Books by Sylvian Fachard
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's... more Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries.
Les fouilles de l'Aspis I. I. Les occupations d'époque historique (VIIIe – IIe siècles av. J.-C.) Vol. 1 & 2, 2022
The Prophet Elias hill, or Aspis, which rises to the northwest of the city of Argos, was first ex... more The Prophet Elias hill, or Aspis, which rises to the northwest of the city of Argos, was first explored at the beginning of the 20th century by Wilhelm Vollgraff, a Dutch member of the French School at Athens, who left only a brief account of his work. The new excavations, carried out between 1974 and 2011, have considerably increased our knowledge of the hill, which was briefly occupied from the end of the 4th millennium B.C. (Final Neolithic), then throughout the first half of the 2nd millennium (Middle Helladic), and intermittently from the Geometric to the Hellenistic period (8th-2nd centuries B.C.).
This first volume of the Aspis excavations, which integrates unpublished material from Vollgraff’s campaigns, is devoted to the remains of the historical periods brought to light in the upper levels of the hill in the course of the last decades: the Geometric pottery and the Archaic votive material – which testify to the existence of one of the most ancient sanctuaries of Argos –and the Classical- Hellenistic fortifications and its associated constructions (buildings, cisterns) and material (ceramics, metal objects, architectural terracottas, textile tools, coins). Their study sheds new light on the Aspis’ role within the Argive urban landscape during seven centuries of history. After being Argos’ first acropolis in the second millennium, the Aspis became a sacred space during the formation of the polis before playing primarily a military role – of protection but also control of the city – in the Hellenistic period.
*****************
La colline du Prophète-Élie, ou Aspis, qui s’élève au nord-ouest de la ville d’Argos, fut explorée pour la première fois au début du XXe siècle par Wilhelm Vollgraff, membre néerlandais de l’École française d’Athènes, qui ne laissa de ses travaux qu’un bref compte rendu. Les nouvelles fouilles, menées entre 1974 et 2011, ont considérablement enrichi notre connaissance sur cette première acropole, qui fut brièvement occupée dès la fin du 4e millénaire av. n. è. (Néolithique Final) puis pendant toute la première moitié du 2e millénaire (Helladique Moyen) et, de façon plus ou moins intermittente, du Géométrique à l’époque hellénistique (VIIIe–IIe siècles av. n. è.).
Ce premier volume de la publication des fouilles de l’Aspis, qui intègre du matériel inédit issu des recherches de Vollgraff, est consacré aux vestiges des périodes historiques mis au jour dans les niveaux supérieurs du site au cours des dernières décennies. Leur étude éclaire d’un jour nouveau le rôle de l’Aspis au sein de l’agglomération argienne pendant les sept siècles d’histoire de la cité. Grâce à un examen exhaustif des données recueillies, depuis la céramique géométrique et le mobilier votif archaïque – qui témoignent de l’existence de l’un des plus anciens sanctuaires d’Argos – jusqu’aux fortifications d’époque classique-hellénistique, avec les constructions (bâtiments, citernes) et le matériel (céramique, objets en métal, terres cuites architecturales, outils textiles, monnaies) qui lui sont associés, on voit se préciser les fonctions successives de l’Aspis : première acropole d’Argos au 2e millénaire, elle devient un espace sacré au moment de la formation de la cité, avant de jouer un rôle essentiellement militaire – de protection mais aussi de contrôle de l’agglomération argienne – à l’époque hellénistique.
This volume contains studies of the destruction, survival and recovery of cities in the ancient G... more This volume contains studies of the destruction, survival and recovery of cities in the ancient Greek World. After an introduction outlining the approach of the studies (Fachard, Harris), there are chapters on the contribution of microstratigraphy and micromorphology (Karkanas), on Miletus in 494 BC (Lohmann), Athens in 480/79 BC (Camp), Selinus in 409 BC (Marconi), Methone in 354 (Bessios, Athanassiadou, Noulas), the destruction of cities in Northern Greece (Gatzolis, Psoma), the destructions of Eretria (Ackermann), the earthquake at Rhodes around 227 B.C. (Bresson), Epeiros in 167 B.C. (Forsén), Corinth in 146 B.C. (Williams, Bookidis, Slane, Tracy), Athens in 86 B. C. (Rogers), the Herulian destruction of Athens in 267/8 AD (Chioti), and a comparison of military devastation in the Greek and Roman worlds (Binltliff). The volume is accompanied by an online catalogue of all literary evidence for destruction of Greek cities with summaries of archaeological evidence.
