us on our first tour when we say the Hephaisteion. For this visit we started with some of the sites around the Panathenaic Way. This area has been somewhat difficult to study because the modern train system runs right through it. John had to stop his presentation about every 3 minutes to wait for the trains to pass. This area appears to be home to several administrative buildings and may also have been the area where the Athenian cavalry trained.

Alter of the 12 Gods

We then moved on to the Alter of the 12 Gods which is cut in half by the train tracks that run right through it. It is still an important site because it was used by Pausanius, the Greek traveler who wrote the travel guide for Greece, as the central point to measure distances to other structures from. Next we moved on the Stoa of Zeus, which was a Doric style structure where archaeologists have found armor dedicated in honor of people who died fighting for Athens. We briefly passed the Temples of Apollo Patroos and Zeus Phratrios and Athena Phratria. Next we saw the Metroon, which was an archive building where records were kept.

Eponymous Heroes

Then John brought us to the Eponymous Heroes monument that used to house bronze statues representing the 10 hero tribes chosen by the oracles. It served as a public notice board and announcements were often posted under the various statues for citizens to read. Across from the Eponymous Heroes monument was the Tholos, a round building that served as the headquarters for the 50 prytaneis who served as administrators for 35-36 days at a time before being replaced by representatives from another tribe. When on duty, the prytaneis would dine and be housed in the Tholos so they were available to deal with any issues that arose.

Down a ways from the Tholos was the Strategeion, which was an interesting structure as we are not sure what it is and whether or not it was a residential site, a religious site, or a commercial site. Archaeologists have found shallow pits which contain pots, burnt animal bones, small plates, and cooking pots. Fifty one such pits have been found in the area, which suggests that there might have been some ritualistic feasting going on in and around the structure. There was also a large horde of silver coins found in one of the rooms, which could mean that it was used as offices for generals or was used by a successful businessman or as a leasing office for the mines. The truth is no one knows! This is something that we have come across several times when looking at ancient ruins and makes archaeology an interesting field. The reality is that for most things we are just making educated guesses as to what something is and what it was used for. It often takes a long time to definitely identify something and even then there is a chance that it could change down the line when new evidence is found. It’s definitely not a field to go into if you have issues with being proven wrong.

We ended our tour at a boundary stone for the Agora located next to the remains of what was once a house. The stone has an inscription warning those who were not supposed to enter the Agora to stay out. I was not aware that not everyone was allowed in the Agora. Those who were underage, women, and those convicted of certain crimes were not allowed to enter the Agora.

Because our tour of the Agora ended sooner than our leader, Bella, anticipated and our tour guide for the Epigraphical Museum couldn’t meet us sooner, we were given a few hours of free time. I decided to head down to the Roman Agora to see the Library of Hadrian with a few others. You know how I LOVE libraries!! You could tell that at one point this was an amazing place. Outside of the storage room for the books/scrolls, there was an open portico where one could have sat and read. It was later converted into a church, but I could just imagine what it would have been like. After that we decided to go over to the National Archaeological Museum to see the exhibit of finds from the Antikythera shipwreck.

A little before 1 pm we head over to the Epigraphical Museum, which is right around the corner from the National Archaeological Museum. The Epigraphical Museum was built to protect, preserve, study, and exhibit ancient inscriptions on stone. Many of the inscriptions come from Athens and Attica and it is the largest museum of its kind in the world. It currently houses about 13,485 inscriptions. I was a little out of my element in this museum as I have never studied ancient Greek and therefore cannot read it like my follow travelers and as such I got a little bored…I can’t lie! I just couldn’t work up the level of enthusiasm as some of those around me.

After the museum we had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves. I walked back to Loring Hall and headed to the library to put the finishing touches on and print my handouts for my site presentations. After another delicious dinner I headed back to my room to pack for our 10 day trip to the Peloponnese. I had to make sure to clean up my room as we all have “phantom roommates,” who are part of the second summer session who stay in our rooms when we are not there. It is an interesting feeling knowing I have a roommate that I will never see or meet. We leave each other notes and my phantom roommate is not a slob, so it’s been a pleasant experience so far.

