"Athena": Research & Innovation Center

           in Information, Communication

                & Knowledge Technologies

Eirini Chioti: Dr Eirini Chioti has a Degree in Archaeology from the Faculty of History and Archaeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She continued her post-graduate studies at the same Faculty and obtained a MA and PhD degree in classical archaeology. She has also a MA degree in Theology and Culture from the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She has worked in excavations and projects for the digitalization of archaeological material and works of art. She worked as adjunct lecturer at the Faculty of History and Archeology of the University of Ioannina from 2015 to 2018 and she taught courses of classical archaeology such as “Pottery – Vase-Painting – Painting of the archaic period”, “Metalworking”, “Geometric and Archaic Art” etc. She works at the Department of Cultural Heritage at “Athena” R. C. for the AtticPOT project for the study of attic pottery in Thrace. She is interested in sculpture of the Hellenistic and Roman period and especially in portraits, in the world and culture of late antiquity, in metal vases, in the intercultural relationships between Athenians and Thracians and in Kerch vases.

Despoina Tsiafaki: Despoina Tsiafaki is director of Research at "Athena": Research & Innovation Center in Information, Communication & Knowledge Technologies. She got her Bachelor, Masters, and Doctoral Degrees from the Department of History and Archaeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She worked in the Antiquities Department of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, were among others was involved in projects regarding Cultural Technology. Since 1994, she participates to the Karabournaki excavation in the area of the Thremaic Gulf and since 2014 she is co-director of the excavation. She participated in various international and national projects regarding Cultural Heritage. She has taught in seminars, undergraduate and graduate courses regarding Archaeology and Cultural Technology. She is member of various National and European committees, evaluator and reviewer on National and European projects, as well as international journals and conferences in the fields of culture, archaeological science and cultural informatics. She has published a monograph on Thracian Myths in Attic Art, she is editor of a volume on Color in Ancient Art, of a volume for ancient Greek pottery and iconography, and of a volume on ancient Pottery Workshops in Northern Greece, whereas more than 100 papers on ancient Greek Culture and Cultural Technology have been published in international volumes, conferences, and journals. Her current research involves Archaeology of North Aegean, Greeks and Thracians, Ancient Ceramics, Archaeometry and Cultural Informatics.

Natasa Michailidou: Natasa Michailidou is an archaeologist with postgraduate studies in museology as well as a licensed tour guide. Since 2006, she has been collaborating with the Cultural Heritage Department of the “Athena” Research Center in the framework of cultural technology projects (Virtual Guide, CORECT, ARIADNE, GAME-IT, ARENA, etc.). Her contribution to these projects mainly involves the synthesis of user requirements, functional requirements and application scenarios, the collection, editing and synthesis of content as well as the evaluation of the applications themselves. She has contributed to the formation of deliverables as well as to several scientific publications that have emerged in the framework of the aforementioned projects. Finally, she has many years of experience regarding cultural education programs. She is an external associate of  Foundation of Thracian Art and Tradition in Xanthi for the design and implementation of the "young archaeologists of Thrace", which constitute a set of educational programs and guided tours for primary education, using experiential activities and narration of related tales. "The young archaeologists of Thrace" are approved by the Ministry of Education.

 Ioannis Mourthos: Giannis Mourthos is a PhD candidate of the Department of History and Archeology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He acquired his degree in archeology from the Department of History and Archeology of the University of Ioannina and a master’s degree in classical archeology from the Postgraduate Studies Program of the University of Athens. He has worked as a contract archaeologist and a scientific collaborator of the Cultural Heritage Department of the Athena Research Center for various projects. His tasks for the AtticPot project are the collection and documentation of archaeological-historical material, the development editing and presentation of content, the evaluation of developing applications, the dissemination and promotion of results, and the writing of technical reports and publications. His interests involve classical archaeology with emphasis on sculpture, social memory and identities in Greek and Roman antiquity and historical topography of Aegean Thrace and the islands of the North Aegean.

Meliana Karta: Meliana Karta is a graduate of the department of History and Archaeology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with a specialization in Archaeology and History of Art. She finished her postgraduate studies in Classical Archaeology in the same department, and the subject of her thesis was the imports of transport amphoras in the Thermaic Gulf during the Archaic and Classical era. She has also studied conservation and restoration of antiquities and works of art in the IVT of Thermi and practiced her profession in the archaeological site of ancient Pella. Since 2012, she has been participating in university excavations as an archaeologist and a conservator. She works in the Department of Culture and Creative Industries in “Athena” Research Center, for various research projects.

