For more information on the excavation, including application material for the 2014 Field School, please visit this link: http://web.uvic.ca/~bburke/EBAP/

EBAP at UVic

Much of my time related to EBAP has been spent dealing with the hundreds of receipts from the project last June and July.  The only good thing about these little slips of paper is that they help me remember all the big events of the season, buying the material for the sun shades, the big group taverna dinners each night, the Canada party!

Also, I was able to give a short talk on the 2013 season to the Classical Association of Vancouver Island on September 13, 2013. Many EBAP participants showed up. It was great to share our experiences with members of the UVic community. 

And finally, news today - our paper for the Annual Meeting of the Archaeological Institute of America, taking place in early January 2014 in Chicago, was accepted!  EBAP will be making an appearance in the Windy City.  Trevor Van Damme's paper on LH IIIC ceramics from Eleon was also accepted for presentation at this important international conference. 

2013 - What a year!

Our season of excavation at Eleon ended on Saturday, July 13^th this year. Throughout 2013 our team of about 30 volunteers, graduate students and undergraduates worked in three different locations: ceramic analysis, drawing, and flotation (to uncover plant remains) were done in our apotheke in Arma.  At Dilesi, object conservation, faunal analysis, and pot washing were done. On-site at ancient Eleon in Arma, where Bryan Burns and I, as co-directors, coordinated fieldwork every day. Five trench supervisors worked with student volunteers for six weeks of excavation to further uncover the Bronze Age (Mycenaean) and Archaic/Classical phases to the settlement.

A more detailed report will follow very soon and will be posted on our excavation website: www.uvic.ca/~bburke/EBAP. What follows here is a short summary of our 2013 results. We had three primary areas of excavation in 2013: the Northwest, where we uncovered several whole vessels in their primary context and a very clear destruction level; the Southwest, where we have well-preserved stratigraphic levels from the LH IIIB to LH IIIC middle phases; and the Southeast, an area we refer to as the ‘ramp’.  The earliest architecture in the area of the ramp was first built with elaborate Cyclopean style masonry during the Mycenaean age, ca 1200 BC.  At some point later Greeks returned to Eleon and renovated the remains of the prehistoric architecture in their own style. From at least the Archaic period (6^th c. BC) onwards this area served as a monumental ramped approach to the upper settlement, as evidenced by multiple pebbly white surfaces and at least two in situ threshold blocks.  It seems that the gate area was reworked multiple times attesting to a long period of use. There were indications for heavy traffic on this ramp: crushed miniature cups, known as skyphoi and kotyliskoi. Several, located closer to the walls, were found intact. We also found a large number of Archaic/Classical female figurines, suggesting some cult activity in the area.  In the Northwest and Southwest we uncovered more of the Mycenaean settlement and have been able to isolate specific destruction levels which are significant for understanding the changing fortunes of Eleon before and after the great palace at Thebes was destroyed. The ceramic sequence continues to indicate a robust and long-lived LH IIIC (post-palatial) occupation at Eleon. This period of Greek history is relatively poorly understood and is traditionally associated with decline, what was formerly known as a ‘dark age’. At Eleon, however, our architecture, ceramics, and other finds of the LH IIIC period indicate that the settlement thrived during this time, after sites like Thebes, Mycenae and Pylos were destroyed. From 2013 our work shows that Eleon is a particularly rich LH IIIC site which continued to have significance into the Archaic and Classical periods.

On July 14th, we had the opportunity to present our results to the people of Arma at what we called an 'Open House. This event with the village was a perfect conclusion to a great six weeks of work.  We were able to present many of our results this year to the local community. It is, however, also important to us that we take some time to highlight our ‘home base’, in Dilesi, where our work continues every afternoon. Since 2007 we have been hosted by this community and have sincere thanks to many people who have helped us each summer.

Dilesi is located along the eastern Boeotian ‘Riviera’ (as we like to call it), the small stretch of coast along the southern Euboian Gulf between Attika and Chalkis. It is about an hour by car from Athens, and we look across the gulf to the important sites of Lefkandi and Eretria.  Dilesi is the modern name of ancient Delion, or Delium, the location of a famous battle between the Athenians and Boeotians in 424 BC. The Athenians established a garrison in the town for a short time, but were ultimately routed by the Boeotians who reclaimed the city and its temple to Apollo. The precise location of the Greek sanctuary and settlement are not known, but excavations have revealed remains of the Roman period occupation, including a ceramic kiln, shops, and a bathing complex.

We have been very fortunate to live right along the sea every year of the EBAP survey and excavation, in the summer apartments owned by Mrs. Ino Mamoni and her family. The property’s enclosed patio and garden provide a vital workspace. This is where we wash and sort daily pottery so that the next day’s excavation can be directed in some ways by the preliminary reading of the previous day’s potter. In the garden we have occasional seminars led by our staff members and we welcome visiting scholars interested in our results. The garden is where everyone comes to appreciate the material we’ve recovered each day, and it’s the site of many small discoveries: letters inscribed on a tile fragment, the joining pieces of a vessel, a bird or shell or human, among the painted sherds!