Edited by: Nikolas Papadimitriou, James Wright, Sylvian Fachard, Naya Polychronakou-Sgouritsa, El... more Edited by: Nikolas Papadimitriou, James Wright, Sylvian Fachard, Naya Polychronakou-Sgouritsa, Eleni Andrikou.
The 668- page volume includes 68 papers in Greek and English with sections dedicated to topography, the palaeo-environment, the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, as well as the contacts between Attica and its neighbouring regions. A series of new detailed maps provide up-to-date topographical and archaeological information on prehistoric Attica. The importance of the volume goes beyond the field of Aegean prehistory, as it paves the way for a new understanding of Attica in the Early Iron Age .
Eretria XXI: Catalogue of sites and general map.
Papers by Sylvian Fachard
Athens and the Aegean were at the centre of the economic life of the Greek world in the late arch... more Athens and the Aegean were at the centre of the economic life of the Greek world in the late archaic and classical period. Like the other cities of the Aegean, Athens actively exploited its territory, but the specific characteristic of its economy was the presence of the Laurium mines, which gave it an unbeatable natural advantage over the other players. In the Hellenistic period, the Aegean cities were only one of the many players on the international landscape, and they had lost their pre-eminence, although to a certain extent the city of Rhodes succeeded Athens in its role of platform for international trade, and the little island of Delos ended in being for a while the main hub of trans-Mediterranean trade.
Fachard, Sylvian, Angeliki Simosi, Tobias Krapf, Daniela Greger, Tamara Saggini, Samuel Verdan, Jérôme André, Olga Kyriazi, and Thierry Theurillat. “FIELDWORK OF THE SWISS SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY IN GREECE 2021: The Artemision at Amarynthos: The 2021 Season.” Antike Kunst 65 (2022): 128–42, 15–16. Antike Kunst 65, 2022
143 fig. 1. 6 Width 6,35 m (N-S). Excavated length 5,50 m (E-W). Two phases of the building have ... more 143 fig. 1. 6 Width 6,35 m (N-S). Excavated length 5,50 m (E-W). Two phases of the building have been identified, the first with stuccoed walls. The S wall of the building had already been discovered in a small trial trench in 2019. 7 T7767.
Geosciences, 2022
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
The Cambridge Companion to Ancient Athens, 2021
Hesperia 89, 2020
The fortress at Eleutherai is an iconic example of ancient Greek military architecture. Our knowl... more The fortress at Eleutherai is an iconic example of ancient Greek military architecture. Our knowledge of the site, however, is limited by several problems related to its date, construction, function, and identity. The Mazi Archaeological Project has undertaken a detailed, multicomponent study of the fortress and its surroundings using a combination of intensive field survey, architectural mapping, and photogrammetry. A new architectural plan clarifies construction phases and building techniques, while surface finds and epigraphy inform the history of the occupation of Eleutherai, which is especially tied to Boiotia. In the second part of this article we provide new insights concerning the economics of constructing major fortifications and their role in regional politics.
Revue archéologique 69 (2020), pp. 171-178, 2020
Αthens and Attica in Prehistory Proceedings of the International Conference Athens, 27-31 May 2015, ed. N. Papadimitriou, J. Wright, S. Fachard, N. Polychronakou-Sgouritsa, E. Andrikou, ARCHAEOPRESS, Oxford, pp.407-416, 2020
From Hippias to Kallias: Greek Art in Athens and Beyond, 527-449 B.C. Proceedings of an international conference held at the Acropolis Museum, Athens, May 19-20, 2017, edited by Olga Palagia and Elisavet P. Sioumpara, Acropolis Museum, Athens, 2019
BCH 141, 2017
In the autumn of 2009, Euboea was inundated by heavy rainfall. In Eretria, many tombs and funerar... more In the autumn of 2009, Euboea was inundated by heavy rainfall. In Eretria, many tombs and funerary stelae appeared in the bed of the torrent that delimits the archaeological site on the west. These discoveries
shed welcome light on the cemeteries of Eretria, which are still little understood. Additionally, many ancient walls were recorded: several are associated with the walls of the Archaic canal previously explored at the West Gate, while others date to the Classical and Hellenistic period and provide new avenues of research in the study of the fortification wall and the topography of this sector. An examination of the funerary stelae, which date from the end of the 5th to the second half of the 3rd century, leads to new observations on a variety of subjects, including carving techniques, typology and iconography of the monuments, and onomastics and the composition of the population at Eretria.
Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique
L'automne 2009 vit de violentes pluies s'abattre sur l'Eubée. À Érétrie, plusieurs tombes et stèl... more L'automne 2009 vit de violentes pluies s'abattre sur l'Eubée. À Érétrie, plusieurs tombes et stèles funéraires apparurent dans le lit du ruisseau bordant le site à l'Ouest. Ces découvertes apportent un éclairage bienvenu sur les nécropoles érétriennes, encore mal connues. Par ailleurs, plusieurs murs antiques furent documentés : si certains s'apparentent aux murs du canal archaïque déjà relevés à la Porte de l'Ouest, d'autres datent de l'époque classique-hellénistique et ouvrent de nouvelles pistes de recherche concernant l'étude de l'enceinte et la topographie de ce secteur. L'étude des stèles funéraires, dont la date va de l'extrême fin du v e à la seconde moitié du iii e s., donne lieu à des observations nouvelles sur des sujets aussi variés que les techniques de taille, la typologie et l'iconographie des monuments, l'onomastique et les composantes de la population érétrienne. περιληψη Η Νεκρόπολη του Καναλιού της Ερέτριας: τοπογραφία και επιγραφές Το φθινόπωρο του 2009 ισχυρές βροχοπτώσεις έπληξαν την Εύβοια. Στην Ερέτρια, πολλοί τάφοι και επιτύμβιες στήλες εμφανίστηκαν στην κοίτη του ρέματος που ορίζει τον αρχαιολογικό χώρο από τα δυτικά. Οι ανακαλύψεις αυτές έριξαν ένα ευπρόσδεκτο φως στις νεκροπόλεις της Ερέτριας, τις οποίες δεν γνωρίζουμε ακόμη καλά. Άλλωστε, πολλοί αρχαίοι τοίχοι καταγράφηκαν: ορισμένοι σχετίζονται με τους τοίχους του αρχαϊκού καναλιού που ερευνήθηκαν στη Δυτική Πύλη, ενώ άλλοι χρονολογούνται στην κλασική και ελληνιστική εποχή και ανοίγουν νέους δρόμους έρευνας στη μελέτη του τείχους και της τοπογραφίας του τομέα αυτού. Η μελέτη των επιτύμβιων στηλών, οι οποίες χρονολογούνται από το τέλος του 5ου έως το δεύτερο μισό του 3ου αι., οδηγεί σε νέες παρατηρήσεις για ποικίλα θέματα, όπως οι τεχνικές λάξευσης, η τυπολογία και η εικονογραφία των μνημείων, η ονοματολογία και η σύνθεση του πληθυσμού της Ερέτριας.
Fachard, S., Knoepfler, D., Reber, K., Karapaschalidou, A., Krapf, T., Theurillat, T., & Kalamara, P. (2017). Recent research at the Sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia in Amarynthos (Euboea). Archaeological Reports, 63, 167-180. doi:10.1017/S0570608418000121 The Sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia in Amarynthos was the most renowned shrine of the Eretrian poli... more The Sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia in Amarynthos was the most renowned shrine of the Eretrian polis, and its annual festival, the Artemisia, drew large crowds from Euboea and beyond. Yet, despite its regional fame and prominence, its remains have eluded archaeological identification. As a result, the location of the Artemision has been a vexed question in Euboean studies for over a century. Between 2003 and 2007, however, a new impetus was given to its localization. In collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Euboea, the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG) carried out a large-scale geophysical survey in the area of Amarynthos, some 11km east of Eretria, at the foot of a hill locally known as Paleoekklisies (or Paleochora). The ensuing trial trenches were followed by systematic excavation that eventually led to the discovery of substantial buildings. We suggest that these buildings are part of a monumental complex that should be identified as the Sanctuary of Artemis Amarysia (see afterword).
Uploads
Books by Sylvian Fachard
This first volume of the Aspis excavations, which integrates unpublished material from Vollgraff’s campaigns, is devoted to the remains of the historical periods brought to light in the upper levels of the hill in the course of the last decades: the Geometric pottery and the Archaic votive material – which testify to the existence of one of the most ancient sanctuaries of Argos –and the Classical- Hellenistic fortifications and its associated constructions (buildings, cisterns) and material (ceramics, metal objects, architectural terracottas, textile tools, coins). Their study sheds new light on the Aspis’ role within the Argive urban landscape during seven centuries of history. After being Argos’ first acropolis in the second millennium, the Aspis became a sacred space during the formation of the polis before playing primarily a military role – of protection but also control of the city – in the Hellenistic period.
