Black Sea archaeology has always captivated the interest of scholars, because of its unique topography and diachronically multi-ethnic historical landscape.The previous decade was a particularly challenging period for archaeological research worldwide due to the new realities imposed by the pandemic, the extraordinary political and socio-economic factors, and the long-lasting crisis in the Humanities and Arts. In spite of all this, excavations, systematic surveys, remote sensing and geophysical prospections, were undertaken in numerous coastal and inland sites along the Euxine, while equally productive were research projects on specific monuments or aspects of the material culture. Aiming to bring forth the latest advances accomplished in the field, the Department of Black Sea Studies at the Democritus University of Thrace in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, are organizing an International Conference on The Archaeological Work in the Greek Settlements of the BlackSea and their Environs during the Last Decade.

Presentation

Black Sea archaeology has always captivated the interest of scholars, because of its unique topography and diachronically multi-ethnic historical landscape.The previous decade was a particularly challenging period for archaeological research worldwide due to the new realities imposed by the pandemic, the extraordinary political and socio-economic factors, and the long-lasting crisis in the Humanities and Arts. In spite of all this, excavations, systematic surveys, remote sensing and geophysical prospections, were undertaken in numerous coastal and inland sites along the Euxine, while equally productive were research projects on specific monuments or aspects of the material culture. Aiming to bring forth the latest advances accomplished in the field, the Department of Black Sea Studies at the Democritus University of Thrace in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, are organizing an International Conference on The Archaeological Work in the Greek Settlements of the BlackSea and their Environs during the Last Decade.

The Conference will take place in May 28-30, 2024, at Alexandroupolis (Greece), while arrangements will also be made for participation via zoom.

Program

Tuesday 28.05.2024

16 :30-17 :00 Welcome remarks

• Ioannis Zampoukis, Mayor of Alexandroupolis
• His Eminence Metropolitan of Alexandroupolis, Traianoupolis and Samothrace, Anthimos II
• Professor Fotis Maris, Rector of the Democritus University of Thrace

17 :00-17 :20 Introduction

• Elias K. Petropoulos, Alexandre Baralis

Session 1 : Overarching Topics

Chair Krastina Panayotova

• 17:20-17:40 Archaeology and Agenda : between Amazons and Arimaspians, David Braund
• 17:40-18:00 Thrace and Pontus Bithynia. Relations and Interactions between Two Neighboring Roman Provinces based on Material Culture Evidence, Marina Tasaklaki
• 18:00-18:20 The Demographic Impact of Greek Colonisation in the Black Sea and Aegean Thrace, Anastasios Zisis, Konstantinos Zafeiris, Panagiota Xanthopoulou, Christina Papageorgopoulou
• 18:20-18:40 The Impact of Becoming a Colony : a Palaeodietary Study of Resilience and Adaptation in Aegean Thrace using Stable Isotope Analysis, Elissavet Ganiatsou, Anastasios Zisis, Angeliki Georgiadou, Panagiota Xanthopoulou, Konstantina Kallintzi, Christina Papageorgopoulou

18 :40-18 :50 Discussion

18 :50-19 :10 Coffee Break

Session 2 : Western Black Sea – Apollonia Pontica

Chair Elias K. Petropoulos

• 19:10-19:30 The Sacred Space on the Island of St Kirik in the Late Archaic Period, Krastina Panayotova
• 19:30-19:50 Black-Glaze Pottery from Sozopol’s Harbour : Preliminary Observations, Margarit Damyanov
• 19:50-20:10 Archaic Graves from Apollonia Pontica, Dimitar Nedev, Teodora Bogdanova
• 20:10-20:30 Late Archaic and Classical Basins and High Stands from Apollonia Pontica, Daniela Stoyanova, Krastina Panayotova

20 :30-20 :40 Discussion

21 :00 Dinner

Wednesday 29.05.2024

Session 3 : Western Black Sea – Apollonia Pontica and Anchialos

Chair Gabriel Talmațchi

• 9:00-9:20 Archaic Mines and Metallurgical Workshops at Apollonia Pontica (Sozopol, Bulgaria), Alexandre Baralis, Teodora Bogdanova, Dimitar Nedev
• 9:20-9:40 Ravadinovo Ancient Fortress – A Different Fortified Site in the Territory of the Greek Colony of Apollonia Pontica, Pavlina Devlova
• 9:40-10:00 The Roman City Wall of Anchialos, Sergey Torbatov
• 10:00-10:20 Notes on the Roman Necropoleis of Anchialos, Bilyana Torbatova

10:20-10:30 Discussion

10:30-10:40 Break

Session 4 : Western Black Sea – Mesambria Pontica and Odessos

Chair Marcin Matera

• 10:40-11:00 The Chora of Mesambria Pontica. Settlement Patterns in the Vicinity of Nessebar, Bulgaria, Zhivko Uzunov
• 11:00-11:20 (zoom) New Data for the Earliest Submerged Fortification Walls of Mesambria, Nayden Prahov, Kalin Dimitrov
• 11:20-11:40 (zoom) Recently Discovered Ritual Pits in Odessos dated to the Early Fourth Century BCE, Elina Mircheva, Vassil Tenekedjiev

