Thérèse Claeys | UCLouvain (University of Louvain) (original) (raw)
Papers by Thérèse Claeys
Following the excavations in Zone 10 of 2015 (see above, §5.4), work resumed here in 2016 (fig. 5... more Following the excavations in Zone 10 of 2015 (see above, §5.4), work resumed here in 2016 (fig. 5.5.1). As mentioned, Zone 10 encompasses the remains of the West Wing of the Court-Centred Building, also labelled Building J. The 2015 excavations had already unrevealed part of the southwest area of the court, labelled Building K, space 10.6, as well as several rooms west of the boulder terrace wall F58 and ashlar façade FE217. In 2016, explorations within the West Wing took place west of the zo..
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, repr... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th c. BC, the settlement is a valuable ‘time capsule’ of the Late Cypriot IIC/IIIA (1230-1170 BC) critical phase.
Although highly criticized by many, the pioneering restoration work conducted at Knossos in the e... more Although highly criticized by many, the pioneering restoration work conducted at Knossos in the early twentieth century continues to attract large crowds of tourists and shape public perception about the Minoans, the civilization which blossomed between circa 3000 and 1200 BC on the island of Crete. This iconic example raises crucial questions about the balance between conservation and presentation strategies and the way to assess their relevance scientifically. Proceeding from these questions and the acknowledged gap in research-based preservation policies of Bronze Age sites in Crete, the goal of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it seeks to provide decision makers with a methodological tool applicable to Minoan sites through the exploration of contemporary planning methodologies. On the other hand, it investigates the current conservation state of those sites overshadowed by the Knossian example. The peculiarity of the challenges faced by Minoan heritage preservation legiti...
Digital Heritage. Progress in Cultural Heritage: Documentation, Preservation, and Protection, 2021
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
Regarding the principle that intervention during heritage conservation activities should be kept ... more Regarding the principle that intervention during heritage conservation activities should be kept to an absolute minimum, see the Subject II.2 of the Recommendations of the Madrid Conference (1904); Article IV of the Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments (1931); Article 15 of The international Charter for the Conservation and the Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter 1964) (1964); Article 5 of the Principles for Conservation and Restoration of Built Heritage (The Krakow Charter 2000) (2000); Article 3.5 of the ICOMOS Charter-Principles for the Analysis, Conservation and Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage (2003); Articles 3.1 and 17 of The Australia ICOMOS Charter or the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance (the Burra Charter 2013) (2013). 3 See in particular Article 36.8 and 36.11 which declare the director of the excavation responsible for the protection of the site, the stabilisation and the conservation of the finds, in situ if possible, and the restoration of the architecture when necessary. 4 The Azoria Conservation Project, directed by Donald Haggis, received the Best Practices in Site Preservation Award by the Archaeological Institute of America in 2012. The Sissi director, J. Driessen, adds his thanks to Prof. Haggis for allowing the team to come to Sissi. 5 WHC-07/31.COM/24. Decisions adopted at the 31 st session of the World heritage Committee (Christchurch, 2007). 6 The ICOMOS Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites (ENAME Charter, 2007).
Excavations at Sissi V, 2022
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique
Tentative de identification des marques de fabricant sur deux panneaux en bois de l'Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose (Lessines, Belgique), 2018
Les panneaux en bois de l'Adoration des bergers et de Jésus chez Simon le Pharisien, conservés au... more Les panneaux en bois de l'Adoration des bergers et de Jésus chez Simon le Pharisien, conservés au sein des collections artistiques de l'Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose, présentent d'étranges marques sur le revers. Bien que ces dernières semblent plus stylisées sur le panneau de Jésus chez Simon le Pharisien, dans les deux cas, elles se caractérisent par la combinaison de deux « pattes » et d'une forme oblongue flanquée de deux motifs évasés. De même que les tailleurs de pierre au Moyen Age gravaient leur empreinte personnelle dans la pierre au moyen de signes lapidaires, ces marques pourraient être identifiées comme autant de témoins tangibles de la signature des fabricants de supports à peindre. La ressemblance frappante entre ces marques et les armoiries de la ville d'Anvers, à savoir deux mains surmontant l'ancienne porte triangulaire de la Ville, semble corroborer l'hypothèse de l'origine anversoise de ces panneaux.