*****************
La colline du Prophète-Élie, ou Aspis, qui s’élève au nord-ouest de la ville d’Argos, fut explorée pour la première fois au début du XXe siècle par Wilhelm Vollgraff, membre néerlandais de l’École française d’Athènes, qui ne laissa de ses travaux qu’un bref compte rendu. Les nouvelles fouilles, menées entre 1974 et 2011, ont considérablement enrichi notre connaissance sur cette première acropole, qui fut brièvement occupée dès la fin du 4e millénaire av. n. è. (Néolithique Final) puis pendant toute la première moitié du 2e millénaire (Helladique Moyen) et, de façon plus ou moins intermittente, du Géométrique à l’époque hellénistique (VIIIe–IIe siècles av. n. è.).
Ce premier volume de la publication des fouilles de l’Aspis, qui intègre du matériel inédit issu des recherches de Vollgraff, est consacré aux vestiges des périodes historiques mis au jour dans les niveaux supérieurs du site au cours des dernières décennies. Leur étude éclaire d’un jour nouveau le rôle de l’Aspis au sein de l’agglomération argienne pendant les sept siècles d’histoire de la cité. Grâce à un examen exhaustif des données recueillies, depuis la céramique géométrique et le mobilier votif archaïque – qui témoignent de l’existence de l’un des plus anciens sanctuaires d’Argos – jusqu’aux fortifications d’époque classique-hellénistique, avec les constructions (bâtiments, citernes) et le matériel (céramique, objets en métal, terres cuites architecturales, outils textiles, monnaies) qui lui sont associés, on voit se préciser les fonctions successives de l’Aspis : première acropole d’Argos au 2e millénaire, elle devient un espace sacré au moment de la formation de la cité, avant de jouer un rôle essentiellement militaire – de protection mais aussi de contrôle de l’agglomération argienne – à l’époque hellénistique.
The 668- page volume includes 68 papers in Greek and English with sections dedicated to topography, the palaeo-environment, the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, as well as the contacts between Attica and its neighbouring regions. A series of new detailed maps provide up-to-date topographical and archaeological information on prehistoric Attica. The importance of the volume goes beyond the field of Aegean prehistory, as it paves the way for a new understanding of Attica in the Early Iron Age .
Papers by Sylvian Fachard
shed welcome light on the cemeteries of Eretria, which are still little understood. Additionally, many ancient walls were recorded: several are associated with the walls of the Archaic canal previously explored at the West Gate, while others date to the Classical and Hellenistic period and provide new avenues of research in the study of the fortification wall and the topography of this sector. An examination of the funerary stelae, which date from the end of the 5th to the second half of the 3rd century, leads to new observations on a variety of subjects, including carving techniques, typology and iconography of the monuments, and onomastics and the composition of the population at Eretria.
This first volume of the Aspis excavations, which integrates unpublished material from Vollgraff’s campaigns, is devoted to the remains of the historical periods brought to light in the upper levels of the hill in the course of the last decades: the Geometric pottery and the Archaic votive material – which testify to the existence of one of the most ancient sanctuaries of Argos –and the Classical- Hellenistic fortifications and its associated constructions (buildings, cisterns) and material (ceramics, metal objects, architectural terracottas, textile tools, coins). Their study sheds new light on the Aspis’ role within the Argive urban landscape during seven centuries of history. After being Argos’ first acropolis in the second millennium, the Aspis became a sacred space during the formation of the polis before playing primarily a military role – of protection but also control of the city – in the Hellenistic period.
*****************
La colline du Prophète-Élie, ou Aspis, qui s’élève au nord-ouest de la ville d’Argos, fut explorée pour la première fois au début du XXe siècle par Wilhelm Vollgraff, membre néerlandais de l’École française d’Athènes, qui ne laissa de ses travaux qu’un bref compte rendu. Les nouvelles fouilles, menées entre 1974 et 2011, ont considérablement enrichi notre connaissance sur cette première acropole, qui fut brièvement occupée dès la fin du 4e millénaire av. n. è. (Néolithique Final) puis pendant toute la première moitié du 2e millénaire (Helladique Moyen) et, de façon plus ou moins intermittente, du Géométrique à l’époque hellénistique (VIIIe–IIe siècles av. n. è.).
