A Presentation of The Archaeological Society at Athens

THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
AT ATHENS
© The Archaeological Society at Athens
22 Panepistimiou str., Athens 10672
tel. 210 3609689, fax 210 3644996
secr@archetai.gr - www.archetai.gr
ISBN 978-618-5047-05-4
Cover photograph:
Messene. The Arcadian Gate, 4th century B.C. (The Messenian Archaeological Studies).
THE FOUNDING OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
The Archaeological Society was founded on January 6, 1837, a few years after the creation of the
new Greek state. It is the oldest scholarly research
institute in Greece and one of the leading institutes internationally for research and study of the
Greek culture.
In 1837 Greece was a devastated land in the
aftermath of a gigantic independence struggle that
lasted 8 years, where everything – administration,
schools, Universities, Museums – had to be built
from scratch. It was also imperative to start excavating and to find the antiquities that were hitherto known only from the ancient writers. At the
time the Archaeological Society undertook singlehandedly the huge and difficult task of recovering,
studying and restoring the ancient remnants.
The Archaeological Society was created by a
group of leaders of the Independence War, erudites, scholars and businessmen who had the
desire and the concern to see the ancient monuments come to light, be saved and preserved:
these monuments would provide the undisputable
credits to the nation coming out of oblivion. The
founders’ vision was for literature and sciences to
re-emerge in their homeland.
1, 2. The Archaeological Society. Old and new building.
3
The Archaeological Society’s mission, unchanged since 1837,
is the recovery, preservation and study of the monuments of
Greece. This mission is accomplished through excavations,
restorations, building of museums, scholarships, courses, lectures,
funding of study projects, exhibitions and publications. The excavations and restorations carried out by the Archaeological Society are performed under the supervision and approval of the
Archaeological Service of the Ministry of Culture, with which the
Society has been in close cooperation from the start.
The Society is administered by an eleven-member Council,
renewed every three years. The Council members, the President
and the Secretary General, are not remunerated.
The members (hetairoi) are the Society’s governing body, participating through their General
Assembly in the administration and policy making of the Society. The Secretary General is always an
archaeologist, while the President is, traditionally, a jurist.
4
Iakovos Rizos Neroulos, at the time Minister of
Education, was the first President of the Society
and Alexandros Rizos Rangavis, scholar, later minister of Foreign Affairs, the first Secretary General.
There have been exceptional personalities in this
position, such as Kyriakos Pittakis, Stephanos Koumanoudis, Panagiotis Kavvadias, Anastasios Orlandos, as well as famous Presidents, such as Prime
Minister Ioannis Kolettis, Alexandros Kontostavlos,
King Constantine I and King George II. From the
very beginning, prominent Greeks, scholars, politicians, businessmen, officers of the War of Independence, such as General Kolokotronis, Admiral
Miaoulis, Petrobey Mavromichalis, Alexandros
Mavrokordatos, diplomat and later Prime Minister
and others, became members of the Society. Later
on, Prime Ministers Eleftherios Venizelos and
Charilaos Trikoupis, the great poet Kostis Palamas,
were members, and many others who played a
leading role in the socio-political scene of Greece
up until today.
Every year, uninterruptedly since 1837, the annual report «To Ergon» of the Society takes place
in the spring, where the administrative-financial
account is addressed to the members of the Society, while the scholarly account (excavations, publications, studies) is open to the public.
The main characteristic of the Archaeological
Society is that since its inception it was and still
remains totally independent from the State, a fact
that allows the Society to implement consistently
its program.
3. Kyriakos S. Pittakis (1798-1863).
4. Stephanos A. Koumanoudis (1818-1899).
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5. Alexandros Rizos Rangavis (1809-1892).
6. Iakovos Rizos Neroulos (1778-1849).
The Society has no state administrative duties and cannot intervene in the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Service. However, it has the privilege through its Organization chart to express its
scholarly view on matters related to antiquities. Besides, among its members are prominent Greek
and foreign archaeologists, who are not influenced by state aspirations.
The first building of the Archaeological Society was erected at the end of the 19th century.
Today’s Megaron, at the same location, was inaugurated in 1957 on architectural plans drawn by
Ioannis Antoniadis and Anastastios Orlandos. It has eight floors and two lecture halls, a main hall
used for official purposes that can seat 450 people, and a smaller one for seminars and assemblies
that can seat 100 people. It also has a big Library that occupies all of the second floor and extends
onto the third, an exhibition room, archival spaces, as well as offices for the administrative and
financial services and a Publications Office.
The Society is funded by revenues from owned real estate acquired progressively by endowments
and donations, as well as from contributions made by its members. The Archaeological Society is
a non-profit scholarly foundation, enjoying no special legal or tax privileges despite the fact that it
performs work of national importance, which it hands over to the State (excavations, museums and
publications).
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7. Anastasios Orlandos (1887-1979). Secretary General
of the Archaeological Society, archaeologist, architect,
Director of the Restoration Service, professor in the University of Athens and the National Technical University
of Athens as well. He was a great scholar; his books and
articles on ancient and byzantine art and archaeology are
fundamental. His architectural drawings are unique.
8. Mistras. View of the palace.
9. The Lascaris mansion (drawings by An. Orlandos).
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10. The Acropolis of Athens. South Slope. 1860. Upper left, the frankish tower.
In front, the Odeion of Herodes Atticus and the portico of Eumenes.
The heaps of rubble come from the excavation of the Acropolis.
ACTIVITIES
EXCAVATIONS
From the very founding of the Society, the first concern was to excavate and bring to light the
great centers of antiquity, cities and sanctuaries. To this day, the Society has carried out over a thousand excavations, some still ongoing.
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11. Acropolis. The Calf-bearer just after discovery. 1864.
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12. Kerameikos. The main burial area. 1909-1910.
The Acropolis of Athens was the first great excavation, shortly followed by others, such as the
Theatre of Dionysos, the Kerameikos, the Roman Forum, the Library of Hadrian, the Odeion of
Herodes Atticus, and, in Attica outside Athens, Eleusis, Sounion, Rhamnous, Brauron and the Amphiareion. In the Peloponnese, Mycenae (first by H. Schliemann, then by Christos Tsountas and
George Mylonas), Epidauros (great accomplishment of Kavvadias, who revealed the theatre and the
sanctuary of Asclepios), Messene; to the north, Thebes, Tanagra, Sesklo and Dimini, Vergina, Dodona,
Nicopolis; in the islands, Syros, Siphnos, Thera and further away, Crete. Excavations did not cease
during the Balkan Wars and the First World War, nor during the Asia Minor campaign, when in
1922 George Oikonomos was exploring Klazomenai.
10
13. Kerameikos. The grave stone of Dexileos from Thorikos,
Dexileos was killed during the Corinthian war, 394 B.C.
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14. The Theatre of Dionysos in the south slope of the Acropolis. Fully revealed in 1867.
The Society often had to purchase from their individual owners the plots that were meant for
excavation. In the 19th century, this, surprisingly for today’s reader, included the Theatre of Dionysos,
Epidauros with its theatre, the acropoleis of Sesklo and Dimini, the Amphiareion of Oropos and
many others. All of these were gradually handed over to the State.
In the last years, the Archaeological Society has intentionally limited its excavations, giving many
over to the State, such as the Acropolis of Athens and Epidauros. Some old excavations are still
active, such as Thera, Mycenae and Messene, and new ones bring excellent results, such as Iklaina
and Thouria in Messenia. Also, some old excavations have been resumed, including Syros, Siphnos,
Thebes and Sikyon.
Presently, great emphasis has been given to publications, an important, difficult and, above all,
essential task. An excavation without research and publication has no meaning.
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15. The theatre in the Sanctuary of Asclepios in Epidaurus. Excavated in 1881.
16. The theatre in Dodona in the Sanctuary of Zeus restored.
13
17. Mycenae 1953. The excavation team. In the center of the first row:
George Mylonas, John Karamitros, John Papadimitriou, Dimitrios Theocharis.
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18. Mycenae.
The Lion Gate.
19. Thera. Wall painting depicting a crocus gatherer;
16th century B.C.
20. Spyridon Marinatos in Akrotiri.
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22. Idaean Cave.
Golden necklace beads.
21. Crete. The Idaean Cave.
23. Crete. Zominthos.
Minoan villa, central court.
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24. Vergina. The fac ade of the tomb of Philipp II restored.
On the right corner the golden wreath of the king. 4th century B.C.
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25. Amorgos. The tower of Aghia Triada. 4th century B.C.
26. Marble figurine
of a seated harpist from Keros.
c. 2500 B.C.
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27. The fortress of Rhamnous. 5th century B.C. One of the best preserved ancient fortresses.
In front, the south gate. In the back, the bay and the mountains of the Euboia island.
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28. Messene. The stadium and the colonnade of the Gymnasium.
29. John K. Papadimitriou (19041963). General Director of the
Archaeological Service.
30. Brauron, Attica. The portico of the Sanctuary of Artemis. 4th century B.C.
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32. Pantanassa in Philippias,
Epirus. Wall painting.
13th century.
31. The church of Pantanassa in Philippias,
Epirus. 13th century.
33. Pantanassa in Philippias, Epirus.
Marble pavement. 13th century.
