Yannis Kourtzellis
Archaeologist of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports
Yannis Kourtzellis was born in 1973. He studied Archaeology and History of Art (B.Sc.) at the University of Athens (1991-1995). He received his MSc. in Cultural Informatics/Museology (2005-2007) and his Ph.D. from the University of Aegean (2007-2012), where his dissertation thesis: “Past and its image. Representation of archaeological sites and monuments with digital media. Theoretical issues and case-studies” addressed the architectural study and representation of ancient monuments with digital media, especially 3D software. During 2015-2019 he was a Post-Doc Researcher at University of Athens in the field of Classical Archaeology. Post-doctoral research: “Study of the ancient theater of Mytilene. Recognition of the building phases, architectural study and digital reconstruction”.
He has been working in the Hellenic Ministry of Culture & Sports (Ephorate of Antiquities of Lesbos) since 1999. He has participated in several excavations on the island of Lesbos, especially in the ancient cities of Mytilene and Methymna, in the federal sanctuary of Messon, and also οn the island of Lemnos (Northeastern Aegean).
He has published several articles and chapters in international archaeological journals and conference volumes after peer review especially in the fields of Greek and Roman archaeology, architecture, topography, sculpture, red-figure pottery, numismatics, and in the field of Virtual Archaeology.
Emails: [email protected] and [email protected]
Yannis Kourtzellis was born in 1973. He studied Archaeology and History of Art (B.Sc.) at the University of Athens (1991-1995). He received his MSc. in Cultural Informatics/Museology (2005-2007) and his Ph.D. from the University of Aegean (2007-2012), where his dissertation thesis: “Past and its image. Representation of archaeological sites and monuments with digital media. Theoretical issues and case-studies” addressed the architectural study and representation of ancient monuments with digital media, especially 3D software. During 2015-2019 he was a Post-Doc Researcher at University of Athens in the field of Classical Archaeology. Post-doctoral research: “Study of the ancient theater of Mytilene. Recognition of the building phases, architectural study and digital reconstruction”.
He has been working in the Hellenic Ministry of Culture & Sports (Ephorate of Antiquities of Lesbos) since 1999. He has participated in several excavations on the island of Lesbos, especially in the ancient cities of Mytilene and Methymna, in the federal sanctuary of Messon, and also οn the island of Lemnos (Northeastern Aegean).
He has published several articles and chapters in international archaeological journals and conference volumes after peer review especially in the fields of Greek and Roman archaeology, architecture, topography, sculpture, red-figure pottery, numismatics, and in the field of Virtual Archaeology.
Emails: [email protected] and [email protected]
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The present paper utilizing the ancient testimonies and the modern archaeological findings analyzes mostly the repairs which are visible in the two harbours of the city (North and South), the Euripus strait, and also the development of their coastal zone during the Roman and Late-Roman period.
Keywords: Lesbos, Mytilene, North Harbour, South Harbour, Euripus strait.
its domestic needs, communication with other islands, the coast of
Asia Minor and Constantinople.
Information on the harbour facilities and its coastal fortifications
derives mainly from: a) travelers’ accounts, portolans and historical
sources, given the fact that harbours of Lesbos were, in several
cases, the theater of naval warfare operations; b) excavation data
and c) the remains on the monuments themselves.
At the same time, harbours do not cease to be large-scale technical
constructions that make use of pre-existing harbour facilities of the
ancient cities of Lesbos.
Among the most important harbours are considered those of
Mytilene (Northern and Southern) and Methymna, while other
smaller harbours, but of particular significance, such as those at
Agioi Theodoroi, Skala Sykamias, etc.
The article explores the finds of underwater research, as well as
excavation data, wherever these are available. The combined use
of the above sources aims to interpret structural and functional
elements, as well as the interconnection of harbour facilities with
coastal fortifications and the formation of the seaside front and
furthermore the monitoring of the coastline alteration, mainly for
the northern harbour of Mytilene during the Ottoman period.
