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MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORT

GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF ANTIQUITIES AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

DIRECTORATE OF MUSEUMS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL

PROGRAMS AND COMMUNICATION

Archaeologya key to the gate of time

The science of archaeology studies the remains of the past and seeks answers to mankind’s fundamental questions about history. These may be given by the

people themselves who lived before us through their

writings. However, there were times

before writing was discovered or eras

in which people used scripts that we are still

not able to read, such as the Minoan script or Linear A.

For those times that we term prehistoric, in which the Minoan and the Mycenaean civilisation flourished, archaeological

research is our only source of information on past human activities. Archaeologists seek answers … in the great

book of the land and sea, where thousands of

secrets are hidden: submersed cities, sunken ships, ports

swallowed by the salty water of the sea, hills and valleys hidden under the earth through the passage of time.

The pioneers in archaeology

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This is the work of the archaeologist: to look for traces of the past by digging up the earth/land, searching in caves, banks of rivers and shores of lakes, even the bottom of the sea. There can be ancient finds everywhere, under our feet… Archaeologists try to find them and study them. Their work requires collaboration with other scientists and specialists (geologists, architects, conservators, photographers, draughtsmen, etc.). From the beginning archaeology was related to adventure. Some may even consider the work of an archaeologist to be frightening and dangerous.

Excavating the past

It is not simply a profession! It is an adventure!

When I was young I was impressed by the ancient world. When people asked me what I wanted to become, I always answered: An Archaeologist! I have dreamt of discovering

something important all my life.

For many, Heinrich Schliemann, who was self taught, is the model archaeologist. We see in him the lonely hero who travels to far away places seeking knowledge. This is a model found in many films and books on archaeology. Schliemann believed that he could prove that the places mentioned in Homer’s epics really existed and managed to do so. History will remember him as the person who excavated the legendary Mycenae, Troy, Tiryns and Orchomenos. His life has been an inspiration to many archaeologists. We have to remember though that Schliemann was a man of his times, an era when archaeology was making its maiden voyage as a science. What is important is that every archaeological discovery has a dose of mystery. Even the expressions used by archaeologists, such as “discovery” and “solution” remind us of detective stories. That is why the world frequently sees archaeologists as detectives that solve a mystery with the use of their powers of deduction and a lot of studying.

Let us see what will we discover

this time?

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Every year, especially in the summer, there are a lot of excavations in many places around the world… Most excavations are for the purpose of preserving ancient remains and handing over a space for private use or for the construction of major public works. These are called rescue excavations. They help preserve valuable information about the historical past of a land without obstructing modern development. Some times, however, antiquities can be found completely by chance… In the spring of 1863, a mule driver who was transporting sand from the small hill of Agia Triada close to Piraeus street in Athens, made a major discovery. As he was shovelling sand onto the cart, his shovel struck a piece of marble. He notified the owner of the land about his find and immediately he came and dug -

bringing to light a funerary stele inscribed with the words Α[GATHON A]GATHOCLEOUS. This led to the excavations that revealed Kerameikos, the greatest cemetery of Ancient Athens. So random finds can be uncovered when a farmer tills his land, an engineer digs to lay the foundation for a building or works are carried out to construct roads and other major projects. Remember the works for the construction of the Athens metro. When the tunnel boring machine (affectionately called the metro mouse) started digging, it discovered the city beneath the city, i.e. Ancient and Byzantine Athens that had been buried under the modern city. Archaeologist waited impatiently to see what would be revealed. Now that work has begun on the Thessaloniki metro, all eyes are on Thessaloniki!

How do archaeologists find ancient objects?

In most cases archaeologists find antiquities after systematic research and study. They study ancient writers, such as Thucydides and Pausanias, who describe their own world and they try to match it to the present day. In this manner they can locate the position of an ancient city, an ancient port or temple. Often these places have kept their ancient name, either with or without changes to it. This fact alone is a valuable piece of information – a starting point for research.

The traveller Pausanias wrote about Eastern Attica: At some distance from Marathon is Brauron, where according to the legend, Iphigenia, the daughter of Agamemnon, landed with the image of Artemis when she fled from the Tauri (Pausanias, Description of Greece, Attica, chapter 33.1, Translation W.H.S Jones).

Braona, where the temple of Artemis was found and which was known from references by ancient writers, is an area which kept alive the memory of its slightly altered ancient name through the centuries.

