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The Archaeology of a Greek Sanctuary (Level 7)

Overview

Module description

In this module you will take part in the excavation of an archaic/classical sanctuary on the island of Despotiko, in the Cyclades, Greece, where you will gain first-hand experience of the practicalities and methodology of digging up an important regional sanctuary. You will have practical exposure to materials and concepts, and work hands-on with artefacts and their identification.

The sanctuary at Despotiko is one of the largest sanctuaries in the Aegean for the archaic period. Excavating on Despotiko will allow you to understand better the role that sanctuaries played for the development of ancient Greek culture and to contextualise material culture within a religious framework.

Indicative syllabus

Lectures

  • One guest lecture by the director of excavations, Dr Yannos Kourayos, and the assistant director, Ilia Daifa

Seminars

  • Introduction
  • The archaeology of sanctuaries
  • Archaic sanctuaries: Despotiko within the context of Aegean sanctuaries
  • Revision and preparation for the assessment

Fieldschool

  • Day 1: Introduction to site and site tour; cleaning of soil and weeds from the site
  • Day 2: Introduction to use of grid techniques; introduction to use of site notebook to record excavation process
  • Day 3: Excavation of chosen location within site; introduction to basic stratigraphy; introduction to recording of material
  • Day 4: Excavation of chosen location; introduction to pottery washing and recording
  • Day 5: Recording and summarising of results

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will:

  • understand the role that sanctuaries played in the religious life of archaic and classical Greece and the debates about the role of sanctuaries in scholarship
  • understand excavation methodology and practice within an archaic and classical Greek context
  • understand debates and issues in the archaeology of Greek sanctuaries
  • have mastered recording skills in relation to artefacts and understand classification categories in relation to pottery
  • have discovered and recognised the archaeological significance of material remains.