Dessenne Building at Malia, Crete. Reports on the 2014-2015 research and soundings
Preliminary report of the 2013 study campaign on the 'Magasins Dessenne' at Malia. Further work o... more Preliminary report of the 2013 study campaign on the 'Magasins Dessenne' at Malia. Further work on the architectural sequence is presented, as well as the MM IIB material discovered in 1960, including the pithoi then left in the ruin by André Dessenne and taken in 2013.
Press by Thérèse Claeys
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, repr... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th c. BC, the settlement is a valuable ‘time capsule’ of the Late Cypriot IIC/IIIA (1230-1170 BC) critical phase.
Located on the southeast coast of Cyprus, Pyla-Kokkinokremos was only founded a few decades prior... more Located on the southeast coast of Cyprus, Pyla-Kokkinokremos was only founded a few decades prior to its eventual abandonment at the beginning of the 12 th c. BC. This limited occupation makes the site an excellent case study to explore the impact of the so-called crisis years on the island. Since the settlement was never reoccupied and has an overall lifespan of less than fifty years, Pyla's material culture can be considered a 'time capsule' for this LC IIC-IIIA critical phase.
Books by Thérèse Claeys
by Joachim Bretschneider, Jan Driessen, Reinhard Jung, Ioanna Kostopoulou, Nicolas Kress, Greta Jans, Francesca Porta, Thérèse Claeys, Florence Gaignerot-Driessen, Sylviane Déderix, and Ilaria Caloi
Aegis 24, 2023
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on d... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on different occasions but continues to be of archaeological interest, in part because it is one of the few settlements that was occupied for a relatively short period during what are called the ‘Crisis Years’ of the Eastern Mediterranean (ca. 1200 BCE). The ethnic mix of its material culture is also astonishing, with imports from Mycenaean Greece, Minoan Crete, Nuragic Sardinia, Hittite Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt—a variety unparalleled at other contemporary Cypriot settlements. Since 2014, an international team consisting of members of the University of Ghent and Louvain in Belgium and of the Mediterranean Archaeological Society in Heraklion, Crete, has continued its exploration, concentrating on different areas of the 7-hectare hill. The aim of the new excavations is to obtain a better understanding of the social structure and internal organization of the site and of its importance for the continuing discussions on migration, interaction, and acculturation, which typify the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE in the Eastern Mediterranean. The volume is a detailed but preliminary account of the first six excavation campaigns (2014–2019) with a presentation of the archaeological material found in the different sectors of the hill. It also includes the first analyses of the different ceramic categories encountered and a report on the topographical work executed.
by Jan Driessen, Charlotte Langohr, Maria Anastasiadou, Thérèse Claeys, Diana Wolf, Schmitt Aurore, Théo Terrana, Sylviane Déderix, Maud Devolder, Roxane Dubois, Ilaria Caloi, Laura Matilde Magno, Iro Mathioudaki, and Borja Legarra Herrero
Sissi V. Preliminary Report on the 2017-2019 Excavations at Sissi, 2021
Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to conta... more Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to contact individual contributors to receive pdfs of the various chapters
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
by Maud Devolder, Maria Emanuela Alberti, Gianluca Cantoro, Tristan Carter, Thérèse Claeys, Sylviane Déderix, Thibaut Gomrée, Valasia Isaakidou, Marie-Philippine Montagné, Eleni Nodarou, Apostolos Sarris, Rena Veropoulidou, Ilaria Caloi, Maria Anastasiadou, and Mila Andonova
This book offers the final publication of a Protopalatial edifice excavated by André Dessenne nea... more This book offers the final publication of a Protopalatial edifice excavated by André Dessenne near the Palace at Malia in 1960. The architectural study of the ruin and the detailed presentation of the material discovered by the archaeologist allows a better understanding of the role of the Dessenne Building in the settlement at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Complemented by a series of archaeological soundings, the present research also provides original data regarding the occupation of Malia during the Prepalatial period, including late 3rd millennium BC large-scale levelling works that prefigurate the construction of the Protopalatial Palace. Architecture, ceramic, stone vases, weights and tools, seals and sealings, and archaeozoological and archaeobotanical remains are studied by specialists whose research coalesce into a synthesis on the Bronze Age site development. This book thus not only offers the detailed presentation of an elite structure, it sets it into a broader historical perspective and offers a revision of the Pre- and Protopalatial sequence of the occupation at the core of the settlement of Malia.