Π. Τριανταφυλλίδης (επιμ.). Οχυρώσεις της Οθωμανικής περιόδου στο Αιγαίο. Πρακτικά Διεθνούς επιστημονικού συνεδρίου. Μυτιλήνη, 30 – 31 Οκτωβρίου 2018, Μυτιλήνη, Εφορεία Αρχαιοτήτων Λέσβου, 239-260
Since its establishment at the end of the second millennium BC it was focused towards the sea and seaborne trade. With the establishment of colonies on the coastal zone of Troad and northern Aeolis Mytilene came into contact with the people of Asia Minor and the rest of the ancient world in general as a prominent city of the socalled Aeolian cultural landscape.
Its two harbours, especially the northern one, became principal factors for the urban planning of Mytilene especially from the Archaic to the Roman period. In addition, the relations of the northern harbour with smaller harbours and port facilities of the territory of Mytilene are commented in an attempt to outline the ›internal‹ and ›external‹ micro-region of the harbours and the island of Lesbos.
The figure is depicted standing to face, with his right hand to the waist and the left leg lifted up by the side, probably resting on a rock or a suitable formation. The head is leaning on his left hand in an attitude of sorrow and his left leg is partly covered with a beautifully folded and arranged drapery (short frock-coat, chlamys (?)). The statue was carved in white imported marble, most probably from an insular Greece’s quarry. Based on iconographical and stylistic criteria, but also taking into consideration the excavation context the statue should be dated at the last quarter of the 4th c. BC.
The present article examines six new and unpublished pelikai from the Southern Necropolis. These include mainly painted vases with decoration of standing draped youths shown in profile on both sides, attributed to the Florence Painter (470–460 BC), and to the Helbig Reverse-Group (370–360 BC). A pelike depicting two Greeks fighting Amazons (Amazonomachy) on its main side is attributed to or close to Group G (350–340 BC) are two examples with decoration of female heads and animal’s busts (horse and griffin) representing the most populous thematic category of Kerch style.
The aim of this chapter is to record and analyse the ways in which the
representation of the past has been constructed by large groups of
specialists or laymen, from Renaissance Humanism to the Posthumanist
digital present, when contemporary technological developments and
capabilities have opened new directions for archaeological research,
turning digital creators and new scientific experts into administrators of
archaeological images. We are therefore going to compare the analogic
and the three-dimensional images as archaeological tools and also as
humanistic (New Archaeology) and postmodern/posthumanistic (Post-
Processual Archaeology) media beginning from virtual archaeology.
“Virtual archaeology” is a developing scientific area using the
capabilities of computers to concentrate, catalogue, group and promote
archaeological material in a range of different ways and media for a wide
spectrum of applications. Virtual archaeology substantially rehabilitates
the geometric relationship between archaeological and architectural data
and describes in visual language the researcher’s verbal descriptions and
theories (Reilly, 1992, 147; Higgins, Main & Lang, 1996; Forte, Siliotti,
1997). The digital image, static or animated, is the final result of the
research and interpretative procedure in the theoretical framework of Post-
Processual Archaeology.
The present paper utilizing the ancient testimonies and the modern archaeological findings analyzes mostly the repairs which are visible in the two harbours of the city (North and South), the Euripus strait, and also the development of their coastal zone during the Roman and Late-Roman period.
Keywords: Lesbos, Mytilene, North Harbour, South Harbour, Euripus strait.
its domestic needs, communication with other islands, the coast of
Asia Minor and Constantinople.
Information on the harbour facilities and its coastal fortifications
derives mainly from: a) travelers’ accounts, portolans and historical
sources, given the fact that harbours of Lesbos were, in several
cases, the theater of naval warfare operations; b) excavation data
and c) the remains on the monuments themselves.
At the same time, harbours do not cease to be large-scale technical
constructions that make use of pre-existing harbour facilities of the
ancient cities of Lesbos.
Among the most important harbours are considered those of
Mytilene (Northern and Southern) and Methymna, while other
smaller harbours, but of particular significance, such as those at
Agioi Theodoroi, Skala Sykamias, etc.
