The archaeological site of Zagora, on the Greek island of Andros, is a unique snapshot in time. This Early Iron Age settlement dates back almost 3000 years, from around 900–700 BCE.
Intriguingly, the people of Zagora left their homes about 700 BCE, leaving behind a rare record. Unlike many other archaeological sites, the area was not resettled. The buildings were left as they had been lived in, eventually collapsing where they stood.
But all these millennia later, the building layout remains, along with artefacts in the rooms where they had been stored and used. This provides clear evidence of how life was lived at Zagora, which is extremely rare among central Aegean Early Iron Age sites. So far only 10% of the 6.7-hectare site has been excavated.
In September 2024, a team of archaeologists are back at work to explore Zagora further, bringing cutting-edge 21st-century methods to this ancient town.
The 2024 season is a collaboration between the University of Sydney’s Discipline of Archaeology, the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens, the Chau Chak Wing Museum and Aargus Pty Ltd. We aim to learn more about the site’s economy, its hydrology and ancient environment, and its place in the wider eastern Mediterranean.
Discover more about the Zagora Archaeological Project on our Zagora Dig Blog
As the first three weeks of the Zagora Archaeological Project come to an end, we say goodbye to our first group of students and prepare to welcome a new student team. This has been a wonderful group who have come a long way as budding field archaeologists from that first daunting day on site.
During the 2014 Zagora Archaeological Project’s excavation season Dr Hugh Thomas posted a great blog, enthusiastically explaining his use of emerging drone technology (also referred to as UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) at the site. Ten years on, drones and photogrammetry have become crucial tools in field archaeology.