Cet ouvrage offre la publication définitive d’un ensemble architectural protopalatial découvert en 1960 par André Dessenne aux abords immédiats du palais de Malia. L’étude architecturale de la ruine et la présentation détaillée du matériel mis au jour par l’archéologue permettent de considérer le rôle du Bâtiment Dessenne au sein de l’établissement au début du IIème millénaire av. J.-C. Complétées par de nouvelles fouilles, les recherches à l’origine de cet ouvrage produisent également des données inédites sur l’occupation de Malia au Prépalatial et sur les grands travaux d’aménagement de la fin du IIIème millénaire qui préfigurent la construction du palais au Protopalatial. Architecture, céramique, vases, poids et outillage en pierre, sceaux et scellés, faune terrestre et marine et restes archéobotaniques sont envisagés par des spécialistes dont les travaux produisent une synthèse importante sur le développement du site à l’Âge du Bronze. L’ouvrage présente ainsi de manière détaillée un édifice minoen d’élite tout en l’insérant dans une perspective historique plus large, en offrant notamment une révision de la séquence pré- et protopalatiale au cœur de l’établissement maliote.
Following the excavations in Zone 10 of 2015 (see above, §5.4), work resumed here in 2016 (fig. 5... more Following the excavations in Zone 10 of 2015 (see above, §5.4), work resumed here in 2016 (fig. 5.5.1). As mentioned, Zone 10 encompasses the remains of the West Wing of the Court-Centred Building, also labelled Building J. The 2015 excavations had already unrevealed part of the southwest area of the court, labelled Building K, space 10.6, as well as several rooms west of the boulder terrace wall F58 and ashlar façade FE217. In 2016, explorations within the West Wing took place west of the zo..
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, repr... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th c. BC, the settlement is a valuable ‘time capsule’ of the Late Cypriot IIC/IIIA (1230-1170 BC) critical phase.
Although highly criticized by many, the pioneering restoration work conducted at Knossos in the e... more Although highly criticized by many, the pioneering restoration work conducted at Knossos in the early twentieth century continues to attract large crowds of tourists and shape public perception about the Minoans, the civilization which blossomed between circa 3000 and 1200 BC on the island of Crete. This iconic example raises crucial questions about the balance between conservation and presentation strategies and the way to assess their relevance scientifically. Proceeding from these questions and the acknowledged gap in research-based preservation policies of Bronze Age sites in Crete, the goal of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it seeks to provide decision makers with a methodological tool applicable to Minoan sites through the exploration of contemporary planning methodologies. On the other hand, it investigates the current conservation state of those sites overshadowed by the Knossian example. The peculiarity of the challenges faced by Minoan heritage preservation legiti...
Digital Heritage. Progress in Cultural Heritage: Documentation, Preservation, and Protection, 2021
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
Regarding the principle that intervention during heritage conservation activities should be kept ... more Regarding the principle that intervention during heritage conservation activities should be kept to an absolute minimum, see the Subject II.2 of the Recommendations of the Madrid Conference (1904); Article IV of the Athens Charter for the Restoration of Historic Monuments (1931); Article 15 of The international Charter for the Conservation and the Restoration of Monuments and Sites (the Venice Charter 1964) (1964); Article 5 of the Principles for Conservation and Restoration of Built Heritage (The Krakow Charter 2000) (2000); Article 3.5 of the ICOMOS Charter-Principles for the Analysis, Conservation and Structural Restoration of Architectural Heritage (2003); Articles 3.1 and 17 of The Australia ICOMOS Charter or the Conservation of Places of Cultural Significance (the Burra Charter 2013) (2013). 3 See in particular Article 36.8 and 36.11 which declare the director of the excavation responsible for the protection of the site, the stabilisation and the conservation of the finds, in situ if possible, and the restoration of the architecture when necessary. 4 The Azoria Conservation Project, directed by Donald Haggis, received the Best Practices in Site Preservation Award by the Archaeological Institute of America in 2012. The Sissi director, J. Driessen, adds his thanks to Prof. Haggis for allowing the team to come to Sissi. 5 WHC-07/31.COM/24. Decisions adopted at the 31 st session of the World heritage Committee (Christchurch, 2007). 6 The ICOMOS Charter for the Interpretation and Presentation of Cultural Heritage Sites (ENAME Charter, 2007).