Systematic Research

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If there are ancient walls buried below the surface in a field of wheat, look at what happens to the crop…

Where there is only soil plant, roots absorb the water that they need to grow properly. However, where ancient walls exist, the roots do not absorb the same amount of moisture and the plants don’t grow as much or turn yellow.Drawing: Dimitris Koukoulas, Architect – Engineer

First Step:

Surface surveyEquipped with notebooks, maps and cameras, archaeologists survey the area where indications of antiquities exist. A pile of hewn stones at the edge of a field, scattered pottery sherds (ostraka) in the earth, marble columns and column capitals built into walls of old churches are some of the many signs that testify to the existence of antiquities. However, some times, when antiquities are completely buried below the surface of the earth, they send out messages to archaeologists revealing their position!

Excavations step by step

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Technology at the service of archaeological surveys

Looking at the world from above, archaeologists can identify changes in the colour or the relief of the land. These changes cannot be distinguished from the ground, however, they frequently indicate that there are buried ruins below. Another modern method for finding archaeological remains underground is geophysical investigation, in which the electromagnetic field of an area is recorded by special devices, magnetometers.

People working in an excavation

The team in charge of an excavation consists of various specialties. Besides archaeologists, there are also architects, photographers, draughtsmen, conservators, geologists, anthropologists and specialised workmen. Shovels, picks and hoes, trowels, wheel barrows, brushes and paintbrushes, string and stakes are the main tools of an excavation. In addition, archaeologists use some very thin instruments, similar to those used by dentists.

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Second Step

The excavation commences…The excavation commences with a trial trench, in which a small part of the area selected by the archaeologists is investigated. If the results are encouraging archaeologists continue with the excavation. They first clean up the area carefully. Then they create 5x5m squares using stakes and string. They separate the squares with numbers on the one side and letters on the other. Each square (box grid) is given a name, e.g. Α1, Β3 etc, so as to be able to identify where each item was found.

Photo from the excavations for the Athens metro. ACROPOLIS Station.

And now the real work begins…

Every square is excavated separately. Archaeologists leave a strip of land with a diameter of 1 meter between the squares as a reference called balk. Workmen with their wheelbarrows circulate on the passageways formed by these strips of land in order to remove soil. The stakes that separate the squares are placed there also. Balks give archaeologists a view of the stratigraphy of each square.

Stratigraphy is the study of consecutive

layers of earth. Those layers were created

through the centuries from the activity of

either people or nature.

The archaeologist observes the different

layers of colour (e.g. reddish, brown, black-

brown) and the texture of the soil (soil

with pebbles, sand, clayish soil, etc.). Each

layer corresponds to a different period

of inhabitation in this area and maybe a

different era..

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Drawing based on the stratigraphy from the excavations of the Athens Metro at the 1st

underground level of the ACROPOLIS station. Drawing: Dimitris Koukoulas, Architect – Engineer

Investigating the squares…When the time for the excavation arrives the workmen remove carefully the soil and the archaeologists notice any changes in the soil, its texture or colour. The archaeologist notes everything down in the “excavation log” and continuously takes photos, making a record of all stages of the dig. Workmen throw the soil into baskets and remove it with their wheelbarrow. Frequently archaeologists sift the soil to make certain that they don’t miss small objects, such as the bones of small animals, seeds, beads or jewellery.

Archaeologists using a brush to clean the surface to be able to see what is buried below.

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At last we have a find! The happiest moment for the entire team! Archaeologists don’t take an object out of the soil as soon as they begin to see it. First, they investigate the layer in which it was found, they photograph it and then carefully remove the soil around it with a trowel or small knife, continuously cleaning it with a brush. Slowly other finds come to light. The same procedure is repeated until all objects are taken out of the soil. Once the objects have been photographed and drawn they are removed from the pit. Depending on their size, they are placed in plastic bags or cardboard boxes together with their tags, which record the exact location they were found in.

Excavation at Attica, Pikermi 2010, Photo © Palaeontology and Geology, National University of Athens.

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The conservator at work.

Third step

From the excavation to the laboratoryOnce the day at the excavation site ends, all the moveable finds, placed according to their size in cardboard boxes and plastic bags are taken to the laboratory. There another team starts working on them, cleaning them and recording them. Conservators clean the finds with water and soft brushes. Then they lay them out on benches to dry well. Now the time to record the finds has come: each object, even the smallest part of a vase, has to be given an identity. That is a number that the archaeologist notes on the object at some not so noticeable point. Then they apply a transparent varnish over the number so that it does not get erased. Then the object can be handed over to the conservator to put together its pieces and to conserve it. After this stage the object is returned to the archaeologists to be studied.

Fourth step

Studying the finds…ΑValuable information can be drawn even from the smallest of finds. For example by performing the appropriate chemical analyses the archaeologist can date the layer in which it was found or learn something about the use of the area. The archaeologist notes down all observations and conclusions in the “excavation log”. Any finds deemed important are given to the draughtsman and photographer. Then they are placed in an orderly manner in the excavation store room. Certain of these – the most important and interesting end up in the display cases of museums. The rest remain in storage areas.

...and study the spaceBesides studying the finds, archaeologists must also study excavated space combining the information with that obtained from the finds. At the same time architects make drawings of the buildings found and conservators intervene to secure the walls, wherever necessary. That is why it is very important to study objects in the exact place they were found. Individual objects that are taken away from the point in which they were initially found – such as those from illicit digs- do not “speak to us”. Often we don’t know to whom they belonged, to what other archaeological finds they are connected, and we find it hard to date them.

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Underwater archaeologyAntiquities are not only hidden in the earth, but also in sea, lakes and even river beds. In these cases the investigations are carried out with archaeologists – divers that work in underwater archaeology. The conditions of the excavations are different from those outlined above. Low visibility in the water; a muddy sea bottom; divers who have to work without standing on solid ground; the limited time under water make underwater archaeology very difficult, but also very attractive. The method of the excavation and the tools used differ greatly from those used on land. For example instead of the shovels, wheelbarrows, buckets and trowels used by archaeologists on land to remove the soil, below water divers-archaeologists use electrical vacuums devices that operate underwater.

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Underwater excavation in the Mycenaean shipwreck at Modi (photo © Hellenic Institute of Marine Archaeology, photographer: V. Mentoyannis)

From the moment that they find an object they work with bare hands to get it free of the sand. Using special cameras, pencils and slates they take notes, just like in other excavations.

The work of the archaeologist

What is the image that the world has of the archaeologist and his work? Archaeologists love adventure and mysteries; make important discoveries about mankin; and protect our cultural heritage. Often, we see in archaeologists the old ideals of explorers, those persons who love the past, adventure and glory. However, is it so? The day to day life of archaeologist differs greatly from this ideal image.

If you want my opinion, archaeology is just about as adventurous as these books I have to read!*

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*C. Holtorf, Archaeology is a

Brand! The meaning of Archaeology in

Contemporary popular culture,

Oxford 2007.

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Archaeologists spend most of their time behind a desk drafting public documents, opinions, studies for

showcasing archaeological sites and museums, studies for re-exhibiting museums or involved in cases related to

private individuals. Most people only know one part of the archaeologist’s work: excavations. However, most time is devoted to studying and drafting research reports. In recent years archaeologist have gained ground and are seen as scientists that care for the cultural heritage, helping to preserve it for the future generations and preserving it from illicit digs and smuggling. That is why the following is true for archaeologists...

“It is not an adventure, it is a job” But this job makes you dream

of adventures…”

Now that I have read

all this, excavations have lost their

appeal!

Athens, 2015

Project coordinator Maria Lagogianni, Ph.D. archaeologist Souzana Choulia - Kapeloni, archaeologist

General editors Tonia Koutsouraki, archaeologist Alexandra Seleli, archaeologist/museologist

Graphic Design editor Spilios Pistas, graphic artist

Texts Iro Mathioudaki, Ph.D. (Archaeology)

Texts translation Katerina Apostolaki, translator/interpreter

Texts correction Violetta Zefki, archaeologist/translator

Graphic Design Sophia Deligianni, graphic designer

Illustrated by Elias Karras, painter

Copyright © 2015 MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS

ISBN: 978-960-386-205-5

The leaflet “Archaeology, a key to the gate of time”, was created and digitized in 2015, within the framework of Act code no. MIS 339815 “Updating and digitizing educational material to support the educational process, which is implemented by the Directorate of Museums as part of the Operational Programme “Education and Lifelong Learning” and jointly funded by the European Union (European Social Fund) and by national resources.

The content of this brochure is based on the experience of the Department in educational programmes related to the science of Archaeology with students of pre-school and public school levels as well as additional material of the activities designed by archaeologist E. Pini and Al. Seleli.