Professor Antonis Kotsonas (New York University / BSA Bader Archive Lecturer 2019-20) will present ‘Politics, research agendas, and the history of archaeology in Crete: an archival perspective on the exploration of ancient Lyktos (c. 1880 – 1940)’. The lecture will be virtual. You can participate in the lecture live online via Zoom.
Registration is required to participate in this lecture. Click the following link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2015886581723/WN_SPIvSujTQIGhyxazgBX3AQ
Abstract: Politics and research agendas have had a major role in shaping the archaeology of Crete. This article focuses on the history of research on Lyktos, one of the most important ancient cities of the island, to explore the impact of academic and non-academic factors on archaeological fieldwork. Relying on wide-ranging research in the archives of the British School at Athens and of other institutes in Greece and the UK, the analysis covers the fluctuation of international interest in Lyktos, the often abortive plans for excavations by numerous British, Italian, and Greek archaeologists, and the ways in which fascination with the ancient city relates to broader political and disciplinary history in the late 19th to mid-20th century.