Excavations at Sissi V, 2022
Bulletin de correspondance hellénique
Tentative de identification des marques de fabricant sur deux panneaux en bois de l'Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose (Lessines, Belgique), 2018
Les panneaux en bois de l'Adoration des bergers et de Jésus chez Simon le Pharisien, conservés au... more Les panneaux en bois de l'Adoration des bergers et de Jésus chez Simon le Pharisien, conservés au sein des collections artistiques de l'Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose, présentent d'étranges marques sur le revers. Bien que ces dernières semblent plus stylisées sur le panneau de Jésus chez Simon le Pharisien, dans les deux cas, elles se caractérisent par la combinaison de deux « pattes » et d'une forme oblongue flanquée de deux motifs évasés. De même que les tailleurs de pierre au Moyen Age gravaient leur empreinte personnelle dans la pierre au moyen de signes lapidaires, ces marques pourraient être identifiées comme autant de témoins tangibles de la signature des fabricants de supports à peindre. La ressemblance frappante entre ces marques et les armoiries de la ville d'Anvers, à savoir deux mains surmontant l'ancienne porte triangulaire de la Ville, semble corroborer l'hypothèse de l'origine anversoise de ces panneaux.
Dessenne Building at Malia, Crete. Reports on the 2014-2015 research and soundings
Preliminary report of the 2013 study campaign on the 'Magasins Dessenne' at Malia. Further work o... more Preliminary report of the 2013 study campaign on the 'Magasins Dessenne' at Malia. Further work on the architectural sequence is presented, as well as the MM IIB material discovered in 1960, including the pithoi then left in the ruin by André Dessenne and taken in 2013.
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, repr... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located ca. 15 km east of Larnaka along the coast of Cyprus, represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a generation or so prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th c. BC, the settlement is a valuable ‘time capsule’ of the Late Cypriot IIC/IIIA (1230-1170 BC) critical phase.
Located on the southeast coast of Cyprus, Pyla-Kokkinokremos was only founded a few decades prior... more Located on the southeast coast of Cyprus, Pyla-Kokkinokremos was only founded a few decades prior to its eventual abandonment at the beginning of the 12 th c. BC. This limited occupation makes the site an excellent case study to explore the impact of the so-called crisis years on the island. Since the settlement was never reoccupied and has an overall lifespan of less than fifty years, Pyla's material culture can be considered a 'time capsule' for this LC IIC-IIIA critical phase.
by Joachim Bretschneider, Jan Driessen, Reinhard Jung, Ioanna Kostopoulou, Nicolas Kress, Greta Jans, Francesca Porta, Thérèse Claeys, Florence Gaignerot-Driessen, Sylviane Déderix, and Ilaria Caloi
Aegis 24, 2023
The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on d... more The site of Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located in Larnaka Bay in south-eastern Cyprus, was explored on different occasions but continues to be of archaeological interest, in part because it is one of the few settlements that was occupied for a relatively short period during what are called the ‘Crisis Years’ of the Eastern Mediterranean (ca. 1200 BCE). The ethnic mix of its material culture is also astonishing, with imports from Mycenaean Greece, Minoan Crete, Nuragic Sardinia, Hittite Anatolia, the Levant, and Egypt—a variety unparalleled at other contemporary Cypriot settlements. Since 2014, an international team consisting of members of the University of Ghent and Louvain in Belgium and of the Mediterranean Archaeological Society in Heraklion, Crete, has continued its exploration, concentrating on different areas of the 7-hectare hill. The aim of the new excavations is to obtain a better understanding of the social structure and internal organization of the site and of its importance for the continuing discussions on migration, interaction, and acculturation, which typify the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE in the Eastern Mediterranean. The volume is a detailed but preliminary account of the first six excavation campaigns (2014–2019) with a presentation of the archaeological material found in the different sectors of the hill. It also includes the first analyses of the different ceramic categories encountered and a report on the topographical work executed.