Guentcho Banev: Guentcho Banev teaches Bulgarian Language and Culture at the Department of Russian Language and Literature and Slavic Studies at the University of Athens. He is a graduate of the Department of History and Archeology of the University of Athens, as well as of the History Department of the University of Sofia, where he continued his postgraduate and doctoral studies. He lives in Greece, where he has been working as a researcher for many years. He has published articles on historical, archaeological and philological topics in scientific journals, collective volumes and encyclopedias. He has participated in international conferences and workshops, as well as in coordinating and completing projects such as the Encyclopedia of Hellenic Work, the Athos Digital Heritage, etc. He is a member of the Archives de l’Athos team in research and publishing of medieval (Byzantine and Slavic) documents of the Monastery of Zografou. He is also author and editor of the Bulgarian-Greek Dictionary (Michalis Sideris Publications). His particular research interests include Slavic and Byzantine paleography, daily life and development of popular languages in the Balkans (14th-19th centuries), the Athonite cultural heritage, and the bilingual Bulgarian-Greek manuscripts and books. In AtticPOT project, he participates as a translator and specialist in Bulgarian Language.

Anthi Vougioukli: Anthi Vougioukli acquired her Bachelor ‘s degree (major: Classics) from the Department of Greek Literature, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (scholarship by State Scholarships Foundation). She additionally holds a Master of Arts from the Department of Comparative Literature, State University of New York at Stony Brook (scholarship by the State of New York). She completed her PhD in the Department of Greek Literature of the Democritus University of Thrace. Her doctoral research has been co-financed (2010-2014) by the Research Funding Program “Heracleitus II” that was realized in the context of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF). Her research interests involve the history and culture of Thrace as well as Computer Applications in Classics and currently participates in research projects, such as ARENA and ATTICpot, as research associate at ILSP/ RC ATHENA, Xanthi.

https://athena-innovation.academia.edu/AnthiVougioukli

Konstantinos Stavroglou: Konstantinos Stavroglou received his diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) in 1995 and later continued his studies at DUTH from where he received a Master’s Degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering in 2005. He is a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) and a licensed engineer since 1995. He joined the Cultural and Educational Technology Institute (CETI / R.C. "Athena") in 2000. During his work at R.C. "Athena", he actively participated in many R & D projects such as designing databases for cultural recording platforms, designing web-sites/portals and digital repositories, archiving 3D objects, technical and IT supporting, etc.

Markos Dimitsas: Mark Dimitsas is a bachelor graduate of the Computer Science department of the Hellenic Open University and holds a Masters Degree in the scientific field of "Information Retrieval and Search Engines", specializing in Microelectronics and Computer Engineering Technologies, from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the Democritus University of Thrace. He works as a freelance web developer. His current contribution is to participate in the analysis of requirements and to create appropriate tools to facilitate and support the needs of the research project.

 Democritus University

          of Thrace

Amalia Avramidou: Amalia Avramidou is Professor of Classical Archaeology at the Department of Language, Literature and Culture of the Black Sea Countries of the Democritus University of Thrace. She holds a BA from the Department of History and Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MA in Classical Archaeology from the same institution, while she earned her PhD from the Department of Classics at the Johns Hopkins University. In the past, she has worked in various American and European Universities and Museums (Northwestern University, Bowling Green State University, Université libre des Bruxelles, Cyprus Open University, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Art Museum), while her teaching record in Greece includes the University of Crete and the Hellenic Open University. Her published work comprises a monograph (The Codrus Painter, 2011), several articles in peer-review journals and collective volumes, an e-textbook, entries in catalogue exhibitions, book-reviews, translations and editing of volumes. Her research interests cover various topics of Greek art and archaeology, with an emphasis on the study of pottery and iconography, the history and archaeology of Thrace, and on cross-cultural issues between Greek and other people in the Mediterranean.

https://duth.academia.edu/AmaliaAvramidou

 Christina Markou: Dr. Christina Markou is Assistant Professor of Bulgarian Language and Philology at the Department of Language, Literature and Culture of the Black Sea Countries of the Democritus University of Thrace. She holds a MA from the Department of Slavic studies at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. Her PhD was on the Verbal aspect in Slavic and Modern Greek. Her research interests are in the areas of Slavic and Balkan linguistics. She is also interested in Applied Linguistics and Translation studies. She has authored and co-authored articles on Verbal Aspect, Phraseology and Second language acquisition.