Ce premier volume de la publication des fouilles de l’Aspis, qui intègre du matériel inédit issu des recherches de Vollgraff, est consacré aux vestiges des périodes historiques mis au jour dans les niveaux supérieurs du site au cours des dernières décennies. Leur étude éclaire d’un jour nouveau le rôle de l’Aspis au sein de l’agglomération argienne pendant les sept siècles d’histoire de la cité. Grâce à un examen exhaustif des données recueillies, depuis la céramique géométrique et le mobilier votif archaïque – qui témoignent de l’existence de l’un des plus anciens sanctuaires d’Argos – jusqu’aux fortifications d’époque classique-hellénistique, avec les constructions (bâtiments, citernes) et le matériel (céramique, objets en métal, terres cuites architecturales, outils textiles, monnaies) qui lui sont associés, on voit se préciser les fonctions successives de l’Aspis : première acropole d’Argos au 2e millénaire, elle devient un espace sacré au moment de la formation de la cité, avant de jouer un rôle essentiellement militaire – de protection mais aussi de contrôle de l’agglomération argienne – à l’époque hellénistique.
The 668- page volume includes 68 papers in Greek and English with sections dedicated to topography, the palaeo-environment, the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, as well as the contacts between Attica and its neighbouring regions. A series of new detailed maps provide up-to-date topographical and archaeological information on prehistoric Attica. The importance of the volume goes beyond the field of Aegean prehistory, as it paves the way for a new understanding of Attica in the Early Iron Age .
shed welcome light on the cemeteries of Eretria, which are still little understood. Additionally, many ancient walls were recorded: several are associated with the walls of the Archaic canal previously explored at the West Gate, while others date to the Classical and Hellenistic period and provide new avenues of research in the study of the fortification wall and the topography of this sector. An examination of the funerary stelae, which date from the end of the 5th to the second half of the 3rd century, leads to new observations on a variety of subjects, including carving techniques, typology and iconography of the monuments, and onomastics and the composition of the population at Eretria.
survey, but the reader can effortlessly find them in the database (http://chronique.efa.gr/). Here, instead, I wish to focus on the main achievements of the last decade (2006–2016) by reviewing the major publications, recording current trends and research objectives, and suggesting future directions for the field of fortification studies.
After establishing a sea-level curve of reference for the area, current results indicate major landscapes changes: a gradual transition from fully marine environments during pre-Helladic Times (before 3000 cal. BC) to lagoon and coastal swamps. Several alluvial sequences are also recorded from early Helladic onward. This macroscale model, based on 14C dating, drastically affects previous understanding of the human occupation of these sites and assesses the interaction between natural and anthropogenic factors. At Eretria, due to rapid morphological changes and possibly climatic conditions, the settlement repeatedly moved from the Kastelli hill to the coastal plain between the Neolithic period and the end of the Bronze Age. The topography of the EBA (3rd millennium BC) site location was very different from today’s, as it displayed features shared with other contemporary sites on the Aegean islands, such as a projecting spur of land established over a shallow bay. Early Iron Age Eretria (9th–7th c. BC) saw the birth of the city, in its urban sense. The sea had then regressed southwards, and fluvial sediments had created a floodplain bordered to the east by coastal marshes. The deltaic floodplain ecosystems, where the first settlement developed, were also prone to frequent flooding, which required the embankment of the river. The city plan nevertheless preserved an imprint of the former delta, for most of the streets were established on the dry river beds. The extension of the Classical city was limited by the sea (and harbor) to the south, the west seasonal stream, and the eastern marshes. A portion of the latter was perhaps dried up in order to build a section of the fortifications. An important question, which the latest cores might help to resolve, concerns the presence of a military harbor in a shallow bay to the southeast.
This paper offers a multi-disciplinary reading of the latest paleoenvironmental and archaeological results, combining new insights on the multiple challenges to which the Eretrians were confronted over several millennia of discontinuous habitation.
International conference
Athens, 8-10 December, 2022
Please submit a 250 word abstract in Greek or English, including title, name, affiliation, and a description of your presentation to [email protected] until September 30, 2021.
Organizing and scientific committee
Dr Eleni Andrikou, Director, Ephorate of Antiquities of East Attica
Professor John Papadopoulos, The University of California at Los Angeles
Professor Alexandros Mazarakis Ainian, University of Thessaly, Volos
Professor Sylvian Fachard, University of Lausanne, Director of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece
Dr Nikolas Papadimitriou, Director, Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum