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The Charter for the Protection of the Byzantine Heritage Monuments was uninanimously ratified after a three-day debate held in Thessaloniki over the weekend. The officials agreed on a framework of commonly accepted principles for the protection of the Byzantine heritage monuments for all states which own and manage monuments of the former Byzantine Empire, which spanned 11 centuries and three continents and whose monuments are now spread out among 23 countries with different cultures, languages and religions.

Ceiling mosaics from the baptistery of San Giovanni in Naples, Italy [Credit: Cambridge University Press]

The voting of the Charter was the culmination of a lengthy process conducted over four meetings held in 2001, 2003, 2006 and this year, organised by the European Centre of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments.

It is a charter of principles that aims to be a useful scientific tool to the countries that have Byzantine-era monuments in their territories. The principles encourage the inclusion into countries' national law of measures to protect, study, record and incorporate the monuments into modern societies, in order to tell their story to citizens and visitors.

Representatives from Egypt, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Jordan, Spain, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Palestine, Romania, Serbia, Syria, Bahrain and Morocco participated in Thessaloniki meeting, which was concluded on Sunday. The participation of Tunisia and FYROM, which was initially scheduled, was cancelled.

The Charter will be submitted to UNESCO for ratification and will remain open for other countries with Byzantine monuments in their territory to join.

Source: ANA-MPA [December 03, 2018]

The Acropolis Museum in Athens is perfectly capable of hosting its original sculptures of the Parthenon instead of the well-crafted copies it exhibits, said Deputy Editor of the Sunday Times, Sarah Baxter.

Plaster casts from the east pediment sculptures of the Parthenon at the Acropolis Museum against  the backdrop of the Athenian Acropolis [Credit: The Acropolis Museum]

The original sculptures of the east pediment in the British Museum [Credit: Kevin Gessner/Flickr]

“I simply can’t think of a sound reason for refusing Greece’s claim for their return,” said Ms Baxter in a column she wrote for the British publication.

Plaster casts from the east pediment of the Parthenon at the Acropolis Museum, as well as original metopes  and both orginal and casts of the Ionic frieze [Credit: The Acropolis Museum]

The original sculptures of the east pediment in the British Museum [Credit: ANA-MPA]

“It is hard to deny that they belong to their original place, why not exchange them? We are fighting a losing battle to maintain our looting when there are innovative ways to share our knowledge,” added the Deputy Editor, who defends the return of the Parthenon Marbles and agrees with the opinion of which Labor leader Jeremy Corbin has also made publicly known.

Original segments of the Ionic frieze from the Parthenon bordered by paster casts  of those found in the British Museum [Credit: The Acropolis Museum]

Section from the original Ionic frieze of the Parthenon displayed in the British Museum [Credit: ToVima]

The Sunday Times also observes that modern technology can provide perfect replicas and representations of ancient cities such as ancient Rome and the Arc of Triumph of Palmyra and raises the question if Britain could return the Parthenon Marbles and reproduce with technology the grandeur of the Parthenon for the new generations of visitors to the British Museum, why not do it?

Finally, she notes that a similar replica policy is followed by the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Source: Greek City Times [November 26, 2018]

This excavation season completed the five year project of excavation research in the Bronze Age settlement at the 'Asvestaria' site in Petroto, Trikala, in northwestern Thessaly, Greece. The excavation is being conducted under Maria Vaiopoulou, archaeologist of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Karditsa, with the collaboration of an interdisciplinary team of researchers and the support of INSTAP.

Overall view of excavation at the 'Asvestaria' site in Petroto, Trikala [Credit: Ministry of Culture]

The dig at the “Asvestaria” site in Petroto, Trikala began as a rescue excavation due to the construction of the Larisa–Trikala national highway where a Late Bronze Age settlement came to light. The excavation research carried out during the five year programme provided interesting data on the settlement’s use of space over the centuries.

The case of the Petroto settlement is the only known example in West Thessaly of a Final Neolithic or even earlier settlement whose life continued uninterrupted to the end of the Bronze Age.

Architectural and residential remains

During the excavation, parts of 14 buildings came to light which date from the EH II to the LHIIIC. One of the best preserved is Building H with a NE-NW orientation which dates from the LHIIIC. It is an arched building with an entrance on its northwest side and measuring 8.75x7m.

Ceramics from the excavation at the “Asvestaria” site in Petroto, Trikala [Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture]

Building E which dates from the LH IIIA is a large, rectangular building with three construction phases. A 16.21m wall survives from the first phase, while a 12.22m wall remains from the second phase, where the building is found to be smaller. In the third phase, at least three spaces as well as a monumental entrance can be distinguished. The dimensions of the building in this phase are 16.21×5.60m.

The building continues under the old Larisa–Trikala national highway. Building I which dates from the LHIIIB period, has a NW-NE orientation with the maximum remaining dimensions being 21.77×5.56m. It is made up of at least four spaces. On the north east side of Building I where its entrance is situated, a section of paved street came to light, 4.22m long and 2.40m wide, which covers building IB that dates from the LHIIB.

Burials

During the excavations 42 burials came to light either in cist or pit graves that dated from the EHI to the LHIIIC, as well as a Roman pit grave with rich grave gifts, inside a layer of the EHIII. Some of the burials are particularly interesting such as that of a family (father, mother and infant) in a pit grave.

Moulds for metal casting [Credit: Greek Ministry of Culture]

Likewise, a burial came to light in a pit grave of a mother with an infant at her breast. In a box next to a child’s cist grave, among other grave gifts a dog’s skeleton was uncovered. As we know, dogs as grave gifts are often encountered in the Late Bronze Age.

Ceramics

Apart from the discovery of locally produced ceramics, there was a remarkable number of “imported” vases from Argolis and Crete.

In the local ceramics of the LHX period which have their particular characteristics regarding the clay and the distinctive handles, the Middle Helladic tradition can be traced even in the shape of the vessels.

A large number of local ceramic vases mainly of the LHIIB period, imitate the ceramics of Argolis, using α dye in the coating which is similar in colour to the Argolis clay. Most of these ceramics are also to be found in northern and western Greece and in Albania.

Finally it is worth mentioning the presence of animal bones under the foundations of a building that dates from the MHX I (between 2134 and 1939 BC), which perhaps suggest a foundation ritual, as well as the burial of a piglet located under backfills of the LHIIIA1 period.

Source: Greek Ministry of Culture via Archaeology & Arts [November 26, 2018]