Vasiliki Kaliakouda: Vasiliki Kaliakouda is a graduate student of the Department of Language, Literature and Culture of the Black Sea Countries of the Democritus University of Thrace, with a specialization in Turkish language and literature. Her academic interests include foreign languages, archaeology and translation. 

       Aristotle University

          of Thessaloniki

 Konstantina Tsonaka: Konstantina Tsonaka is a member of the Laboratory Teaching Staff of Classical Archaeology at the School of History and Archaeology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She holds a BA in Archaeology, an MA in Classical Archaeology and a PhD from the same institution. She participates in the archaeological excavation at the ancient settlement of Karabournaki, Thessaloniki, conducted by the School of History and Archaeology of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her thesis examines the uses of attic vases during the Archaic and Classical Periods according to iconography and written sources (forthcoming). She has participated in international conferences and has written articles on topics such as ancient Greek pottery and iconography. Her research interests focus particularly on the study of Attic painted pottery, ancient Greek monumental painting, on ancient trade and commerce in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

https://auth.academia.edu/KonstantinaTsonaka

Angeliki Zoi Kotzampourouni: Angeliki Zoi Kotzampourouni is a student at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the Department of History and Archaeology with a major in Archaeology and Art History. Her research interests include foreign languages (English, German, Korean, introduction to hieroglyphics), history, underwater archaeology (PADI one-star scuba diver) and the study of ancient civilizations.

Ancient Thrace covers an area that comprises today Bulgaria and parts of Greece, Turkey and Romania. Defined by the river Istros (modern Danube) to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south and the Black Sea to the east, the land was rich in natural resources, navigable rivers and hospitable harbors. The western limits of ancient Thrace are harder to pinpoint because of the constant movement of the numerous Thracian tribes inhabiting the area, and the continuous development of the historical and political landscape before and after the formation of the Macedonian Kingdom. Scholars usually accept the river Strymon as its western limit; with the rise of the Macedonians, the river Nestos starts denoting the boundaries between the two kingdoms, until the conquest of the area by Philip and his dynamic presence all the way to the Hellespont. Located in a strategic point between Europe and Asia, and gifted with large potential for agriculture,animal husbandry and mining, Ancient Thrace attracted early the interest of prospective colonists, targeting especially the Aegean coast and the islands across. By the sixth century BCE, trading posts and colonies were founded by Greek cities across the Thracian coast of the Aegean, the western coast of the Euxine, and even further inland, near rivers, commercial routes (e.g. Pistiros, Vetren) or the periphery of flourishing coastal colonies. The colonization process was long and had manifold consequences for both the immigrants and the locals. Even though each case should be studied on its own merit, as the local landscape, economy,politics and history may vary, there is however one unifying parameter that is worth exploring: the Athenian presence in ancient Thrace. And the best tool to help us investigate this aspect is the study of Attic painted pottery and its diffusion in the area.

In particular, Athens showed a keen interest in Thrace already in the sixth century, drawn by its natural resources, wealth and exceptional location. That is when members of two prominent, aristocratic Athenian families (Peisistratos and Miltiades I) became interested in the area not only by exploiting the silver mines of Mt Pangaion and the feuds between locals on Propontis, but also by founding colonies,assisting native tribes under attack and striking personal and other relations with the indigenous communities, which eventually had a considerable impact on the Athenian society and economy itself. These relations were officially cultivated by Athens in the fifth century, following the end of the Persian Wars, especially after the formation of the Odrysian Kingdom and around the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Seeking for goods, new markets and strong allies to promote her political and economic goals, Athens turned to the North, wishing, on the one hand, to influence the Greek colonies and on the other, to lure their wealthy Thracian neighbors on her side. The Athenian power in the area begins to fade by the end of the fifth century and more so with the conquests of Philip II and Alexander the Great. By the end of the fourth century, the political scene in the northern Aegean and its periphery becomes more complex, confounding further the relations between the Athenians and the Greek colonies, as well as the Macedonian Kingdom, the Odrysians, other Thracian (semi-)autonomous tribes and rising powers to the North (e.g. Getae) and the East (e.g. satrapies).

