Archaeological Society of Athens

Not to be confused with the state-sponsored Greek Archaeological Service.

Archaeological Society of Athens

Facade (front door) of the Archaeological Society of Athens
Formation	January 6th 1837
Headquarters	Panepistimiou 22, Athina 105 64, Greece
Founder	Constantinos Belios
Website	https://www.archetai.gr/index.php?p=content&id=1&lang=en

The Archaeological Society of Athens (Greek: Εν Αθήναις Αρχαιολογική Εταιρεία) is an independent learned society. Also termed the Greek Archaeological Society, it was founded in 1837 by Constantinos Belios, just a few years after the establishment of the modern Greek State, with the aim of encouraging archaeological excavations, maintenance, care and exhibition of antiquities in Greece.

The Archaeological Society of Athens work in excavation and funding of archaeological endeavours are extensive. For example, the society helped discover new epigraphical evidence associated with the sanctuary of the goddess Demeter within Eleusis. In addition to this, they provided plans of the prehistoric settlement of Thorikos to help uncover ancient ceramic material.

Notable members

The notable members integral to the construction and maintenance of the organisation include the merchant Constantinos Belios, who first funded the society on January 6th, 1837. Secondly, his successor Stephanos Kumanudes.

Others include Semni Karouzou, ceramics specialist and curator at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens: Vice-President, 1975–77

The Archive of the Archaeological Society

The Archive of the Archaeological Society holds a significant collection of historical and archaeological records around Greece. It includes personal diaries, sketches, and documents of prominent archaeologists published by the organisation.

The visual archives of the library include photographs and drawings. The inclusion of early excavation photography and negatives preserve monuments and artefacts that changed during excavation or natural causes. The archive of drawings includes sketches of the Pagassae Stelae, watercolours representing the Acropolis sculptures by Émile Gilliéron, as well as an Archive of Anastasios Orlando’s drawings Through the archiving of in situ artefacts, the society ensures proper documentation of material that may erode or be lost over time. Further, the Archive preserves topographic plans of archaeological sites, which include stratigraphy and grids. Thus, allowing for consideration and exploration of entire sites and smaller areas by archaeologists such as Kevin Clinton.

The written documents of the archive include excavation notebooks and documentation. The archival collection of excavation notebooks kept daily documentation of various phases of excavation, such as the trenches, exact locations, and the depth where artefacts were discovered. Moreover, the systematically organised Archive of documentation includes items such as the complete handwritten columns of the Ephorate and the Council, the Archaeological Council, the Register of Members, catalogue of museums. The archive collection also includes individual archives such as archaeologist Panagiotis Eustratiadis’ documents from 1864-1894, which contained 37 folders regarding the Archaeological Society.

Discoveries toward the Bronze Age Eleusis

The society helped discover new epigraphical evidence associated with the sanctuary and cult of the goddess Demeter within Eleusis. Academics published re-editions of 686 documents in chronological order. Thus, allowing a base for future studies of Eleusis’ socioeconomic history and its polytheist religion.

Historian Kevin Clinton worked in collaboration since 1966 with the Archaeological Society of Athens to transcribe and archive the stone Eleusinian Inscriptions. The site of Eleusis is home to the important sanctuary of the fertility goddesses Demeter and Persephone, as well as the site of the annual festival of Mysteries. Clinton’s complement of a comprehensive collection of the inscriptions is demonstrated in Volume 1a, which contained 686 inscriptions, as well as Volume 1b’s 307 plates with images of texts. Each text is written with a detailed description and context of where it was found.

Professor of Greek history Michael B. Cosmopoulos employed the prior systematic excavations conducted by the Archaeological Society of Athens in the late 19th century and early 20th century, in conjunction with contemporary archaeological methods to provide an assessment of the architecture, stratigraphy, and ceramics of the Bronze Age settlement in Eleusis. Cosmopoulos’ close reading into the society's past works, such as those done by Kevin Clinton, stimulated new discussion on the archaeology of mystery cults and the formation stages of Greek sanctuaries.

Excavations in Thorikos

The Archaeological Society of Athens provided plans for the prehistoric settlement of Thorikos, enabling historians and scholars to excavate new findings in the city. By working with archaeologists whilst in partnership with other organisations they helped uncover ancient ceramic material.

Archaeologist of Mediterranean history Nikolas Papadimitriou used past excavation documentation within The Archive of the Archaeological Society to further research into the ceramic remains within Thorikos. Thorikos was a city that was attributed to the formation of Archaic Athens, inhabited from the Neolithic Age.

The prior excavation in Thorikos was by the director of the National Archaeological society in 1887, and a member of the Archaeological Society of Athens, Valerios Stais. Aided by the funding of the Archaeologist Society of Athens in 1893, Greek archaeologist Stais explored the tholos tombs III, as well as the habitation site that he noted to be on Velatouri Hill. Stais’ excavation led to the creation of two reports on the artefacts such as pottery in the tombs, and the two phases of occupation in Thorikos pre-Mycenaean and Mycenaean in the inhabited site.

Derived from this, Nikolas Papadimitriou's exploration of Stais’ prehistoric pottery assessed the periods of occupation in Thorikos to theorise on Thorikos’ connections in trade as well as their prehistoric culture. By documenting the chronological distributions and material, he proved the increasing Aegean connections and integration into trade that Thorikos experienced during the Mycenaean occupation. Thus, through the prior excavation and documentation of Thorikos by society member Valeios Stais, future exploration of Thorikos was allowed.

See also

• National Archaeological Museum of Athens

External links

• Archaeological Society of Athens