Beginning in 2007, Mrs Mamoni was a constant help to us, always greeting us with a joyful smile and treats upon our arrival each summer. She would bring us fruit picked from her garden trees or cool drinks at the perfect time during our working hours. She was also ever watchful of our living and work space, providing a safe and secure environment. She loved cats, including a recent adoption she called ‘Xanthi’. In previous years she adopted local dogs, treating them with rare kindness and providing them with food and water. One of our favorite dogs she called ‘Kanella’ (cinnamon), to whom she once memorably said, ‘ela Kanella, exoume douleia!’ as they walked down the street together on a late-night errand to help her tenants (us!). Most sadly, Mrs. Mamoni passed away this summer and we are very sorry for this loss to her family.  We miss her greatly.  We have grown to know and care a great deal about the Mamoni family and hope to continue living and working at the family’s place in Dilesi in the coming years. 

In 2013 our team of volunteers and students was the largest we have ever had and we had to find additional housing in Dilesi, in several apartments in the town and in one rented summer home in the nearby neighborhood of Argileza. Our various landlords have been extremely helpful to us, providing us with a sense of security and ‘home’ while we do our research.

Nearby to our home base in Dilesi are a number of tavernas, and as everyone who has been on an excavation knows, dinner time is one of the most important events each workday. It’s the only place the entire team is together in one place and serves as a meeting point for sharing updates on the project and making announcements. Our most-favored taverna is Babis’ Taverna. Young Babis runs the taverna while his parents are in the kitchen. The prepared meals here are unparalleled in Dilesi – students will often take home left over moussaka for breakfast! We do enjoy other tavernas in Dilesi as well, including Delion, which makes excellent seafood. Our students have come to discern the best souvlakia in town, with and without ‘sos’ (sauce). There are many to choose from so being in-the-know is helpful. We also enjoy several of the local cafes which provide broadcasts of major sporting events. I watched several Wimbledon matches with people on the team at Café Contigo.  Others preferred Café Legend and the unusually named ‘Square: More than Coffee’. We have grown to appreciate Dilesi since first arriving in 2007. We’ve seen several changes over the years, and wish it well over the winter. We look forward to coming back again in 2014 to continue our work at ancient Eleon!

Farewell Eleon!

EBAP 2013 excavations have finished and I am sad but ready to be going home. This experience has been incredible and has open up another world for me. I had never been around so many people who know more than I do about classical history and culture. Being part of a project like this has been the most real trip for me because of my personal involvement. Traveling with a purpose is so much more meaningful. It is one thing to visit the ruined civilizations for a day, devoting all your energy for a month into uncovering them is another level of travel I'd like to get into more often.
The last week I spent processing the pottery sherds by sorting, weighing, and tagging, which intimately acquainted me with the differing grades and quality of clay in the making of different types of pottery used for cooking, storage, or as a personal drinking cup for example. Other EBAPers were up at the site taking the precautions to preserve our work for continuation next season.
As I sleep on my flight home I expect to awaken on one of the cars driving back to Dilesi after hard work under the Boeotian sun. I still dream of the daily tasks that had to be done while living in Greece. I don't know how I will go back to eating the tasteless North American food again. I will also miss the physical work that made the days so satisfying. I will surely be coming back to ancient Eleon next summer if I am able to get another chance. Thank you so much Brendan, Bryan and all the EBAPers for an unforgettable archaeological experience!

For the love of EBAP

Six weeks have passed and EBAP has come to an end. But I guess time flies when you're digging in the dirt, pottery washing, meeting amazing people and having all sorts of archaeological fun. With EBAP as my first excavation I had a limited idea of what to expect. But having gone through an enlightening experience sparked a love between archaeology and I. So I found it appropriate to give some tips on having this special kind of archaeological relationship.

1) Don't be afraid to ask
Like with dating, you can never know what something could be unless you ask questions to find out. When a new digger finds something out of the ordinary it's best to ask whether such a find is worth keeping or destined for the dirt pile. Inevitably there are deceiving gem-like finds that may sidetrack you from the true and worthwhile treasures of excavation... but don't let that discourage you because by asking questions you learn more about the attributes that make a find worth keeping and not waste time on the less significant.

2) Get a move on
In life, time seems to be one of the biggest impediments we have, so we have to make the most of it while we can... or as Brenden would say, "dig faster, more carefully!" In the archaeologically rich site of ancient Eleon, it was shocking to see one dirt-filled wheelbarrow after another being added to the site's heaping dump pile. By the end of the season a fair number of trenches were opened and older ones were dug deeper to the point of becoming difficult to enter. It just goes to show what can happen in a short period of time when hard working EBAPers are involved.