I’m really looking forward to our trip through the Peloponnese where we will get to travel to Corinth, Sparta, and Olympia. Judging by my experience on Crete, internet access will probably be limited and when I do have access it will be slow. I’m hoping that I will still be able to update my blog, but I might have to wait until I return to Athens on July 7th.

June 26th - Day 16

Eleusis

Today we ventured outside of Athens on our second day trip to see Eleusis, Eleutherai, and Aigosthaina. It was quite a hot day, as Athens appears to be going through a heat wave just in time for our return! Most of the day was spent out in the sun with very little shade. My skin is starting to protest all of the sunscreen I’ve had to put on. The constant sun exposure is also resulting in some interesting “tan” lines. I have an awesome “farmer’s tan” t-shirt line forming as well as a sock line and flip flop line. Not to mention my raccoon eyes from my sunglasses. It’s not an attractive look! :(

On the way to Eleusis we stopped and saw the Temple of Aphrodite and a bridge built by Hadrian. The temple was not all that impressive as it was largely overgrown and we couldn’t see much of the foundations. It was interesting that a temple of Aphrodite was built on the way to Eleusis because of its connection with Demeter. Demeter is connected with fertility and Aphrodite is also linked to marriage and the transition from youth to an adult, sexual being. The bridge was built by Hadrian to aide in the procession to Eleusis. Next to the bridge was a cistern and what was cool is that you could still see grove makes in the stone from the ropes used to pull up the buckets of water. 

Caryatid

After our quick stops is was back onto the bus and on to Eleusis, which is a very interesting site. It was the place where the Eleusinian Mysteries of Demeter and Kore took place. The Mysteries revolved around the idea that there was hope for life after death for those who were initiated. What is intriguing about the site is that we have a lot of archaeological evidence and a lot of testimonials from ancient sources, but because it was illegal to reveal the Mysteries and what went on there, there is still a lot that we do not understand about the site. After touring the site we headed up the hill (where most things are located in Greece!) to the Archaeological Museum to look at some of the finds from the site. The coolest thing in the museum was the remains of a Caryatid from the Lesser Propylaia. There were originally two of them, but one is currently in Cambridge. While touring the site was extremely interesting, I was glad to get back on the bus and not only escape the baking sun, but a tour group of middle school aged students that were touring the site.

Eleutherai

Next it was on to Eleutherai, a fortress dating to 370-360 BC that was part of the Athenian defense system. Unfortunately we don’t know much about the fortress. The hike up to the fortress was not fun – the path was made of dirt and very loose stones which made it difficult to walk up the steep incline. Needless to say we were all dirty, tired, and sweaty by the time we reached the top. The hike was worth it because of the views from the top of the surrounding landscape. The fortress itself was really cool and we got to climb around on it, which made all of us excited. It’s always fun when we get to climb on ancient ruins :) We also came across a huge snake skin while exploring the site and while I thought it was cool, I was glad that it was only the skin and not the actual snake. I would not have been excited by that!

Aigosthaina

Aigosthaina is another fortress and like Eleutherai we know very little about it. Getting to the fortress required yet another dirty, tiring, and sweaty hike. We have now come to affectionately refer to these climbs as “forced death marches.” Again the views at the top made it worth it. We couldn’t explore this site as much as Eleutherai because a lot of it was fenced off because it is falling into disrepair and is unstable.

After arriving back in Athens and taking a much needed shower, it was off to dinner in Loring Hall – Greek style pizza! So good! I would take Takki, our cook, home with me if I could. His food is so delicious! I can’t use enough adjatives and exclamation points to describe the wonderful food he prepares for all of us! After dinner it was off to the (air conditioned) library to finish researching my site reports, both of which I will give on our upcoming trip to the Peloponnese. Tomorrow we head back to the Athenian Agora and we will also be going to the Epigraphical Museum.