by Jan Driessen, Charlotte Langohr, Maria Anastasiadou, Thérèse Claeys, Diana Wolf, Schmitt Aurore, Théo Terrana, Sylviane Déderix, Maud Devolder, Roxane Dubois, Ilaria Caloi, Laura Matilde Magno, Iro Mathioudaki, and Borja Legarra Herrero
Sissi V. Preliminary Report on the 2017-2019 Excavations at Sissi, 2021
Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to conta... more Preliminary report on the 2017-2019 excavations at Sissi. Interested readers are invited to contact individual contributors to receive pdfs of the various chapters
AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i... more AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • 2 0 1 8 AEGIS • r a p p o r t s • d e • f o u i l l e s • • t h è s e s • d e • d o c t o r a t • • m o n o g r a p h i e s • • a c t e s • d e • c o l l o q u e s •
by Maud Devolder, Maria Emanuela Alberti, Gianluca Cantoro, Tristan Carter, Thérèse Claeys, Sylviane Déderix, Thibaut Gomrée, Valasia Isaakidou, Marie-Philippine Montagné, Eleni Nodarou, Apostolos Sarris, Rena Veropoulidou, Ilaria Caloi, Maria Anastasiadou, and Mila Andonova
This book offers the final publication of a Protopalatial edifice excavated by André Dessenne nea... more This book offers the final publication of a Protopalatial edifice excavated by André Dessenne near the Palace at Malia in 1960. The architectural study of the ruin and the detailed presentation of the material discovered by the archaeologist allows a better understanding of the role of the Dessenne Building in the settlement at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Complemented by a series of archaeological soundings, the present research also provides original data regarding the occupation of Malia during the Prepalatial period, including late 3rd millennium BC large-scale levelling works that prefigurate the construction of the Protopalatial Palace. Architecture, ceramic, stone vases, weights and tools, seals and sealings, and archaeozoological and archaeobotanical remains are studied by specialists whose research coalesce into a synthesis on the Bronze Age site development. This book thus not only offers the detailed presentation of an elite structure, it sets it into a broader historical perspective and offers a revision of the Pre- and Protopalatial sequence of the occupation at the core of the settlement of Malia.
Cet ouvrage offre la publication définitive d’un ensemble architectural protopalatial découvert en 1960 par André Dessenne aux abords immédiats du palais de Malia. L’étude architecturale de la ruine et la présentation détaillée du matériel mis au jour par l’archéologue permettent de considérer le rôle du Bâtiment Dessenne au sein de l’établissement au début du IIème millénaire av. J.-C. Complétées par de nouvelles fouilles, les recherches à l’origine de cet ouvrage produisent également des données inédites sur l’occupation de Malia au Prépalatial et sur les grands travaux d’aménagement de la fin du IIIème millénaire qui préfigurent la construction du palais au Protopalatial. Architecture, céramique, vases, poids et outillage en pierre, sceaux et scellés, faune terrestre et marine et restes archéobotaniques sont envisagés par des spécialistes dont les travaux produisent une synthèse importante sur le développement du site à l’Âge du Bronze. L’ouvrage présente ainsi de manière détaillée un édifice minoen d’élite tout en l’insérant dans une perspective historique plus large, en offrant notamment une révision de la séquence pré- et protopalatiale au cœur de l’établissement maliote.