3) Learn to love
From EBAP my love for archaeology has sprouted and grown, but I must admit there were some parts that were harder to love than others. Being up and ready to head to site at 6am took a bit of getting used to and resulted in many van-ride breakfasts. But for digging and heat stroke purposes early starts couldn't have been better (not to mention allowing an extra half hour to nap in the afternoon). In the beginning pottery washing didn't seem too much of a task, although us EBAP newbies were warned that it would only get worse as the weeks progressed. And yes, the number of pottery bags worsened... but pottery washing also became a get-to-know-your-fellow-EBAPers session where we would tell stories, jokes and even formulate plans to open a chain of restaurants focused on Minyan ware and Greek cuisine.

4) Cherish every moment
Sad but true, all good things must come to an end. Although the EBAP 2013 season has come to a close I know in my heart that it won't be the last archaeological experience I take part in. I could not have picked a better dig to be my first because it was the perfect combination of great people, a beautiful country and interesting site that made it a phenomenal learning experience. Taking a stab at archaeological illustration was probably the biggest game changer during EBAP. I lost all sense of time once I had a pencil in hand and began drawing finds from the field. I could not be more thankful for the mentorship of Tina and for igniting my interest in illustration. And I am thankful for everyone in EBAP that made digging and cleaning up dirt all the more fun and for teaching me more than I knew about conservation and ancient pottery. I'm already anticipating the next time I'll get to unpack my trowel, gloves, and dig shoes and create more archaeological memories.

The Trench Commandments

The Trench Commandments – Buzzard Style

1.       Though shalt heed none other than the TrenchMaster

2.       Keep your water bottle under your wing and thirst not

3.       Keep a cap on you crown lest you sizzle your synapses

4.       If you gotta-go, go, but you don’t guano go and leave a mess behind

5.       Keep your tail feathers off the walls lest ye knock down stones

6.       Keep you talons and your tools off the scarp lest ye crumble its perfect line

7.       Keep your naked claws off the charcoal samples for surely you will contaminate its ancient purity with your base pairs of DNA

8.       Peck a trench – not a hole … (unless the TrenchMaster tells you to dig out a pit)

9.       Peck with care for gouging goddesses and shattering their sacred vessels offendeth the TrenchMaster

10.   Keep one eye out for the flying picks of others and one on your own, lest you gouge or be gouged

11.   Expose not the treasures of the ancients to outsiders who may covet their beauty for the sake of a quick sale

12.   Fling not your dirt (or bones or shards) into the wrong bucket, lest you sorely grieve the TrenchMaster

13.   Pollute not your trench, your site, or your nest with your garbage and plastic for you will incur the wrath of your nestlings and neighbours

14.   Never trust a stone in a scarp without the blessings of the TrenchMaster … it can let you down and you will be sorely bruised.

15.   Keep your beak out of the Ozo bottle until the last shard is out of its bath

16.   Your pottery washing is not done until everyone’s pottery washing is done

17.   Never dis a purple idea … remember human flight was once a purple idea

EBAP blog III: The Wagner Edition

We have reached the last week of our excavation at Eleon, and what I thought would be an excruciatingly long six weeks actually flew by and I'm going to be sad to leave. I could not have asked for a better first experience at archaeology and although I'm not opposed to finding out, I cannot imagine any other excavation being as fun and full of incredible people as EBAP is. I'd like to first thank Brendan, Bryan, Stephi and Vicky, for the opportunity and teaching me so much. To my beautiful roommates, thanks for being so chill and not using black magic on me in my sleep when I wake you up from my coughing fits. Sam and Roleen, I've never met two people who laugh more than I do and I can't wait for our outings in Victoria. To the Matt's: if you guys ever need an audience for your jokes, you know how to get a hold of me. To Stavroula, my Greek mom, for the great lunches and offering up her bed and pjs when I got sick. To Pep, thanks for being so awesome and a huge gentleman. This trip wouldn't have been the same without you, not just because we'd all be dying without sunshades. And finally, Biscuit, arguably the best stray in Dilesi. Although he is pretty disgusting when he's coughing up blood, I always enjoyed his company on our beach nights. I'd like to mention everyone but this is cheesy enough as it is; however, you're all fantastic. Between all the late nights, cheap beer, bumper cars, messing with the Americans, purple ideas and sunburns, I've learned a lot since being here. I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'm never going to be an expert on pottery or be the best digger. I do know that I'd like to learn more about bone analysis or conservation. My favorite find this year is nothing spectacular or particularly museum worthy, it is simply seeing a pottery sherd with a fingerprint on it. Digging in the dirt all day and finding hundreds of sherds makes the process somewhat redundant and impersonal. But seeing a fingerprint always reminds me that people lived their lives here and these objects were important to them in one way or another.