Aigina Harbour city Project 2019-2023 is an interdisciplinary project focusing on the systematic study of the submerged and coastal archaeological infrastructure of the city-harbour of Aigina diachronically, from the Archaic to the Byzantine period
The research project is a collaboration between the French School of Athens and the Ephorate of Underwater antiquities with the cooperation of Aix-Marseille University (MoMArch – ARKAIA – Centre Camille Jullian) and five international partners under the auspices of the UNESCO Chair in Maritime and Coastal Archaeology of Aix-Marseille University.
The main research objective is the landscape reconstruction and interpretation of the maritime façade of the Aigina harbour-city through the centuries. Methodologically, interdisciplinary studies consist of systematic underwater and coastal archaeological research, marine and coastal geophysical prospections, archaeometric analysis and in situ restoration and conservation of archaeological remains.
Since 2019, the team has consisted of researchers and post-graduate students from Greece, France, Spain, Germany, Syria, Belgium, Croatia, Lebanon, Malta, Cyprus, Taiwan, Indonesia, Venezuela and Ukraine, among others
International Partners
Aigina Project
This interdisciplinary project is carried out in cooperation with five international partners, universities and research institutes that cover a wide range of interdisciplinary approaches:
University of Patras,
Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography
LGreece (marine geology prospections and paleoenvironmental study),
Prof. George Papatheodorou,
Assoc. Prof. Maria Geraga,
(and the scientific team)
National University of Athens, Department of Geology and Geo-environment
Greece (oceanographic study),
Assoc. Prof. Paraskevi Nomikou,
Othonas Vlassopoulos,
Aggelos Mallios
University of Mainz,
Institute of Geography
Germany (coastal geophysical prospections),
Prof. Andreas Vött,
Peter Fischer,
Tina Georg,
(and the scientific team)
University of Peloponnese,
Archeometry Laboratory
Greece (archaeometric analyses, OSL dating),
Prof. Nikolaos Zacharias
(and his scientific team)
Instituto Superiore per la Conservazione e il Restauro
(Higher Institute for Conservation and Restoration)
Ministry of Culture of Italy (underwater and coastal restoration),
Dr. Barbara Davidde
(and her scientific team)
DIRECTORS
Pari KALAMARA, Dr. archaeologist-diver, specialized in the Late Roman and Byzantine period, ex-director of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities (Hellenic Ministry of Culture), and today director in the Byzantine and Christian Museum.
Jean-Christophe SOURISSEAU, Professor of Greek Archaeology in Aix-Marseille University, and director of the Institute of Mediterranean Archaeology, ARKAIA, holder of the UNESCO Chair of the Maritime and Coastal Archaeology of Aix-Marseille University.
Kalliopi BAIKA, archaeologist-diver, Associate Professor of Mediterranean Maritime Archaeology at Aix-Marseille University, CCJ – MoMArch, coordinator of the UNESCO Unitwin networκ of Underwater Archeology, specializing in naval harbours and shipshed complexes of the Mediterranean during Classical Antiquity.
Despoina KOUTSOUMBA, archaeologist-diver of the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities of Greece (Hellenic Ministry of Culture) with great experience in the research and valorisation of Aegean underwater cultural heritage.
FIELD-DIRECTORS
Archaeologists-divers and Master students in Maritime Archaeology
Anastasia Vasiliou, Ninon Basuau, Jeanne Borde, Dimitra Voutyrea, Laetitia Cavassa, Etienne Courne, Mauro Frontini, Judith Gatt, Amalia Karantzali, Tiffany Kerschenmayer, Nireas Markakis, Jordy Moies, Evaggelia Mpilitsi, Vassilis Papadakis, Marina Papanikopoulou, Amelie Perrier, Leo Peruto, Nikol Petelin, Ahmad Ramadham, Gabriel Rousset, Sybil Thiebault, Labrini Tsitsou, Maria Tymoshenko, Pin Wen Chen
Archaeology Students
Kyriaki Metaxotou, Myrto Panagopoulou, Constantinos Raptis, Lydia Stergiopoulou
Architects
Jafar Anbar, Anna Papadopoulou
Topographers
Lionel Fadin, Vincent Dumas, Thanasis Psarogiannis
Photographers
Lionel Roux, Philippe Soubias
Technical support
Dimitris Anastasakos, Fragkiskos Markozanes, Spyros Moureas, Christos Nizamidis, Nathalie Gassiole, Konstantinos Vatikiotis, Giorgos Grispos, Dimitris Karpetas, Vaggelis Kosmas, Nektarios Kreouzis, Konstantinos Kipriotis, George Konstantinopoulos, Spyros Likouris, George Oikonomopoulos, Zacharias Orfanoudakis, Erikka Foka, Dionysios Chaldaios, Dimitris Charatzis
IT Support
Future Site Di Haidar Anbar – Italy
Volunteers
Theofrastos Vaggelatos, Stavroula Vaggelatou, Ioulia Vokotopoulou, Christina Brown, Vincent Coppey, Anna Karampatsoli, Philippos Rechleitis, Gil Flassch-Trauth, Sofia Sapalidou.