Despite the numerous upheavals that took place during the late sixth through the fourth centuries and the multi-faceted political terrain of ancient Thrace, pottery and other goods with it continued to be imported more or less uninterruptedly. Attic vases make their appearance in the area alongside with other ceramic wares (e.g. local, Ionian, Aeolian, Corinthian), but it is with the imports of black-glaze and, particularly, painted vases (i.e., made in the black- and red- figure technique) that they enjoy a long period of popularity at the Greek colonies and their periphery, as well as at Thracian sites in the interior. The continuous presence of Attic pottery and its wide diffusion in ancient Thrace provides an excellent opportunity to explore questions of trade and commercial routes, contextualize the material (where feasible) and ultimately elaborate on the Thracian perspective of Attic painted pottery and the social impact of these imports on the local communities.

Ancient Thrace covers an area that comprises today Bulgaria and parts of Greece, Turkey and Romania. Defined by the river Istros (modern Danube) to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south and the Black Sea to the east, the land was rich in natural resources, navigable rivers and hospitable harbors. The western limits of ancient Thrace are harder to pinpoint because of the constant movement of the numerous Thracian tribes inhabiting the area, and the continuous development of the historical and political landscape before and after the formation of the Macedonian Kingdom. Scholars usually accept the river Strymon as its western limit; with the rise of the Macedonians, the river Nestos starts denoting the boundaries between the two kingdoms, until the conquest of the area by Philip and his dynamic presence all the way to the Hellespont. Located in a strategic point between Europe and Asia, and gifted with large potential for agriculture,animal husbandry and mining, Ancient Thrace attracted early the interest of prospective colonists, targeting especially the Aegean coast and the islands across. By the sixth century BCE, trading posts and colonies were founded by Greek cities across the Thracian coast of the Aegean, the western coast of the Euxine, and even further inland, near rivers, commercial routes (e.g. Pistiros, Vetren) or the periphery of flourishing coastal colonies. The colonization process was long and had manifold consequences for both the immigrants and the locals. Even though each case should be studied on its own merit, as the local landscape, economy,politics and history may vary, there is however one unifying parameter that is worth exploring: the Athenian presence in ancient Thrace. And the best tool to help us investigate this aspect is the study of Attic painted pottery and its diffusion in the area.

In particular, Athens showed a keen interest in Thrace already in the sixth century, drawn by its natural resources, wealth and exceptional location. That is when members of two prominent, aristocratic Athenian families (Peisistratos and Miltiades I) became interested in the area not only by exploiting the
silver mines of Mt Pangaion and the feuds between locals on Propontis, but also by founding colonies,assisting native tribes under attack and striking personal and other relations with the indigenous communities, which eventually had a considerable impact on the Athenian society and economy itself. These relations were officially cultivated by Athens in the fifth century, following the end of the Persian Wars, especially after the formation of the Odrysian Kingdom and around the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War. Seeking for goods, new markets and strong allies to promote her political and economic goals, Athens turned to the North, wishing, on the one hand, to influence the Greek colonies and on the other, to lure their wealthy Thracian neighbors on her side. The Athenian power in the area begins to fade by the end of the fifth century and more so with the conquests of Philip II and Alexander the Great. By the end of the fourth century, the political scene in the northern Aegean and its periphery becomes more complex, confounding further the relations between the Athenians and the Greek colonies, as well as the Macedonian Kingdom, the Odrysians, other Thracian (semi-)autonomous tribes and rising powers to the North (e.g. Getae) and the East (e.g. satrapies).

Despite the numerous upheavals that took place during the late sixth through the fourth centuries and the multi-faceted political terrain of ancient Thrace, pottery and other goods with it continued to be imported more or less uninterruptedly. Attic vases make their appearance in the area alongside with other ceramic wares (e.g. local, Ionian, Aeolian, Corinthian), but it is with the imports of black-glaze and, particularly, painted vases (i.e., made in the black- and red- figure technique) that they enjoy a long period of popularity at the Greek colonies and their periphery, as well as at Thracian sites in the interior. The continuous presence of Attic pottery and its wide diffusion in ancient Thrace provides an excellent opportunity to explore questions of trade and commercial routes, contextualize the material (where feasible) and ultimately elaborate on the Thracian perspective of Attic painted pottery and the social impact of these imports on the local communities.