The article explores the finds of underwater research, as well as
excavation data, wherever these are available. The combined use
of the above sources aims to interpret structural and functional
elements, as well as the interconnection of harbour facilities with
coastal fortifications and the formation of the seaside front and
furthermore the monitoring of the coastline alteration, mainly for
the northern harbour of Mytilene during the Ottoman period.
Π. Τριανταφυλλίδης (επιμ.). Οχυρώσεις της Οθωμανικής περιόδου στο Αιγαίο. Πρακτικά Διεθνούς επιστημονικού συνεδρίου. Μυτιλήνη, 30 – 31 Οκτωβρίου 2018, Μυτιλήνη, Εφορεία Αρχαιοτήτων Λέσβου, 239-260
Since its establishment at the end of the second millennium BC it was focused towards the sea and seaborne trade. With the establishment of colonies on the coastal zone of Troad and northern Aeolis Mytilene came into contact with the people of Asia Minor and the rest of the ancient world in general as a prominent city of the socalled Aeolian cultural landscape.
Its two harbours, especially the northern one, became principal factors for the urban planning of Mytilene especially from the Archaic to the Roman period. In addition, the relations of the northern harbour with smaller harbours and port facilities of the territory of Mytilene are commented in an attempt to outline the ›internal‹ and ›external‹ micro-region of the harbours and the island of Lesbos.
The figure is depicted standing to face, with his right hand to the waist and the left leg lifted up by the side, probably resting on a rock or a suitable formation. The head is leaning on his left hand in an attitude of sorrow and his left leg is partly covered with a beautifully folded and arranged drapery (short frock-coat, chlamys (?)). The statue was carved in white imported marble, most probably from an insular Greece’s quarry. Based on iconographical and stylistic criteria, but also taking into consideration the excavation context the statue should be dated at the last quarter of the 4th c. BC.
The present article examines six new and unpublished pelikai from the Southern Necropolis. These include mainly painted vases with decoration of standing draped youths shown in profile on both sides, attributed to the Florence Painter (470–460 BC), and to the Helbig Reverse-Group (370–360 BC). A pelike depicting two Greeks fighting Amazons (Amazonomachy) on its main side is attributed to or close to Group G (350–340 BC) are two examples with decoration of female heads and animal’s busts (horse and griffin) representing the most populous thematic category of Kerch style.
The aim of this chapter is to record and analyse the ways in which the
representation of the past has been constructed by large groups of
specialists or laymen, from Renaissance Humanism to the Posthumanist
digital present, when contemporary technological developments and
capabilities have opened new directions for archaeological research,
turning digital creators and new scientific experts into administrators of
archaeological images. We are therefore going to compare the analogic
and the three-dimensional images as archaeological tools and also as
humanistic (New Archaeology) and postmodern/posthumanistic (Post-
Processual Archaeology) media beginning from virtual archaeology.
“Virtual archaeology” is a developing scientific area using the
capabilities of computers to concentrate, catalogue, group and promote
archaeological material in a range of different ways and media for a wide
spectrum of applications. Virtual archaeology substantially rehabilitates
the geometric relationship between archaeological and architectural data
and describes in visual language the researcher’s verbal descriptions and
theories (Reilly, 1992, 147; Higgins, Main & Lang, 1996; Forte, Siliotti,
1997). The digital image, static or animated, is the final result of the
research and interpretative procedure in the theoretical framework of Post-
Processual Archaeology.
The island of Lesvos is not just the third largest Greek island after Crete and Euboea but an island that decisively contributed in the configuration of the Hellenic Heritage. From the Early Bronze Age (3200-2000 B.C.) to the Late Roman Period (4th century A.D.) the inhabitants of the island created a unique heritage, whose basic characteristic is the harmony between natural and structured space. In our days, after centuries of creation, the island is characterized as a cultural mosaic. The lecture is focusing on the most prominent personalities/figures of Lesvos who contributed to the fine arts. In addition, we are going to explore some of the most exceptional ancient monuments, which underline the unique contribution of Lesvos to the history of architecture and make the island an ideal cultural destination.