Sympozjum Egejskie. Papers in Aegean Archaeology 3 (WSA 3), 2022
Heritage sites are intended to be bearers of messages from past populations and hence their safeg... more Heritage sites are intended to be bearers of messages from past populations and hence their safeguarding forms a societal duty. Likewise, their disclosure and accessibility to the public is a fundamental right. And here is the challenge for archaeological site management: finding a proper equilibrium between these duties and rights. Within the panel of strategies for preservation interventions, permanent reburial-the long-term backfilling of excavated remains-has been regarded with scepticism for various reasons. If this solution is indeed meant to provide optimal protection, it also entirely eradicates accessibility, visibility and hence the public enjoyment of an archaeological site. But should this be so? On the basis of case studies from Greece and worldwide, this paper argues for the implementation of a series of sustainable and well-planned creative solutions for the long-term reburial of archaeological remains. These creative reburials open up promising avenues for solving the alleged dichotomy between site preservation and public presentation.
10th International Symposium on the Conservation of Monuments in the Mediterranean Basin, 2018
Although highly criticized by many, the pioneering restoration work conducted at Knossos in the e... more Although highly criticized by many, the pioneering restoration work conducted at Knossos in the early 20th century continues to attract large crowds of tourists and shape public perception about the Minoans, the civilization which blossomed between circa 3000 and 1200 BC on the island of Crete. This iconic example raises crucial questions about the balance between conservation and presentation strategies and the way to assess their relevance scientifically. Proceeding from these questions and the acknowledged gap in research-based preservation policies of Bronze Age sites in Crete, the goal of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, it seeks to provide decision makers with a methodological tool applicable to Minoan sites through the exploration of contemporary planning methodologies. On the other hand, it investigates the current conservation state of those sites overshadowed by the Knossian example. The peculiarity of the challenges faced by Minoan heritage preservation legitimizes the targeting of Minoan sites in this research. To achieve its ambitions, this paper adopts an original and evolutive methodology in three steps and it advocates a cross-source approach combining a review of existing literature and new fieldwork.
Rubble work, timber framing, mudbrick superstructure: Minoan architecture was well suited to cope... more Rubble work, timber framing, mudbrick superstructure: Minoan architecture was well suited to cope with seismic activity but significantly less with the vicissitudes of time. The resulting preservation state of Minoan sites poses challenges in terms of their communication to the public although efforts to this end appear fundamental. Contrary to their better-preserved counterparts from historic times, Minoan ruins are indeed deprived of much monumental value. Instead, they are characterized by their limited visibility, resulting in their low readability.
In this paper, I will first comment on existing solutions implemented on Bronze Age sites in Crete aimed at enhancing visitors’ engagement with these fragmented archaeological remains and at facilitating their understanding. On the basis of this illustrated corpus, current policies in the management of the Greek cultural heritage will be discussed. In particular, it will be argued that visitors’ perception still remains poorly integrated in decision-making processes related to site preservation and presentation.
After acknowledging this research gap, this paper intends to demonstrate the benefits of such a visitor-sourced approach in cultural heritage interpretive plans, through the example of a pilot study conducted at the archaeological site of Malia. This research, inspired by Chrysanthi’s work at Gournia (2015), was aimed at assessing visitors’ experience on site, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Preliminary results regarding the efficiency, from a visitor’s perspective, of current presentation and interpretation measures implemented at Malia will be presented.
In order to identify a potential bias in this experiment, this paper will also investigate further parameters assumingly influencing visitors’ understanding of Minoan remains and their ability to orientate themselves in the ‘labyrinthine’ architecture of Minoan sites. Among those factors, the impact of a prior visit to the iconic, yet controversial due to its extensive reconstruction work, site of Knossos will be assessed.