11 :40-11 :50 Discussion

11 :50-12 :10 Coffee Break

Session 5 : Western Black Sea – Callatis, Histria, and Tomis

Chair Alexandre Baralis

• 12:10-12:30 The Greco-Autochthonous Settlement of Albești (Callatian Territory) : Archaeological Research 2008-2020, Livia Buzoianu, Irina Sodoleanu, Nicolaie Alexandru
• 12:30-12:50 Aspects of Greek-Autochthonous Exchange Relations : The Perspective of Monetary Signs (Tokens) in the Local Environment beyond the Chora in the Istro-Pontic Territory, Gabriel Talmațchi
• 12:50-13:10 The Hinterland of Tomis in the Hellenistic Period : Settlements and Necropoleis, Constantin Băjenaru
• 13:10-13:30 (zoom) Mapping the Rural Landscape of Histria and Tomis during the Principate, Ana Honcu, Lucretiu Mihailescu-Birliba

13 :30-13 :40 Discussion

13 :40-14 :30 Light Lunch

Session 6 : Western Black Sea – Constanța and Buridava

Chair Daniela Stoyanova

• 14:30-14:50 (zoom) The Preventive Archaeological Research in Constanța, Aurel Vlaicu bd. 158 - Hornbach Retailer Store. Preliminary Results, Stefan Georgescu, Ana Cristina Hamat
• 14:50-15:10 (zoom) A New Corinthian Amphora discovered in Romania, Natalia Mateevici, Petre Colțeanu
• 15:10-15:30 (zoom) The Gem Engraved with the Motif of a Nude Youth feeding his Dog from Buridava and the Influence of a Greek Motif on the Decoration of Gems, Constantin Bărbulescu, Ana Cristina Hamat, Ovidiu Udrescu

15 :30-15 :40 Discussion

15 :40-15 :50 Break

Session 7 : Northern Black Sea

Chair Şahin Yıldırım

• 15:50-16:10 The Fortifications of Tanais in the Hellenistic Period, Marcin Matera
• 16:10-16:30 The Function and Role of Hillforts on the Lower Don : Research Perspectives, Aleksandra Deptuła
• 16:30-16:50 (zoom) Early Greek Ceramics of the Second Half of the 7th – first half of the 6th century BC in the Barbarian Territories of the Northern Black Sea Region : Distribution Features, Irina Shramko, Stanislav Zadnikov

16 :50-17 :00 Discussion

17 :00-17 :20 Coffee Break

Session 8 : Northern Black Sea Cont

Chair Margarit Damyanov

• 17:20-17:40 Late Hellenistic Low Dnieper Konsulivка Hillfort (archaeological and paleogeographical studies) Nadiya Gavrylyuk, Marcin Matera, Zhanna Matviishina, Mykola P. Tymchenko
• 17:40-18:00 The Habits of the Elite and the Status of Euergetes in the Poleis of the Northern Black Sea Region in the First Centuries CE (epigraphic and archaeological studies) Oksana Ruchinskaya
• 18:00-18:20 (zoom) The Antique Sources of Ukrainian Philosophy : The Philosophical Views of the Olbiopolitans – Literary, Epigraphic, and Archaeological Data, Roman Dodonov
• 18:20-18:40 (zoom) The Final Stage of Ancient Tyra, Tatyana Lvovna Samoylova

18 :40-18 :50 Discussion

18 :50-19 :00 Break

Session 9 : Eastern Black Sea

Chair David Braund

• 19:00-19:20 (zoom) Gyenos – Establishment, Status, and History (6th century BCE – 2nd century BCE) Natia Phiphia
• 19:20-19:40 Archaeological Work in North Colchis. Exploration of an Old Path from the Black Sea Coast to the North Caucasian Steppes, Annegret Plontke-Luining
• 19:40-20:00 The Impact of the Hellenic Tradition on the Burial Practices of the Indigenous Inhabitants of the South-Eastern Black Sea Littoral (according to Archaeological Finds from the Pichvnari and Tsikhisdziri Cemeteries) Giorgi Tavamaishvili, Nino Inaishvili
• 20:00-20:20 Western Anatolian (Greco – Meskhian) Traditions in Iberia Caucasica ? Vakhtang Licheli

20 :20-20 :30 Discussion

21 :00 Dinner

Thursday 30.05.2024

Session 10 : Southern Black Sea – Sinope, Komana

Chair Amalia Avramidou

• 9:00-9:20 (Zoom) Sinop Regional Archaeological Project : Understanding a Black Sea ‘Small World’, Owen Doonan
• 9:20-9:40 (Zoom) Late Iron Age – Early Hellenistic Pottery Assemblage from Komana Pontica, Ayşe Batman
• 9:40-10:00 Transformation of Komana through the Centuries, D. Burcu Erciyas

10:00-10:10 Discussion

10:10-10:20 Break

Session 11 : Southern Black Sea – Teion, Hadrianopolis

Chair Nadezhda Avksentievna Gavrylyuk

• 10 :20-10 :40 Mother Goddess Worship at the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey in Cıngırt Kayası, Ayşe Fatma Erol
• 10 :40-11 :00 The Eastern Necropolis of Tieion, Şahin Yıldırım
• 11 :00-11 :20 Health Cult in Hadrianopolis in Light of Recent Data, Ersin Çelikbaş

11 :20-11 :40 Discussion

11 :40-12 :00 Concluding Remarks

• Elias K. Petropoulos, Alexandre Baralis, Amalia Avramidou