Irmah by Dr Peter Londey
Classics and Ancient History, School of Cultural Inquiry
Australian National University
So there I was, genteel historian of ancient Greece (I am a lecturer at the Australian National University), kneeling among the rocks of Zagora, dust and dirt being blown over my face, in my eyes, in my hair, while I scratched the ground with my brand new Battiferro trowel, wondering why exactly I was there.
by Irma Havlicek
Powerhouse Museum Website Producer
Excavation Area 5 (EA5) is at the extreme southern end of the Zagora site. The trench here is being supervised by my Powerhouse colleague, curator and archaeologist, Dr Paul Donnelly. This area, on the far side of the distant modern field wall that is seen as you walk down to the site (see photo, below), has never been excavated before. Because the Zagora Archaeological Project is trying to obtain an overall picture of the site, it is important to sample intensively all areas of the site, including this southern, relatively unknown area of the site.
by Irma Havlicek
Powerhouse Museum Web Producer
by Irma Havlicek
Powerhouse Museum Website Producer
Excavation Area 4 (EA4) was one of two areas (the other being EA3) where test trenches were excavated last year. Kristen Mann was supervisor of the test trench here last year and continues to supervise it this year.
Kristen is doing PhD research into households, including the spatial patterning of behaviour – that is, how the layout of buildings, rooms, spaces in and between buildings, pathways, communal spaces, etc. influences people’s behaviour, and also about the choices people make to adapt their spaces to fit their needs.
Excavation Area 4 appears particularly well suited to her research – about which there will be more in a future post.
by Irma Havlicek
Powerhouse Museum Web Producer
I just thought I’d share with you a couple of the sights that greeted Lesley Beaumont, Lea Alexopoulos and me as we walked to the Zagora site recently – a beautiful dawn with large Moon above (I think the Moon had been full the previous night), and also some sheep which passed by us on the way down. They only turned spooky in my photographs (because of a ‘white eye’ effect – like ‘red eye’ in humans) – but the photos made me smile, so I thought they might make you smile as well.
Answer text by Marco Schugk
Posted by Irma Havlicek
I sent a list of questions to our Zagora 2013 participants to get an idea of why they participated in Zagora 2013. Here is the reply from Marco Schugk, a 2013 Zagora volunteer:
Why did you want to work on Zagora?
Zagora is probably one of the most important and well-known settlements of the Geometric Period in Greece. While studying Classical Archaeology (in Germany) this site emerges in every important course of study concerning the Geometric era so I wanted to contribute to this research program.
I also wanted to work on the Zagora Archaeological Project because I haven’t worked on an excavation focussing on the material findings of this period before and I wanted to expand my knowledge and my experience in interacting with the associated remains of Zagora.
Answer text by Annette Dukes
Posted by Irma Havlicek
Powerhouse Museum Web Producer
I sent a list of questions to our Zagora 2013 participants to get an idea of why they participated in Zagora 2013. Here is the reply from Annette Dukes, a 2013 Zagora volunteer:
Why did you want to work on Zagora?
We all have “bucket lists” – the things we wish we could do. I had always wanted to be part of a dig team, and I had my first opportunity last year and am now hooked. Money, opportunity and time permitting I intend to attend as many as possible. After returning from volunteering on the excavations at Paphos, Cyprus, last year, I joined the Friends of the Nicholson Museum. I am also a member of Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens (AAIA) and Near Eastern Archaeological Foundation (NEAF) which gives me the opportunity to attend many interesting lectures and information events. It was at one of these events that I found out about the project at Zagora. I also had conversations with friends who had been to the excavation last year (2012) and so was keen to be part of the project.
As you may know, the Zagora archaeological season is six weeks long. We work six days a week every week, Monday to Saturday except for the middle weekend, after the third week of work, when we get all of Saturday and Sunday off.
This year, Andrew Wilson, Paul Donnelly and Kristen Mann and I decided to go to Syros. Paul had been many years ago and remembered it fondly so he wanted to revisit the place.
It was an occasion to relax and unwind, and prepare for the last three weeks of the season.
As you probably know, we have a six-week excavation season this year for the Zagora Archaeological Project. Many of us stay for the entire season but some stay for shorter periods. Most of the archaeological volunteers who aren’t here for the whole six weeks are here either for the first three weeks, or the second three weeks. I posted a photograph earlier about the team of the first three weeks. We’re now in the fifth week of the season, and following is a photograph of our current Zagora team. Beneath this photo is another one with the team members numbered and named so you know who they all are.
by Irma Havlicek Powerhouse Museum Web Producer
I sent a list of questions to our Zagora 2013 participants to get an idea of why they participated in Zagora 2013. Here is the reply from Tasha Nassenstein, a 2013 Zagora volunteer: Why did you want to work on Zagora? I wanted to work on Zagora because the opportunity was there so I signed up for it as soon as I heard about it. It has always been a dream of mine to work on an archaeological dig. Now I can tick that off the list!