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MUSEUMS
In the 19th century, alongside the
excavations, the Society’s large museums were erected in Athens, on
the grounds of the University, at the
Varvakeion Lykeion and, finally, at
the Polytechneion, where for the
first time Schliemann’s finds from
Mycenae were put on display. The
antiquities of these three museums of
the Society form today the main
core of the exhibits in the National
Archaeological Museum and in the
Epigraphic Museum, to which they
were handed over in 1892. The Society established other museums as
well and donated them to the State,
such as the Museums of Corfu,
Chaironeia and Chalkis.
34. The first exhibition of the treasures of Mycenae in the Museum of the Archaeological Society at the Polytechneion
(today’s National Technical University of Athens). 1877.
35. The Archaeological Museum of Chalkis. 1901.
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PUBLICATIONS
The Archaeological Society publishes four journals, the Archaeological Ephemeris, one of the oldest
archaeological journals in the world still published, Praktika with the excavation reports and the Ergon
with the work of each year. The Mentor is a historical journal published quarterly since 1988. It contains
mainly articles and studies on the history of Greek archaeology.
Besides the journals, a series is published under the title “Library of the Archaeological Society at
Athens”, the volumes of which constitute separate publications of excavations, individual monuments,
corpora of inscriptions, sculpture, pottery, coins. They are considered universally among the best scholarly publications, and are distributed, free of charge, to the Ephorates of Antiquities, to Museums and
to Universities and Libraries throughout Greece.
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LIBRARY
The Council of the Society decided to create an archaeological Library in the 19th century, initially
to serve Greek archaeologists. Today it is open to the public. The Library collection is constantly
enriched and is one of the most comprehensive archaeological Libraries in Europe. The Library
catalogue is up to date, in electronic form and accessible through the internet link.
37. The Library.
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38. The main hall
of the Archaeological Society.
39. The exhibition hall.
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ARCHIVES
The very rich Society’s Archives are divided in different sections: the archaeological archive, the photographic collection, the plans and drawings and the administrative records.
The archaeological archive consists of the excavation reports and notebooks,
the catalogues of the antiquities of the Archaeological Society’s museums housed
at the Varvakeion Lykeion and the Polytechneion (National Technical University);
the personal papers, notebooks, plans and photographs offered to the Society
by archaeologists Panagiotis Eustratiadis, Nikolaos Balanos, Stephanos Koumanoudis, Anastasios Orlandos, John Papadimitriou, John Travlos and others.
The photographic collection contains tens of thousands of excavation photographs and photographs of monuments of Greece as well as thousands of slides.
Also preserved in the photographic collection are the large-format photographs
of monuments and sites of Greece that had been displayed at the International
Exhibition in Rome in 1910, and a rare collection of glass plates, some of which
are negatives in large format; other slides of large format for slide projections
are among the very first to appear in Greece.
The plans and drawings collection contains almost all plans and drawings
41. The Kore Nr. 674
that have appeared in the journals and books published by the Archaeological
of the Acropolis.
Society, as well as the plans drawn by Anastasios Orlandos and John Travlos. The
6th century B.C.
plans of the Rhamnous excavations 1975-2001 form a distinct collection. The
Watercolour by
archive also includes painted colour copies of sculpture and other antiquities,
E. Gilli΄eron. 1894.
such as sculpture from the Acropolis and the painted funerary stelai of Pagasai.
The Administrative archive consists of all records of the Society, register ledgers, minutes of meetings
of the Council and minutes of General Meetings of the members from 1837 to date.
There are also other distinct archives,
such as the archive of the Archaeological
Committee, the archive of the Archaeological Association, the financial and accounting archive, the archive of the Lottery for the
Antiquities, the archive of purchases of land
property, the archive of the safekeeping
operations of antiquities during 1940-1941
as well as the Society’s publications archive.
40. The room of the photographic collection.
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THE SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF ART
Each year, from November to March, the Society organizes a series of weekly 2-hour lectures. The
lectures are administered by specialized scholars, members of the Archaeological Service, University
professors, Greek and foreign researchers, who present excavations, sites, monuments, archaeological issues or new and important finds. Besides this series of lectures, there are also many other
given by prestigious scholars on specific archaeological topics.
42. Archaeology and History of Art annual lectures programmes.
Looking forward to the future
With an eye to the future, the Archaeological Society is present in all archaeological matters in
Greece through excavations in old and new sites, presentation of new finds, research and publications. Its aim is to continue its fundamental work without alienating itself from the tradition and
the preservation of the historical memory. The ongoing enrichment of the Library is an immediate
and incessant concern, as are also the opening to new technologies with the digitation of the Archive
and the publications as well as the installation of a central information network.
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SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Archaeological Society:
1-9, 12-13, 15-25, 27-42
Great moments in Greek Archaeology
(Kapon editions 2007): 10, 11
Deutsches Archaologisches Institut: 14
National Archaeological Museum: 26
28
General supervision and lay-out:
Lucy Braggiotti Publications