June 25th - Day 15

The Erekhtheion

This morning we hiked up the Athenian Acropolis for the last time to see the Erekhtheion and the south slope of the acropolis. We started up a the top, across from the Parthenon, with the Erekhtheion. The Erekhtheion is a temple located on the north side of the Acropolis and was built between 421 and 405 BC. It is an ionic temple and its most striking architectural feature is the Porch of the Maidens. The maidens that are on the Erekhtheion now are reproductions. We got to see the originals in the Acropolis Museum. The temple has an interesting design, as it was built so as not to disturb the remains of older shrines which surround it. The temple was part of a separate building plan than  the Parthenon and because of that has some interesting design elements. It has a different orientation and has ionic columns, rather than doric. The temple is dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon Erechtheus and was the site for several ancient and holy relics of the Athenians.

The Thinker

After that we headed down the south slope of the Acropolis and saw quite a few things, including the Odeion of Herodes Atticus, which as been largely restored and is still used for outdoor concerts and theater productions. We also saw the Stoa of Eumenes, the Sanctuary of Asklepios and Hygieia, and the Sanctuary and Theatre of Dionysos Eleuthereus. When we finished our tour, most of us walked back to Loring Hall for lunch and a quick rest.

Badger Bowel

We then headed back out to the National Archaeological Museum (my favorite museum in Athens) where we were guided around the Prehistoric and Thera galleries. We saw a lot more Minoan pottery and our guide, who was a Prehistorian from Turkey pointed out some really interesting pieces. My favorites were "The Thinker" and a little badger shaped bowel. After our tour it was back to Loring Hall for a shower and dinner! Walking around ancient ruins and museums all day really works up an appetite :)

June 24th - Day 14

We got into Athens around 6 am this morning and headed straight back to Loring Hall. While most people went back to sleep, I did laundry and went to the library to work on my site presentations, as both of them are coming up on our Peloponnese trip. I manged to get most of it done and I enjoyed hanging out in the library because it has air conditioning. Athens is hot!! It's been in the 90's everyday for the past week and it is not showing any sign of cooling down while we are here.

At 4 pm, we met up with Bob Bridges, one of the directors here at ASCSA, who took us on a walking tour of Athens and pointed out some of the post-antique architecture. After a quick bite to eat, we went to the Athens University Museum to see a performance of Socrates Now, a one man show about the trial of Socrates. The performer was excellent and I really enjoyed the show. There was a discussion panel after the show, which I did not stay for because it was around 11 pm and I was exhausted. Plus I still had to walk back to Loring Hall...

Tomorrow is our last trip to the Acropolis!

June 23rd - Day 13

Lighthouse in Chania

Today was an easy day. We visited two museums in the morning - the Rethymnon Archaeological Museum and the Chania Archaeological Museum. Both museums were rather small and didn't allow pictures because most of the artifacts are unpublished. They both housed more Minoan artifacts from local digs.

On the way to the Chania Archaeological Museum we made a pit stop at the Venizelos Tomb. Venizelos was the first Prime Minister of a liberated Crete. After lunch we were supposed to visit the Etz Chaim Synagogue, but our guide never showed up and it was closed. So we got the rest of the afternoon off to go shopping and walk around before heading to the pier to catch the ferry back to Athens. We left Chania around 6 pm and got to the pier about 30 minutes later. I think we were hoping that the boat would be there early so we could hang out on the boat, but it turns out that the ferry was not leaving until 10 pm, so we had a good 3 1/2 hours to waste. I spent it in a nearby coffee shop reading and people watching.

Tomorrow we will be back in Athens and I'm excited to get back to Loring Hall, mostly for the food. I think I will miss the air conditioning...but we are only in Athens for 4 days before we head back out to the Peloponnese for 10 whole days!

June 22nd - Day 12

Gortyn

Another full morning! First stop was at Gortyn, a major Cretan city. Most of the remaining architecture dates back to the Roman and Byzantine periods. Gortyn is most famous for its law code, which dates back to the 5th century BC. It was a really cool site, but a lot of the remaining architecture was spread out and not labeled well, so it was hard to figure out what we were looking at.

Phaistos

A short bus ride later we arrived at Phaistos, the site of another Minoan palace. This one seemed much bigger than Knossos and was laid out much easier, although it was quite the hike to get to the top. From the top of the hill you could see pretty much the whole layout. The site also boasted some spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. 

We then stopped in Matala for lunch and a swim break. My favorite thing about Crete is that you are never far from the Mediterranean. The pictures really don't do it justice - it's so blue! After a very refreshing swim, we jumped back on the bus and headed to Rethymno. Tomorrow is our last day in Crete...

View of the Mediterranean from Matala

June 21st - Day 11

The throne room at Knossos

Today was a big day - we got to go to Knossos! Knossos was a Minoan settlement most famous for its palace. It was settled during the Neolithic (New Stone Age) Period and was continuously occupied until the 5th century AD. According to legend, Knossos was the seat of the wise king Minos. It is also connected to popular myths, including the Labyrinth and the Minotaur (click for the story) and the story of Daidalos and Ikaros (click for the story).

The site was extensively excavated by Sir Arthur Evans. Much of the site has been reconstructed by Evans, which made it different from a lot of other sites that we have visited, namely because the reconstructions made it a lot easier to visualize what the structures may have looked like in the past. There are two schools of thought concerning the reconstructions done by Evans. Most people sympathize with Evans - he discovered one of the most important site in all of Crete and had to figure out a way to preserve it for posterity. Others disagree on how he handled the restorations, complaining that it is largely based on speculation and prevents others from being able to study the site...I can see both sides of the argument and don't feel like I know enough to take an educated stance.

The famous bull jumping fresco

After Knossos it was off to the Historical Museum of Crete. This was an interesting museum...it is currently under construction so there were only 2 rooms open which contained the "greatest hits." Nevertheless, it was still worth checking out. We got to see a lot of the finds from Knossos, as well as some of the other places we will be visiting later this week. When we finished at the museum we had the rest of the afternoon to ourselves, which I spent wandering around and checking out the local scene around Iraklion.

June 20th - Day 10

Gournia

We stared the day by heading to Gournia, a Late Minoan I settlement. It is believed that this settlement developed as a commercial and economic center due to its location on major trade routes between Greece and Asia. Most of the ruins that we can see today date back to the final period of occupation, around the 15th century. The site was originally excavated by Harriet Boyd, one of the first female archaeologists to direct a major site dig in Greece, between 1901 and 1904.

Mallia

After Gournia, we headed over to Mallia, the site of a Minoan palace dating back to 1900 BC. It was originally excavated in 1915 by the French Archaeological School at Athens. We then headed over to the Iraklion Museum, but it turned out to be closed for some reason...

Most of us spent the remainder of the afternoon relaxing at the hotel. Later that evening, after siesta time was over, we all headed out to explore the surrounding town and grab dinner. I had lamb chops...they were amazing!!

June 19th - Day 9

Today we started the day at the Siteia Archaeological Museum. The museum is currently under reconstruction, so most of the artifacts did not have labels as to what they were. All of the artifacts were Minoan and were collected from the various digs, including Palaikastro, which we visited later. The coolest thing at the museum was a collection of Minoan sarcophagi.

Palaikastro

After the museum we piled onto our bus and headed to Palaikastro, a Minoan settlement dating from the Bronze age to the early Minoan period. The site consists of a town with no central building (i.e. palace). They have found the remains of a refuge (used by the townspeople in times of crisis), a temple, a cemetery and harbor. They have been unable to locate a palace or other authoritative building and will be starting excavations in the next few weeks to continue to look for it. It was an immense site and was really cool to see. The hills were covered with sage and oregano, which mixed with the salty breezes, gave the air an amazing fragrance. I wish I could have bottled it to take home!

Kato Zakro

Another short bus ride took us to Kato Zakro, the site of a Minoan palace. This was probably one of the coolest sites I have seen so far. The palace is surrounded by the excavated remains of a Minoan town. It is estimated that the site was inhabitant between 2000 and 1450 BC. The Linear A tablets that we saw in the museum in the morning were found at this site.

After finishing at Kato Zakro we headed to the beach for lunch and a swim in the Mediterranean Sea. The Mediterranean was heavenly and the blue is so much more vibrant in person than in pictures. This is the second time that I have seen the Mediterranean – the first being in high school when I went to Spain, however we went in winter the Mediterranean was a depressing slate gray at the time. After a totally refreshing swim, we sat down at a beach side restaurant and had a wonderful lunch. We ordered Moussaka (sort of like a lazzonia with eggplant, potatoes, ground beef and cheese) , roasted veggies, Greek salad (fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, onion, and feta cheese), rabbit, beets, cauliflower leaves stuffed with rice, fried cheese, and baked potatoes. The food was amazing and we got to experience firsthand the Greek hospitality. The owners of the restaurant were extremely friendly and gave us desert (fresh fruit and something like a cinnamon flan) free. They sat right down at the table with us and asked us all sorts of questions about where we were from and shared stories about living on Crete. They then produced a bottle of raki, which is like a Greek moonshine, and proceeded to pass it around. I think our tour guide, Bella, got a little tipsy!

After a short rest on the beach, where we were “accosted” by a small Greek child hissing at us, we got back on the bus. We made one final stop at the Monastery of Toplou. It is a small monastery with a little Greek Orthodox church decorated in the Byzantine style and then headed back into town to the hotel.

Tomorrow we are headed to Iraklion.

June 18th - Day 8

A view of the Mediterranean from Crete

Planes, trains and automobiles! Well, more like boats, trucks, and buses…but you get the idea. We arrived in Crete at 6 am after taking an “express” (we were supposed to get in at 4 am) overnight ferry to Siteia, which is in eastern Crete. The ferry was far nicer than I expected. It was more like a mini cruise ship. Unfortunately, the wonderful amenities that make a cruise ship (i.e. pool, hot tub, pool bar) where either closed or under repair. It did have air conditioning!! I was so nice to fall asleep and not wake up drenched in sweat.

We disembarked and instantly got on our bus and headed to our first stop. We made a quick breakfast stop and I got to experience my first Greek “pie.” The Greeks are all about the pies here. They are the equivalent to Greek fast food. Basically it is phyllo or filo dough filled with cheese, spinach and cheese, or ham and cheese. I opted for the spinach and cheese pie with a coffee and it was delicious. After breakfast it was off to the INSTAP Center (Institute for Aegean Prehistory). INSTAP supports archaeological fieldwork and research, as well as funds archaeological digs, in Crete. We got to see some of the latest finds recent digs and meet some of the archaeologists currently working in Crete. 

After that it was back on the bus to head to Azorias, a 6th century BC Minoan settlement. Azorias is located on top of a very high mountain, which our bus could not navigate. So we were dropped off at the bottom of the mountain where we piled into the back of pickup trucks like migrant workers and head up to the sight. We stopped along the way to see the Memorial Olive Tree of Kovoussi. It is the second oldest olive tree in the world. Winners of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens were crowned with olive branches from the tree. Next to the olive tree were the remains of a Minoan farmhouse and our guide explained that they are trying to turn the area into something like a national park.

Azorias

Back into the pickup trucks we went and continued up a very winding and bumpy path. We emerged from the trucks covered from head to foot in dust and smell somewhat of pack mules. Our guide then took us through the site of Azorias, a Minoan settlement that dates back to the 6th century BC. It was a very interesting site, as it shows evidence of urbanization amongst the Minoans. We got to see the remains of several civic or public, buildings and the remains of a typical Minoan house.

The "ferry"

After another bumpy and dusty ride back down the mountain we headed to our next site – Mochlos. Mochlos is located on an island just off the coast, and we were worried that we were not going to be able to get over there because you have to take a “ferry” and the water was so choppy. I say “ferry” because it really was just a small sailboat run by one of the locals that took us over there. We piled into this “ferry” eight at a time and got soaked from the crazy high waves. I must say that it was worth it. We were greeted on the dock by Jonathan, a PhD student currently excavating the site, who took us around and showed us the remains.

Mochlos

Then it was back on the “ferry” and finally time for lunch. We stopped at one of the little restaurants located along the shore. I had a fabulous cucumber and tomato salad drizzled with olive oil and fresh bread. Finally, we jumped back on the bus and head to our hotel. Later that night, after resting and showering, I went out and walked along the pier outside our hotel. We all grabbed dinner at the hotel restaurant across the street. I had a very un-Greek Margarita pizza (still so good), but had my first taste of Ouzo, which I didn’t care for because it tastes like black licorice. I then spent the rest of the evening people watching and watching the soccer game on TV with my fellow travelers. All and all, a great start to our stay in Crete.

June 17th - Day 7

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Today we toured through the Roman parts of Greece. It was a short and relaxing day because many things were closed due to the Greek election that was held today.

Arch of Hadrian

This morning we took a nice leisurely stroll down through the National Park, which is a very pretty park. Scattered throughout the park a bits and pieces of antiquity that were placed there when Athens was sprucing itself up for the Olympics.

We then walked over to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Of course it was closed due to the elections, but we were able to glimpse it through the fence. Right across from the temple is the Arch of Hadrian, built to honor Emperor Hadrian.

Relief of Pan - chest is at the
bottom of pic, head and horns
above

As we continued our walking tour we came across a small shrine built into a rock side dedicated to Pan, somewhat off the beaten trail. Our guide pointed out a relief of Pan that is carved into the side of the shrine, which is hard to see unless you know what you are looking for.

After that it was on to the Tower of the Winds, which is a marble clock tower built on the Roman agora, and we were done for the day. We stopped for some lunch - Greek gyros (so delicious) - and head back to the school. I spent the afternoon in the library doing some more research for my site presentations.

Tower of the winds

Tonight we are taking an overnight ferry to the island of Crete where we will be for the next 6 days, which might be a good thing depending on how the Greek election plays out. I don't know what the internet situation is going to be, so I may be out of communication for the next week or so...I will be back in Athens on June 24th.

Happy Father's Day!

The Athenian Agora

Layout of the Agora

The Agora was the center of the ancient city of Athens. It is a large, open square where the citizens could assemble for a wide variety of purposes. It is where all the administrative, political, judicial, commercial, social, cultural, and religious activities of the city-state took place. On any given day it could be used as a market, for an election, for a dramatic performance, for a religious procession, for a military drill, or for an athletic competition. It is where all the public buildings necessary to run the Athenian government were located. It is here that the concept of democracy was first developed and practiced.

Agora Achives

Archaeological evidence shows that the area was first laid out as a public space in the 6th century B.C. Administrative buildings and small sanctuaries where built and there is evidence of an early aqueduct. After Athens was destroyed by the Persians in 480 B.C., the city was rebuilt and public buildings were added to the Agora throughout the 5th and 4th centuries. During the Classical Period, the Agora and its buildings were frequented by all the great Greeks - statesmen such as Themistocles, Pericles, and Demosthenes; poets such as Aeschylos, Spohocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes; writers such as Thucydides and Herodotus; artists such as Pheidias; and the great philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Today the Agora is home to the Archives where many of the finds from the Agora are cleaned, restored, cataloged, studied, and stored. Check out the following website for more information on the Agora and the work that is being done there: Athenian Agora Excavations.

June 16th - Day 6

The Propylaia, including the pedestal of Agrippa

Today was day 2 of the Acropolis. The gods must have been smiling down on us today because it was not nearly as oppressively hot as it has been. There was a heavenly breeze that blew all day, which made it much cooler. It also made it very windy on the Acropolis as you might imagine :)

The focus of today's trip was the Propylaia and the Temple of Athena Nike. Propylaia means "gateways" and is the name given to the monumental entrance-way of the Athenian Acropolis. This was the main entrance of the Acropolis and what visitors would have seen as they approached the Acropolis from the west. We were allowed to go into the northwest wing (pictured here) of the Propylaia, which was a good thing as the Acropolis was extremely crowded this morning. Apparently there were 3 cruise ship groups who were there. We identified them by their funny stickers and group leaders with crazy signs...lol.

In front of the Propylaia and over to the left is a tall pedestal of blue-grey Hymettus marble known as the pedestal of Agrippa. On top of the pedestal was a four-horse charriot built in honor of Eumenes II, the king of Pergamon after his victory in the Panathenaic Games of 178 B.C. It was later rededicated to the Roman benefactor of the city, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.

The Temple of Athena Nike

One the southwest side is the Temple of Athena Nike, which was built upon a Mycenaean defense wall. This is where Athena was worshiped with the epithet (any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality) Nike, or victory. We could only see this temple from a distance as restorations are currently underway on the southwest side. They wouldn't let us go over there due to the scaffolding and limited space, which was somewhat disappointing.

Round half-tower of a Byzantine building dating to
the 7th Century AD located outside of the museum

After visiting the Acropolis, we headed over to the official Acropolis Museum, which opened in June 2009. It is an interesting site, which combines very nicely the ancient and the modern. Openings outside and glass floors inside allow visitors to see the remains of an Athenian neighborhood located on the site of the museum. I was not able to take a lot of pictures in the museum, as pictures were not allowed in the lower galleries, but I did get a fabulous book on the Acropolis and the museum in the gift shop.

Metope of Hebe and Hera

The highlight of the museum has to be the top floor, which is dedicated to the Parthenon where the pediments (figures that have survived), the metopes, and the frieze are displayed. Many of these are badly damaged, which is why they have been removed from the actual Parthenon. Casts have been installed on the Parthenon in their place. There are a total of 92 metopes which were located around the outer colonnade of the Parthenon. Each one contains a self-contained scene, usually including two figures. The subjects of these scenes were taken from legendary battles and symbolized the victories of the Athenians against the Persians. The east side depicted the battle of the Olympian gods against the Giants, who tried to overthrow the order prevailing on Mount Olympus (Gigantomachy). The west side presented the fight of Athenian youths against the Amazons, who threatened even the Acropolis (Amazonomachy). The theme of the south side was the fight of the Thessalian youths (Lapiths) against the Centaurs who attempted to abduct their women during a wedding celebration (Centauromachy). The north side illustrated the Sack of Troy (Iliou Persis).

Part of the frieze depicting some of the Olympian Gods

The frieze, which was located around the upper part of the outside of the actual Parthenon building, consists of 115 blocks (total length is 160 meters) and was created by Pheidias. These blocks depict scenes from the Great Panthenaia, the greatest festival held in honor of Athena. The festival took place every 4 years, lasted 12 days and included rituals, sacrifices, as well as athletic and musical contests. The festivities culminated on the 28th day of the month – Hekatombaion in the heart of the summer – on Athena’s birthday. On that day, a procession advanced to the temple of Athena Polias (the Archaios Naos that was later replaced by the Erechtheion) in order to hand over to the priestess a new peplos for the old xoanon of the Goddess.

Some 378 human figures and deities and more than 200 animals, mainly horses, are presented in the process. Groups of horses and chariots occupy most of the space on the frieze. The sacrificial procession follows next, with animals and groups of men and women carrying ceremonial vessels and offerings. The procession concludes with the giving of the peplos, the gift of the Athenian people to the cult statue of the Goddess, a xoanon (ancient wooden statue). Left and right of the peplos scene sit the twelve gods of Mount Olympos.
From the entire frieze that survives today, 50 meters are in the Acropolis Museum, 80 meters in the British Museum, one block in the Louvre, whilst other fragments are scattered in the museums of Palermo, the Vatican, Würzburg, Vienna, Munich and Copenhagen.

We had an interesting debate on whether or not the metopes and pieces of the frieze should be returned to Athens in order to be housed together in the Acropolis Museum. Many of the metopes and frieze panels are in the British Museum and were sent there because there was not a proper building in Athens to house them. The British Museum has since made casts of the panels that they have and sent those back to Athens, and those are displayed with the panels located in Athens. Most of us, including myself, felt that now that Athens had a proper museum to house the collection, the remaining pieces should be returned to Athens so that the collection could be displayed together. I do not know what the feelings of the Greeks are on this, but it was a shame to see so many missing panels and know that they are somewhere else. It is such a magnificent collection that it would be amazing to see it all together and housed in the shadow of the Parthenon, which can be seen from the Parthenon gallery.

View of the Parthenon from the Parthenon Gallery