Greek Archaeology

Italians Legalise Illegal Antiquities

constantinakatsari July 10, 2010

A few days ago I received a desperate message from a friend who also happens to be an Italian Archaeologist working in Greece. According to the message, next week the Italian Parliament will approve of a law that will legalise the illegal ownership of antiquities. Effectively, if a pot or statue or coin has been found in the course of an illegal excavation and then sold to the market, the owner of the object will not face any legal consequences. On the other hand, it is obvious that the law will... »

How (not) to organise a Tour in Athens

constantinakatsari April 23, 2010

When I suggested the commencement of a short MA module in Athens for our Campus-Based and Distance-Learning students, I had no idea about the political, economic and environmental implications. For the past month I seem to have been fighting not only against Greek bureaucracy but also a double dip in the local economy and the volcanic eruptions in Iceland. The omens appeared for the first time a month ago, when the Ministry of Culture denied us permission to teach our Distance Learning students ... »