New international project to uncover the hidden everyday history of ancient Greece

A new collaborative archaeological and palaeoenvironmental project investigating the rural history of ancient Greece has been awarded funding by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

The Attica Regional Integrated Environmental and Material Survey (ARTEMIS) is led by Principal Investigator, Dr Maeve McHugh, Associate Professor in Classical Archaeology at the University of Birmingham and researchers from Coventry University, the University of Patras, the University of Innsbruck and the Ephorate of Antiquities of East Attica.

The project is being conducted in partnership with the British School at Athens (BSA), the body responsible for facilitating collaboration between research institutions and the Greek archaeological authorities. Archaeological fieldwork is conducted under the directorship of Dr Eleni Andrikou, Ephor of Antiquities of East Attica, in accordance with Greek archaeological law.

Dr Andrikou commented: “The British School at Athens’ proposal to collaborate on the ARTEMIS project was warmly welcomed, as the project advances our understanding of daily life in antiquity and of human-environment interactions by integrating geological, palaeoenvironmental, and palaeoclimatic research with established archaeological and historical evidence, as well as with recent finds from the Ephorate’s excavations at Brauron and the surrounding area.”

ARTEMIS will reconstruct the cultural and natural landscapes of Brauron in eastern Attica, exploring artefact distribution and built features within their environmental and climatic settings. This will provide a multidimensional understanding of ancient landscapes and human-environment interactions. The location is known in modern Greece as Vravrona.

Brauron, one of the twelve mythical ancient cities of Attica, played a crucial role in trade connections with the Cyclades during the Neolithic and Bronze Age. This activity predates the founding of the Sanctuary of Artemis, which later became a significant site where Athenian girls performed the ritual of ‘playing the bear’ and where women prayed to Artemis for protection during childbirth. The area also remained important into the early Christian period, marked by the establishment of an early basilica and a series of churches.

Dr McHugh said: “The history of ancient Greece is often presented from urban spaces, shaped by elite and predominantly male voices about how people lived. While this perspective has long dominated, it only reflects a minority of experiences. ARTEMIS will write new narratives of the past, including the experiences of women, children, and rural communities.”

The University of Patras plays a central role in the project, with Professor Yorgos Iliopoulos leading micropalaeontological and sedimentological analyses, and botanists Professor Maria Panitsa and Professor Panayotis Dimopoulos contributing specialist knowledge of ancient and modern plant communities.

Professor Iliopoulos said: “The interdisciplinary approach of ARTEMIS will shed light on Brauron’s changing ancient landscapes, providing a comprehensive understanding of the palaeoenvironmental and cultural contexts of this significant site.”

Quantitative land cover reconstruction is being developed with Dr Laurent Marquer at the University of Innsbruck, an expert in pollen-based modelling, using advanced methods to reconstruct past vegetation dynamics and land use. Palaeoclimatic analysis will be led by Dr James Bendle at the University of Birmingham.

Dr Michelle Farrell, Assistant Professor of Physical Geography at Coventry University, who is leading the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, added: “Climate and environment were so much more than just a backdrop to the lives of ancient societies - for rural communities in particular, they were integral both to how people understood their world, and to how they engaged, failed or prospered within it."

Henry Chapman, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Birmingham and project co-lead, said: “With its rich archaeological record and distinctive landscapes, including fertile lowlands and wetlands, Brauron provides a unique setting in which to assess the relationships between cultural practices and environmental conditions.”

ARTEMIS will begin this summer. The team plans to host several co-created public and community events during the project’s five-year timeline. By working closely with local communities, the Ephorate of Antiquities of East Attica, and research partners in Greece and across Europe, the project aims to reveal a new understanding of ancient Greek life whilst helping to preserve and protect rural heritage.

The Brauron Archaeological Site and Museum is open to visitors from 08:30 – 15:30, Wednesday to Monday.