2020 AIA Conference (Washington DC, USA), 2020
Sense and Sustainability. International Conference on Archaeology and Tourism (Archaeological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia), 2019
2019 CAA International Conference (Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland), 2019
![Research paper thumbnail of Make Minoans Great Again? Ou comment pérenniser les vestiges d’une civilisation disparue il y a environ 3500 ans ? [poster]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/66175453/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Poster Day INCAL (UCLouvain), 2017
Following its initial recognition in 2011, the excavation of the Minoan Ceremonial Center at Siss... more Following its initial recognition in 2011, the excavation of the Minoan Ceremonial Center at Sissi (Kinotita Vrachasiou, Mirabello, Lassithi, Crete) continued for three campaigns, in 2015, 2016 and 2017. By the end of the 2017 campaign, most of the plastered Central Court and large parts of the east, north and west wings of the complex were uncovered but only the north boundary has been securely identified. While some parts of the east wing were reoccupied and remodeled during the Late Minoan III period, the rest of the complex seems largely to date to the Neopalatial period or 17th–16th B.C.E. (MM III–LM IA), although reusing earlier constructions, some of which are Prepalatial (25th century B.C.E.). The presence of Santorini ash in the abandonment levels suggests that the complex had a relatively short life span. The paper will discuss a series of particular architectural features that were found in the last three seasons including: a finely paved road or corridor which leads from the west straight into the court where it is flanked by a large platform and installation; a rectangular ashlar building and adjacent area which seems largely devoted to water collection; and certain other features in and around the central court which potentially suggest a ritual use. Incremental evidence has for a sequence of phases within the Neopalatial building complex will also be presented.
Summaries of a colloquium at the 120th annual meeting of the AIA in Washington DC, 2020. It was t... more Summaries of a colloquium at the 120th annual meeting of the AIA in Washington DC, 2020. It was the occasion to present synthetic papers on the various sectors of the Sissi site revealed (cemetery, settlement, central building) , to note parallels and stress the importance of differences, but also to discuss to what degree the excavations have
added, modified, or confirmed past ideas on Minoan civilization.
Les Midis de l’Antiquité at Université catholique de Louvain, 2018
AEGIS Seminar (INCAL/CEMA), 2017
No (e)scape from bits and pieces. Towards an archaeology of fragmentation in the Aegean Bronze Age
Submissions can be made via the website of ScapeCon 2022: https://scapecon.minoan-aegis.net/
In the fifth installment of the international ScapeCon conference held at Louvain-la-Neuve, we in... more In the fifth installment of the international ScapeCon conference held at Louvain-la-Neuve, we invite MA students, PhD candidates and early career researchers to explore the concept of fragmentation in the Aegean Bronze Age and its application to the following topics: people, material culture, and archaeological data.
Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located just to the east of Larnaca Bay on top of a naturally fortified plate... more Pyla-Kokkinokremos, located just to the east of Larnaca Bay on top of a naturally fortified plateau, represents a singularly short-lived settlement in the island’s Late Bronze Age history. Established only a few decades prior to its eventual abandonment in the early 12th c. BC, the settlement represents a very valuable ‘time capsule’ of the Late Cypriot IIC-IIIA critical phase. The site was explored on several previous occasions, respectively by P. Dikaios, 1952; V. Karageorghis, 1981-1982; V. Karageorghis and A. Kanta, 2010-2011; Kanta, 2012-2013 (Karageorghis & Demas 1984; Karageorghis & Georgiou 2010; Karageorghis & Kanta 2014). Since 2014 Kokkinokremos is the object of a joint venture between the UGhent (J. Bretschneider), the UCLouvain (J. Driessen) and the Mediterranean Archaeological Society (A. Kanta) (Bretschneider, Kanta & Driessen 2015 & forthcoming). Intensive excavations suggest that the entire plateau of ca. 7 ha was densely occupied; excavated parts of the settlement ...
L’etude des ‘Magasins Dessenne’, un edifice protopalatial dont la partie Nord-Est avait ete fouil... more L’etude des ‘Magasins Dessenne’, un edifice protopalatial dont la partie Nord-Est avait ete fouillee en 1960 par Andre Dessenne aux abords Sud-Ouest du palais de Malia, avait repris en 2012. L’objectif de ce nouveau projet etait de realiser l’etude des vestiges architecturaux et du materiel qui en provenait afin de preparer la publication finale de l’edifice. Les travaux menes en 2013 aux ‘Magasins Dessenne’ ont porte sur les aspects suivants : l’etude du materiel (ceramique et vases en pierre) decouvert en 1960 d’une part et preleve lors de la campagne de nettoyage et d’etude architecturale de l’edifice en 2012 d’autre part; le prelevement des vases encore pris dans le remblai mis en place par Andre Dessenne apres la fouille; et l’etude des vestiges architecturaux et leur enregistrement 3-D et photogrammetrique prealable a leur remblaiement.