Sine Riisager, M.A., Assistant Director, The Danish Institute at Athens
THE DANISH INSTITUTE AT ATHENS
The Danish Institute at Athens, founded in 1992, is a
non-profit, self-governing foundation belonging to the resort of the
Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The Danish National
Museum and the Universities of Aarhus, Copenhagen, and Southern Denmark
are co-funders.
The Danish Institute at Athens is both an academic institution and a
cultural institute, and supports research and studies in archaeology,
history, literature, architecture, art history, cultural tradition and
language, as well as the work of Danish creative artists and craftsmen,
and also offers accommodation to scholars, students, and artists in the
two guesthouses.
The Institute is recognized as an archaeological school by the Greek
Ministry of Culture, and is among the youngest of the 17 foreign
archaeological schools in Athens.
The Institute promotes cultural exchange between Denmark and Greece and
organizes exhibitions, concerts and other performances on the premises and
elsewhere in Athens. Cultural events arranged by the Institute, whether
lectures in a foreign language, concerts, or exhibitions, are announced
biannually on the Spring and Autumn program. Furthermore, newsletters are
published electronically every other month, containing news from the
Institute, articles and information on the Institute's cultural
activities, i.a.
The institute is engaged in archaeological field-work. The results are
published in Proceedings of The Danish Institute at Athens (PoDIA), one of
two series of publications issued by the Institute.
Kephalonia. A survey in the western part of the Ionian island, was begun
under the sponsorship of the Swedish Institute in 1992, and continued by
the Danish Institute with campaigns. The project included measurings of
the ancient town of Same.
Kattavia in Southern Rhodes. In 1994, a survey was conducted by the Danish
Institute in co-operation with the National Museum of Copenhagen and the
Ephorate of the Dodekanese in the valley around the village of Kattavia in
Southern Rhodes. The ancient polis was located, as was an important
workshop of amphorae. The material documented that the valley had been
inhabited from the Neolithic period until early Christian times, as well
as later.
Kato Vasiliki, the ancient Chalkis of Aitolia. In 1995, a co-operation
with the ephorate of Patras and the Danish Institute on surveys and
excavations near the village of Kato Vassiliki began. Two classical
fortification walls in Pangali, the Byzantine and Classical fortification
walls surrounding the hill of Aghia Triadha, and foundations of Classical
and Hellenistic houses, were cleaned and measured. In 2000 a rich
Hellenistic tomb was excavated, and what is believed to be an altar was
discovered.
Kalydon. In 2001 the Institute embarked upon a new survey and excavation
project in ancient Calydon in Aitolia, where the well-known Danish
archaeologist and art historian Frederik Poulsen conducted excavations in
the 1920s and 30s. Since 2001, excavations on different locations in the
area have been made, among other things in order to determine a plan of
the town, define public spaces, excavate and find architectural
characteristics and determine use of some buildings and thus the function
of the town.
Piraeus, the Zea Harbour Project (www.zeaharbourproject.dk). Combined
terrestrial and marine archaelogical investigations. The project is
carried out with permission and assistance of The Ephorate of Underwater
Antiquities and the 26th Ephorate in Piraeus. The construction of the
Kantharos, Zea and Mounychia harbours in Piraeus were begun under the
archonship of Themistokles in 493/492 B.C. In the late classical period
the Zea Harbour was Athens most important naval harbour and housed a large
part of the Athenian fleet. One of the project's aims is to investigate
the architecture and function of the Zea ship-shed complex, which is vital
for understanding the dimensions of the Athenian trireme, since no wrecks
of ancient warships have been found.
Pilion Cave Project In 2005, the project was established as a
collaborative initiative between The Danish Institute at Athens and The
Ephorate Palaeoanthropology & Speleology at Northern Greece under the
Greek Ministry of Culture. The aim of the project is to explore the
economic, functional, historical, and spiritual use and meaning of caves
from mainly the Ottoman and Modern periods. A specific goal of the project
is to investigate the archaeological consequences of activities in and
around caves.
The Danish Institute at Athens is situated
in Plaka east of the Acropolis, Herefondos 14. For more information,
please visit www.diathens.com, of or call 210 3244644