(In Greek) Λέσβος. Ένα αιώνιο ευλογημένο νησί.
Η συνεισφορά της Λέσβου στον Ελληνικό Πολιτισμό.
Περίληψη
Το νησί της Λέσβου δεν είναι απλώς το τρίτο μεγαλύτερο ελληνικό νησί, μετά την Κρήτη και την Εύβοια, αλλά ένα νησί που συνέβαλε αποφασιστικά στη διαμόρφωση του Ελληνικού πολιτισμού. Από την Πρώιμη Εποχή του Χαλκού (3200-2000 π.Χ.) έως την Ύστερη Ρωμαϊκή Περίοδο (4ος αι. μ.Χ.) οι κάτοικοι του νησιού δημιούργησαν ένα μοναδικό πολιτισμό, βασικό χαρακτηριστικό του οποίου είναι η αρμονία του φυσικού και δομημένου περιβάλλοντος. Στις μέρες μας, μετά από αιώνες δημιουργίας το νησί χαρακτηρίζεται ως ένα μωσαϊκό πολιτισμών. Η διάλεξη εστιάζει την προσοχή της στις πιο επιβλητικές προσωπικότητες της Λέσβου, οι οποίες συνέβαλαν στις καλές τέχνες. Επιπρόσθετα, θα ανακαλύψουμε τα πιο εξαιρετικά αρχαία μνημεία, τα οποία υπογραμμίζουν την πρωτοτυπία της Λέσβου στην ιστορία της αρχιτεκτονικής και τα οποία κάνουν το νησί έναν ιδανικό πολιτιστικό προορισμό.
From the Archaic period the Sanctuary was the seat of the Lesbian Commonwealth, uniting the citizens of the island with religious, and, from the 2nd c. B.C., with political, judiciary and military institutions. At the end of the 4th century B.C. all the Lesbian citizens decided to erect a magnificent temple Ionic temple with a pseudo-dipteral ground plan. The architectural details and the microtechnical rendering of the relief decorative elements place the temple among the most beautiful temples of the ancient Greek world.
Its recent architectural study has resulted in the digital three-dimensional, computer visualization of the temple. In addition, I touch upon theoretical and methodological aspects related explicitly to the scientific representation of monuments, i.e: the definition of the primary archaeological data, the “clarity” of the provided archaeological information, the interpretation and the evaluation of a digital representation’s data and finally, the value of digital representations as a research and interpretative tool for the architectural heritage.
The lecture is focusing on the thorough examination of the aqueduct, dealing for the very first time with issues related to the mapping of its total route, the aptitude of the water channels, the architectural and structural description of the monument, the restoration of the missed sections, the identification of the quarries from which the construction materials came from, its chronology, etc. Moreover, it is the first time that the latest data from the excavation of a vertical shaft are presented in detail.
In historical times, already from the late 8th c., the six city-states of Lesbos, Mytilene, Methymna, Pyrrha, Antissa, Eresos and Arisbe, developed sea-borne communications with the whole of the ancient world and founded colonies in the coastal zone of Asia Minor, the Thracian Chersonese, and Egypt. The harbours were the core of the ancient cities surrounding by other impressive structures like commercial stoas, defence walls, workshops and worship areas as well.
The lecture is focusing on the first results of the ongoing common project “Recording the harbour network of ancient Lesbos” under the direction of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities with the cooperation of the Archaeological Ephorate of Lesvos of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. The aim of the project is the complete mapping, studying and documentation of the harbour remains (artificial structures of the outer breakwaters, moles and the monumental constructions at the coastal zone of the basins) of the ancient cities at the island of Lesbos.
Η διάλεξη επικεντρώνεται κυρίως στα ευρήματα της αρχαιότητας, με αναφορές όμως και στα χριστιανικά, οθωμανικά και νεώτερα μνημεία που εντοπίζονται στα όρια των δύο επικρατειών και καθιστούν τη δυτική Λέσβο έναν ολοκληρωμένο πολιτιστικό προορισμό για τους Έλληνες και ξένους επισκέπτες.
Η μελέτη μας επιχειρεί να εξετάσει το υδραγωγείο σφαιρικά, αντιμετωπίζοντας για πρώτη φορά θέματα που αφορούν στην αποκάλυψη της συνολικής πορείας του και των κλίσεων μεταφοράς, την αρχιτεκτονική και κατασκευαστική περιγραφή του μνημείου, την αποκατάσταση των χαμένων τμημάτων του, την εύρεση των λατομείων από τα οποία προήλθε το οικοδομικό υλικό, την χρονολόγησή του κ.α. Επιπλέον, παρουσιάζονται για πρώτη φορά εκτενώς τα πρόσφατα ανασκαφικά δεδομένα από την εύρεση ενός κάθετου ορύγματος, «Φανού».
Στην περιοχή Χαλατσές, στο Πέραμα της Γέρας, στο οικόπεδο ιδιοκτησίας Π. Βουσβούνη η σωστική ανασκαφική έρευνα αποκάλυψε οικιστικά και εργαστηριακά λείψανα σε αλλεπάλληλες φάσεις που χρονολογούνται από την ΥΕ ΙΙΙ Α1-Β2 περίοδο έως και τη Ρωμαιοκρατία. Στην περίοδο των μυκηναϊκών χρόνων ανήκουν οικοδομικά λείψανα, που χρονολογούνται τουλάχιστον σε δύο φάσεις. Πρόκειται για μεγάλες πολύχωρες οικίες, χωροθετημένες με βάση κάποιον πολεοδομικό σχεδιασμό, που υποδηλώνει οργανωμένη εγκατάσταση. Στο εσωτερικό των οικιών ερευνήθηκαν, μεταξύ άλλων, μεμονωμένες ορθογώνιες κτιστές θήκες από σχιστόλιθους. Με τη χρήση και την ερμηνεία των θηκών αυτών θα ασχοληθούμε στην παρούσα ανακοίνωση.
BRIAN ROSE, JAMES B. PRITCHARD PROFESSOR OF ARCHAEOLOGY, PROFESSOR OF CLASSICAL STUDIES
MANTHA ZARMAKOUPI, MORRIS RUSSELL AND JOSEPHINE CHIDSEY WILLIAMS ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN ROMAN ARCHITECTURE
THIS CONFERENCE IS SPONSORED BY THE CENTER FOR ANCIENT STUDIES, THE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, THE PENN MUSEUM’S MEDITERRANEAN SECTION, AND THE WILLIAMS FUND, PENN’S HISTORY OF ART DEPARTMENT.
ORGANIZER: Matthew Harpster, Koç University and Mantha Zarmakoupi, University of Pennsylvania
DISCUSSANT: Justin Leidwanger, Stanford University
JANUARY 10, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
In collaboration with the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI), The Koç University Mustafa V. Koç Maritime Archaeology Research Center (KUDAR), the American Research Institute Turkey (ARIT), and ICOMOS Turkey, and with gracious support from the Ayvalık Belediyesi and Sanat Fabrikası
In the early 5th century B.C. the archaic scattered cemeteries were replaced by the Northern, Southern and Western necropoleis, which were gradually organized extra muros, outside the three major city gates.
During the Hellenistic and Roman periods the Mytilenaean necropoleis occupied a sufficiently large area, stretching along the roads that led to the city.
By means of the present paper, a comprehensive implementation of the Mytilene’s necropoleis is tried, devoting particular attention on the grave typology, funerary monuments and grave-markers, burial customs and grave goods. At the same time, besides the excavation data, the epigraphic evidence is preferably considered, wherever necessary.
SCHOOL OF PHILOSOPHY – FACULTY OF HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF ART
Academic Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Dr Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos