Cycladic Crossings and Cretan Connections: Highlights from Nick Ervin’s Visit
Nick Ervin visited Greece this past June with a packed itinerary that included several destinations…
Archaeological Illustrator and Cartoonist Visits the Study Center
After a 20 year hiatus, Glynnis Fawkes returned to the INSTAP Study Center to a…
Exciting Late Minoan IA Pottery Workshop in Pacheia Ammos
From 6-8 June 2025, the Study Center hosted an international workshop exploring form and phases…
Yannis Tzedakis (1938-2025)
The members and staff of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete bid farewell to…
Conference: Reconsidering LM IA Pottery Sequences and Chronologies, 6-8 June, 2025
Download the Conference Program here
Lecture, 19 March, 2025, : Metallurgical Tools and Debris from Final Neolithic to Late Bronze Age Kea, Natalie Abell
This presentation provides an overview of recent work on the metallurgical assemblage from prehistoric Kephala…
Lecture, 26 February 2025, Minoan Culinary Tradition(s): Understanding Bronze Age Cooking Practices through an Interdisciplinary Study of Cooking Vessels from North-Eastern Crete, Evgenia Tsafou
This paper presents part of my doctoral research investigating cooking practices and culinary traditions in…
A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed
The collaboration between the INSTAP Study Center and the Geology Department of the University of…
Getting to Know the Bones with D. Mylona
Hello! I am Megan Gatton, a Ph.D. Student at New York University's Institute of Fine…
Ποδαρικό at the Study Center
For the Study Center, 2025 began with visits from two universities. We were pleased to…
Christmas Cards Past
Way back in 1998, when I took up the position of Artist for the Study…
Poros Conservation Project
In December, Kathy and Matina finished reconstructing the last ceramic vessels from a series of…
Kentro Volume 27 Now Available!
Kentro: The Newsletter of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, volume 27 (Fall 2024)…
2024 World Neolithic Congress
The First World Neolithic Congress was held in Şanlıurfa, Turkey, 4–8 November 2024 at Harran…
Congratulations!
Anna Tsoupra, our 2024 petrography intern, received the award for the best online poster at…
Philological Society of Chania, “O Chrystostomos,” announces the 14th International Congress of Cretan Studies
1st CIRCULAR Ladies and gentlemen, At the closing session of the 13th International Congress of…
Celebrating International Archaeology Day
Join us in celebrating International Archaeology Day by supporting the next generation of scholars in our field!…
Lecture, December 11, 2024: “House Workshops and Artisans’ Quarters at the Early Cycladic II Settlement of Skarkos, on Ios,” Marisa Marthari
The excavations, including those of the last five years, of the flourishing Early Cycladic II…
Irresistible red mullet, formidable ketos and purple luxury. Fishing in ancient Greece
A talk in Greek by Dimitra Mylona presented by the Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum,…
Culture and Art: an international language – Greek-German exchange program visits the Study Center
On the 26th of September, the Study Center was delighted to welcome students and faculty…
Revisiting the Archaeobotany of Prehistoric Crete, AJA 128
Carly Henkel and Evi Margaritis have recently published an article, titled “Revisiting the Archaeobotany of…
Conservation Lab Donation
Many thanks to Georgos Mastorakis who so enjoyed a tour of the building that he…
Lecture: October 23, 2024: Cycladic Iconography or Minoan Provincial Art? On the Character of the Mural Paintings in the Early Late Bronze Age Cyclades, Fritz Blakolmer
Analysing iconography is a viable path, among many others, for gaining a better understanding of…
Aegean Legacy Circle
Dear friends and supporters, We are happy to announce the launch of our planned…
Lecture, September 25, 2024: Neanderthals on Naxos? Stelida and the Earliest Seafarers of the Northern Hemisphere, Tristan Carter
Until quite recently the received wisdom was that none of the Mediterranean islands were colonized…
New Donation for the William D.E. Coulson Conservation Laboratory
Nick Ervin visited the Study Center back in April and asked the staff about their…
Water Flotation Feat
Congratulations to Matina Papadaki who just finished sorting the last heavy residue samples from the…
Visit from the Pancretan Association of America
Diane Kounalakis, president of the Pancretan Association of America, and Anne Gryllakis Roberts visited the…
New Book Donation!
It is our great pleasure to report a new gift by Nick Ervin which will…
Emergency Site Conservation Fund
We would like to provide an update for our friends and supporters regarding our ongoing…
Summer Session of the ASCSA visits Crete
It is always a pleasure to host the Summer Session of the ASCSA. This year’s…
2024 Conservation Intern
Our 2024 conservation intern, Eleftheria Iakovaki, is enthusiastic to begin her summer INSTAP internship experience…
2024 Petrography Intern
In June we hosted at the SCEC Anna Tsoupra, our petrography intern for 2024. Anna…
ΗΥDOR. Water Resources and Management in the Aegean Bronze Age
The XXth International Aegean Conference, HYDOR Water Resources and Management in the Aegean Bronze Age,…
Conservation Lab Volunteer from the Royal Collection, UK
Claire Chorley is a paintings conservator at the Royal Collection in the UK. She volunteered…
3D Printed Skull and Pelvis Donation
The Study Center would like to thank Dr. Susan Kirkpatrick Smith and her students from…
Grant from The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation
We are pleased to announce a grant of $3,000 by the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation…
We Welcome Carly Henkel as Library Fellow!
The Study Center welcomes Carly Henkel as the Library Fellow for the next 12 months…
Exciting News!
We have some exciting news to share with you! Our supporter and generous donor Crawford…
Visit from the Department of History and Archaeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
On a recent trip to Crete, Prof. Sevi Triantaphyllou stopped by the Study Center with…
The INSTAP Study Center in the KRHTH Magazine of the Cretan-American Diaspora
Our continuous efforts to raise awareness regarding the important work of the INSTAP Study Center…
Visit from the Second Chance School of Ierapetra
Led by Manolis Petasis, Eva Pazara, and Agapitos Legakis, the Second Chance School of Ierapetra,…
New Exhibit on the Life of John Pendelbury
We would like to encourage everyone on Crete this summer to visit the new exhibit…
Local Supporters Tour the Study Center
Last week we hosted a very special group of people, our local donors, who took…
Best Wishes to Eleutheria!
We want to thank Eleutheria Almasidou for all her hard work as the library fellow…
Seminar at Ca’Foscari University in Venice
On March 27 Prof. Ilaria Caloi organized a seminar by Tom Brogan for her students…
Lecture, 24 April, 2024: Beyond Food: An Archaeobotanical Investigation into the Role of Plants within the Ritual Landscape of Bronze Age Crete, Carly Henkel
Minoan scholars have attributed several ritual roles to plants (i.e. acting as focal points of…
Vasilopita 2024
On March 6, 2024, members and staff at the Center cut the traditional Vasilopita to…
Lecture, 6 March, 2024: Towards a Post-cultural Archaeology of Late Bronze Age Greece, Dimitri Nakassis
The culture-historical labels that we attach to Bronze Age societies – Minoan and Mycenaean –…
Local Elementary Schools Visit the Study Center
Anyone who hasn’t visited the Center outside of the summer months may not be aware…
Lecture, 28 Feb, 2024: Ahhiyawa and Mycenaean Greece. A View from the Southeast Aegean-Southwest Coastal Anatolian Region, Salvatore Vitale, University of Pisa
This lecture discusses the Ahhiyawa question and its multifaceted implications for our understating of Aegean…
Postponed! Minotage Archaeological Wine Tour on Crete
Due to a situation beyond our control, our fundraising trip this May (MINOTAGE: Archaeology Meets…
Kentro Volume 26 Now Available!
Kentro: The Newsletter of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, volume 26 (Fall 2023)…
Lecture: “After 1177 BC: The Survival of Civilizations in the Aegean,” Eric Cline
Revisiting the Late Bronze Age Collapse Since 2014, when the first edition of 1177 BC: The…
Session Topics for the Online Seminar “A Timeless Guide to Architecture: 101 Tips for Archaeologists” with Clairy Palyvou
A Timeless Guide to Architecture: 101 Tips for Archaeologists A Three-day Online Seminar with Clairy…
“Bridges of Archaeometry” at the 8th symposium of the Hellenic Society of Archaeometry in Athens
A workshop entitled “Bridges of Archaeometry” was carried out as part of the 8th symposium…
Lecture: “A Sacred but Illegal Couple on Crete: The Sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite at Syme Viannou from the Minoan to the Roman Period,” George Papasavvas
Excavations at the Sanctuary of Hermes and Aphrodite at Syme Viannou began in 1972 under…
A Timeless Guide to Architecture: 101 Tips for Archaeologists. A Three-day Online Seminar with Clairy Palyvou
A Timeless Guide to Architecture: 101 Tips for Archaeologists: A Three-day Online Seminar with Clairy…
Twelve Students from Six Countries Participate in the Hagios Charalambos Human Bone Project
In June and July, Tina McGeorge led the Hagios Charalambos Human Bone Project comprised of…
The Mesara Master: Her Embroidered Pictorial Narrative of a Springtime Wedding in Crete. A Commentary
Joe Shaw’s recent donation to the Study Center Library inspired this book review-commentary on The…
Congratulations to Dr. Stavroula Fouriki!
All of us at the INSTAP Study Center wish to congratulate our former petrography intern,…
Lecture, 20 Sept, 2023: Aegean Haute Couture and its Interconnections in the Near East and Egypt: Deciphering the Dress Codes
This lecture considers Minoan and Mycenaean dress within the broader milieu of the ancient Near…
Conservation Interns 2023
Mathilde Van Dalen is a full-time student at ENSAV La Cambre in Brussels, Belgium where…
A Generous Donation to the Library!
With gratitude... All of us at the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete would like…
New Efforts to Establish a Tree-ring and Radiocarbon-based Chronology for Crete
Charlotte Pearson, from the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, University of Arizona, was visiting Crete to…
New Book: FIELD SAMPLING for Laboratory Analysis in Archaeology
The Study Center congratulates Evi Margaritis, Artemios Oikonomou, Efthymia Nikita and Thilo Rehren, the editors…
A Pair of Recent Projects in the Heraklion Museum
We want to thank the staff of the Heraklion Museum for helping our members and…
“Let’s talk about the Archaeological Collection of Ierapetra”
On Sunday, 11 June 2023, the mayor of Ierapetra, Theodosios Kalantzakis, and Chrysa Sofianou, the…
Chryssi Island and the World of Littoral Archaeology: Contextualizing Island Research around Crete
The old customs house at Pacheia Ammos was again the site of a two-day conference,…
The Archaeological Collection of Ierapetra Opening, Sunday, 11 June 2023
“Let’s talk about the Archaeological Collection of Ierapetra” Sunday, 11 June 2023, at the Municipal…
Recent Articles Draw Attention to the Work of Study Center Members and Colleagues
Two recent articles draw attention to the work of our members and colleagues at the…
The Study Center Welcomes David Jacobs, Conservation Intern
The Study Center takes great pleasure in hosting interns each summer in the conservation lab…
Endowment Ensures Gesell’s Study of Ancient Life in Crete Will Continue
The Study Center applauds Gerry Gesell on her part in supporting the next generation of…
Conference Program: Chryssi Island and the World of Littoral Archaeology: Contextualizing Island Research around Crete
Download Conference Program here
Philipp Stockhammer and colleagues from the University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology at Leipzig Visit the Study Center
Today we hosted Philipp Stockhammer and colleagues from the University of Munich and the Max…
Giannis Plakiotakis, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Visits the Study Center
We were pleased to provide a tour of the Study Center to Giannis Plakiotakis, Greek…
Visit to the Agios Nikolaos Archaeological Museum by Study Center Staff and Members
On Sunday the staff and members of the Study Center enjoyed one of the first…
Students from the Master’s Program of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Crete Visit the Study Center
On Friday it was the Study Center’s pleasure to host students from the master's program…
Minotage Update! Full Program Available for the Legacy of the Minoans and the Heritage Wines of Crete Tour
MINOTAGE Save the Date! May 17 - May 26, 2024 The Friends of the Institute…
The New York Aegean Bronze Age Colloquium
On April 18, the New York Aegean Bronze Age Colloquium held its first in-person meeting…
Ierapetra High School Students Visit the Study Center with Niki Saridaki
This week τhe Study Center welcomed four classes of high school students from Ierapetra led…
Agios Nikolaos Museum Reopens to the Public
We want to congratulate the staff of the Lasithi Ephorate for all their hard work…
Congratulations! Prof. Susan K. Smith Awarded the Madhuri and Jagdish N. Sheth Faculty Award for Distinguished International Achievement!
The INSTAP Study Center for East Crete congratulates Prof. Susan K. Smith, who was recently…
A Visit to the Botanical Path in Kavousi, Crete
Carly Henkel, along with Matina Tzari and Eleanor Huffman, walked the recently inaugurated Botanical Path…
Minoan Seminars at the Université Catholique de Louvain
On March 15 and 16 the director of the INSTAP SCEC delivered a pair of…
Workshop: Organic Residue Analysis Sampling Program
On March 7, the Coulson Conservation Lab organized a workshop with members of the Laboratory…
From excavating bones to reconstruct funerary practices: Contextualizing skeletal evidence for the post-funerary treatment of the dead at the Pre- and Protopalatial Petras cemetery (2900–1700 BCE), Siteia, Crete, Sotiria Kiorpe, Sevasti Triantaphyllou
Part of the prize awarded to Sotiria Kiorpe at the third International Congress on Archaeological…
Lecture: The EM II Settlement at Sissi: Architectural Remains and Ceramic Deposits
The recent excavation campaigns (2018, 2019, 2022) conducted at Sissi under the direction of Jan…
Oxford Seminar Explores East Cretan Harbors from the Middle Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Period
On Feb 27, the director of the INSTAP SCEC and the director of the Lasithi…
Congratulations to Despoina Papadopoulou!
All of us at the INSTAP Study Center wish to congratulate Dr. Despina Papadopoulou, our…
Congratulations to Angela Ratigan!
We want to congratulate Angela Ratigan for the successful defense of her dissertation at the…
Richard Seager Fellowship, 2023
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION GUIDELINES The INSTAP Study Center for East Crete is pleased to announce the…
Building Beta at Akrotiri, Thera: New Εvidence on Αrchitecture and Function
Building Beta, a two-storied residential complex located at the heart of the LB I settlement…
A Preliminary Report on Recent Rescue Excavations at Chalepa, Pacheia Ammos
In 2018 rescue excavations were conducted by the Lasithi Ephorate at the site of Chalepa,…
Archaeological Conservation Internships
The William D.E. Coulson Conservation Laboratory at the INSTAP SCEC invites applicants for two summer…
Unearthing the Original Mediterranean Diet: Archaeologist Dimitra Mylona’s odyssey to reveal the Mediterranean Sea’s lost bounty.
Don't miss this fascinating and informative article by award-winning food and environmental author Paul Greenberg…
Life and Death at Mochlos: A Review of Prepalatial Research at Mochlos from 1908 to 2022
Mochlos has been associated with the Cretan Early Bronze Age since the first excavations by…
The Legacy of the Minoans and the Heritage Wines of Crete
MINOTAGE Save the Date! Departing mid-May 2024 The Friends of the Institute for Aegean Prehistory Study…
The Neopalatial Pottery of Gournia: New Evidence from the Gournia Excavation Project (new title)
New finds from the Gournia Excavation Project offer a renewed understanding of the Neopalatial phases…
Kentro Volume 25 Now Available!
Kentro: The Newsletter of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, volume 25 (Fall 2022)…
New prospects for a tree-ring 14C based chronology for Crete?
Over the last eight years, funding from the Malcolm H. Wiener Foundation has supported an…
13th International Congress of Cretan Studies, 5-9 October 2022, Agios Nikolaos, Crete
Download the program for the 13th International Congress of Cretan Studies, 5-9 October 2022, Agios…
Archaeologists honored at 5th Ierapetra Tourism Festival, a celebration of tourism and tradition
We want to highlight a wonderful celebration in the village of Kavousi on Sunday night…
Life and Death on Chryssi Island in the Early Byzantine Period
This talk presents the results of ongoing research on human skeletal remains from Chryssi Island…
A Soles Celebration: 50 Years of Archaeological Research at Mochlos
Friends from Mochlos, Crete, and the wider archaeological community joined members of the Soles family Friday…
#INSCRIBE Project Visits the Study Center
In late June the Study Center hosted Yiannis Xenikakis, Roberta Ravanelli, Matilde Civitillo, and Riccardo…
Study Center Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Lecture and Workshop, June 10-12, 2022
It was a thrill to see so many friends and colleagues back on Crete for…
Important donation to the W.A. McDonald Laboratory of Petrography
We are happy to announce that Professor P.P. Betancourt donated his collection of almost 800…
Study Center Members Carly Henkel and Sotiria Kiorpe at the third International Congress on Archaeological Sciences in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East
The third International Congress on Archaeological Sciences in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East…
News from the Study Center Library!
Several members have inquired about space in the library this spring and summer, and we…
Opening a New Window onto the Western Mirabello: Archaeological Investigations at the Minoan Harbor of Khavania
This paper presents the preliminary results of the Khavania Archaeological Project, which was conducted over…
The Minoan-Type Peak Sanctuary at Stelida, Naxos: Preliminary Insights from the 2019/21 Seasons
Though Stelida (NW Naxos) is best known as a Palaeolithic site, excavations in 2019 revealed…
Potters in Transition: Evolutions and Changes in Mochlos Ceramics from Middle Minoan IIIA to Late Minoan IA
This presentation explores pottery from the early levels of the Ceremonial Building B.2 at Mochlos,…
New Dissertation Explores Homer’s Description of The Shield of Achilles through a Study of Minoan Representational Conventions
This week Lucie Valentinová resumed her study of Minoan iconography at the INSTAP Study Center…
New essay by Dr. Natalia Vogeikoff-Brogan explores diaries written by the French colonel tasked with the administration of east Crete in 1897 and 1898
There are several topics of interest for scholars working on Cretan studies, including modes and…
Kentro Volume 24 Now Available!
Kentro: The Newsletter of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, volume 24 (Fall 2021)…
Narratives of Youth and Aging at Minoan Peak Sanctuaries, Céline Murphy, Zoom Lecture on Wednesday, January 26, 2022 (7 pm in Greece or 12 pm EST)
The first criterion by which Minoan peak sanctuary figurines are typically classified and characterised, in…
Trying to Understand Social Change in Iron Age Crete, David B. Small, Zoom Lecture on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 (7 pm in Greece or 12 pm EST)
Elite competition is often seen as one of the principal forces behind social change. Such…
Taking a New Look at the Dispersal of Domestic Animals from the Near East to Europe
The timing and process of the dispersal of domestic animals from the Near East to…
Friends of the INSTAP Study Center – Now on Facebook!
The Friends of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete have launched a new group…
Emulation, Competition, and Conflict in Aegean ‘Art’ of the 15th Century BCE, Robert B. Koehl, Zoom Lecture on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 (7 pm in Greece or 12 pm EDT)
The excavation at Pylos of the Tomb of the Griffin Warrior in 2015 provided welcome…
Consuming Goddesses: an Analytical Project on LM IIIC Ceramics from Kephala Vasilikis with Reference to Contemporary Sites on the Isthmus of Ierapetra, Dr. Eleni Nodarou, Zoom Lecture on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 (7 pm in Greece or 12 pm EDT)
Three decades of survey and excavation have brought to light important settlements of the LM…
A New Look at Legacy Data: Settlement and Society in the Archaic and Classical Mirabello, Grace K. Erny, Zoom lecture on May 5, 2021, 12:00 pm EDT and 7:00 pm in Greece
Since the early 1970s, intensive surveys have yielded important information about rural settlement patterns and…
Interpretation of the Natural World in Bronze Age Cretan Glyptic, Dr. Sydney Sarasin, Zoom lecture on April 21, 2021, 12:00 pm EDT and 7:00 pm in Greece
The natural world is a common theme in Bronze Age Cretan art and a popular…
The Return of the Collective: Prepalatial and Protopalatial Larnakes on Crete, Laura Ursprung Nerling
A webinar by Laura Ursprung Nerling, doctoral candidate in the Dept. of Ancient Mediterranean Studies…
From Excavation to Archaeological Site: Building a Paradigm for Preservation, a webinar by Dr. S. Chlouveraki
After more than a century of intense archaeological research in Greece and the broader Mediterranean…
New Doctoral Study Examines Pottery from Peak Sanctuaries near Ierapetra, Antigoni Kalara
This fall Antigoni Kalara began work on her dissertation for the Dept. of History and…
Investing in Identity: Taphonomic and Osteological Evidence for the Formation of Collective Memories in the EBA-MBA Petras Cemetery, Sotiria Kiorpe
This talk by Sotiria Kiorpe (above), doctoral candidate in the Department of Archaeology at the…
Kentro Volume 23 Now Available!
Kentro: The Newsletter of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, volume 23 (Fall 2020)…
New Dissertation Will Investigate the Role of Plants in Bronze Age Religion
This fall Carly Henkel (above right) began her doctoral studies under the supervision of Dr…
Seager Fellow Calculates the Volumes of Drinking Vessels from Mochlos
This year’s Seager Fellow, Charles Sturge, is a graduate student in the Dept. of Classics…
Petrography Intern Focuses on Pottery from Chania
The 2020 petrography intern, Stavroula Fouriki, examined thin sections of Late Minoan IB–IIIB:2 pottery from…
Conservation Lab Completes Massive Project
Kathy Hall and Matina Tzari have finished conserving nearly 2,000 objects excavated by Dr. Metaxia…
Senior Researcher from the Corpus of Minoan and Mycenaean Seals (CMS) at Heidelberg University Visits the Study Center to Take a New Look at Cretan Seals
Dr. Maria Anastasiadou, this year’s recipient of the Harriet Boyd Hawes Fellowship, will spend six…
Work Resumes on the Next Pseira Volume
In July Prof. Natalia Poulou brought a small team of students from the University of…
The Study Center Reopens
On March 18, 2020, the INSTAP Study Center closed along with the majority of Greek…
Dimitra Mylona
Study Center zooarchaeologist, Dimitra Mylona, publishes Innovative Study of Aegean coastal communities in the Bronze…
Natalia Vogeikoff-Brogan
Natalia Vogeikoff-Brogan reports on her recent sabbatical at the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete…
Thomas Brogan
Study Center Director, Thomas Brogan, delivers the M. Joukowsky Lecture to AIA societies in Vancouver,…
New Friends of the INSTAP Study Center Launched with an Event in Washington, D.C.
On January 4, 2020, the new Friends of the INSTAP Study Center (FISC) organization held…
Study Center Fellow, Niki Saridaki, Successfully Defends Ph.D. Thesis at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
In December 2019 Niki Saridaki completed her Ph.D. dissertation in the School of Archaeology and…
5th Conference on Archaeological Work in Crete
Projects and Scholars Supported by the INSTAP Study Center Present Results at the 5th Conference…
New Brochure Highlights the Work of INSTAP, the INSTAP Study Center, and the INSTAP Academic Press
Download Brochure
Study Center Co-organizes Workshop in Cyprus Exploring Ancient Purple Dye Production in the Eastern Mediterranean
In collaboration with Maria Iakovou and Vasiliki Kassianidou of the University of Cyprus, Dimitra Mylona…
Conservation Lab Receives Grant from the International Music and Art Foundation to Purchase Portable XRF
In October 2019 the Study Center received a substantial grant from the International Music and…
Kentro Volume 22 Now Available!
Kentro: The Newsletter of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, volume 22 (Fall 2019)…
Study Center Fellow, Georgios Doudalis, Successfully Defends Ph.D. Thesis at Heidelberg University
Congratulations are due to Dr. Georgios Doudalis, recipient of the 2015 Richard Seager Fellowship from…
Lecture at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens Highlights the Mission and Operation of the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete
Tom Brogan delivered a lecture at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens in…