The Kephalonia - Livatho Valley Project (2001-2008)
In collaboration with the Greek Ministry of Culture
(6th/23rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities).The history of the project
The first archaeological fieldwork project of the Irish Institute started in 2001 with a preliminary pilot survey, and small excavation at the site of Mylones near Kokkolata, in Livatho. In 2003 it was developed into a diachronic and multidisciplinary fieldwalking survey targeting a large part of the Livatho valley, from Argostoli to the Lourdas bay. The project completed its fourth fieldwalking season in 2006. A total of 1606 tracts (fields) ammounting to 22 sq. kms ware surveyed by the Irish team. The project is now embarking on study seasons and specialized fieldwork involving geophysics and Geographical Information Systems.
Kephalonia survey team 2006
The project objectives
The aim of the project is the multi-period study of a region which is known for its prehistoric cemeteries, was the rural area of the city-state of Krane, with its mighty walls (see below), during the Classical period, and in the more recent past, was governed from from the magnificent castle of Saint George, the administrative headquarters of Venetian Kephalonia.
The work and results so far
In the course of the four seasons, the systematic collection generated thousands of artefacts dating from the Paleolithic to the present day. The material includes 4,370 chipped stone artefacts, prehistoric ground stone tools, a variety of small finds and several thousands of pottery sherds, dating from the Early Bronze Age to modern times.
The newly identified sites, of Early Bronze Age to the Byzantine periods, are mostly very disturbed due to the construction of agricultural terraces from the 17th century onwards; the project identified reused artefacts and architectural elements from antiquity in a number of locations within the study area. Revisiting known sites has also yielded interesting new data and information.
Artefact study 2006
The team
The project is directed by Dr Christina Souyoudjoglou-Haywood (University College Dublin) Christina.haywood@ucd.ie .
The specialists on the team include: Dr Conor Brady (DKIT, lithics), Dr Lynda Mulvin (UCD, Roman and Byzantine pottery), geomorphology (Peter James. University of Liverpool). Students from University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Liverpool and Athens University have participated in the survey.
Christina Souyoudzoglou-Haywood
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