Kyriakos Fragkoulis

Kyriakos Fragkoulis

Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies
Doctoral researcher

Contact details

Title of thesis: Late Roman Pottery from Dion, Greece: The Ceramic Evidence as a Means of Investigating the Historical, Social and Economic Transformations in a City of Central Macedonia during Late Antiquity

Supervisor:  Archie Dunn

Qualifications

  • BA in Archaeology & History of Art (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
  • MA in Byzantine Archaeology (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)

Biography

My interest in Late Antique Archaeology dates back to my early undergraduate years. My BA degree programme, completed at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, gave me the opportunity to become acquainted with the transitional and highly diverse character of late antique material culture which has fascinated me ever since. However, my subsequent specialisation in this area of study was ultimately determined by participating in field trips and archaeological excavations, primarily at the ancient city of Dion in Pieria (Central Macedonia) and other sites in Greece. There, I had my first direct contact with Late Roman and Early Byzantine pottery, both in the field and during post-excavation sessions.

Over the course of my MA studies, I continued exploring the multifaceted aspects of Late Antique Archaeology by attending specialised courses, further broadening my excavation experience, and participating in research activities that involved my familiarisation with modern documentation methods in archaeological field projects and non-destructive techniques of artefact elemental analysis. Through the work on my Master’s thesis I have gained considerable knowledge in fields like topography and settlement evolution that is expected to be of particular benefit to my PhD project.

My field, post-excavation, and research experience thus far has made me well aware of the decisive role the ceramic evidence has in the interpretation of the excavation results and the dynamic potential it can provide to crucial archaeological problems. This conclusion, along with the relevant knowledge I have gained, served as my key motives to undertake this particular project.

Teaching

  • MARE.14 & 17. Materials and Techniques for the Restoration of Monuments. Compatibility, Durability, Sustainability and Economy issues in Retrofitting Heritage Structures, Archaeological site of Dion, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (seminar).
  • Training of undergraduate students in excavation techniques, post excavation procedures and study of findings at the University Excavation of Dion, Pieria – Greece 

Doctoral research

PhD title
Late Roman Pottery from Dion, Greece: The Ceramic Evidence as a Means of Investigating the Historical, Social and Economic Transformations in a City of Central Macedonia during Late Antiquity
Supervisor
Dr Archie Dunn
Course
Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies PhD/MA by Research (On-Campus or by Distance Learning)

Research

My research will present Late Roman and Early Byzantine ceramics (4th-7th c.) from the excavations conducted by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at the ancient city of Dion in Pieria (Northern Greece). Apart from including an in-depth review of the existing relevant literature, my doctoral thesis will be based on extensive fieldwork involving typological analysis and fabric characterisation of each ware. Greater focus will be put on the long-distance imports, but special attention will be also paid at local and regional wares. Most importantly, the ceramic evidence will be combined with research findings from other field to construct a distribution model and analyse Dion in the context of other settlements in the region in the context of a holistic approach that will also allow a multilevel comparison of Dion with other contemporary settlements.

The main aim of my PhD project is to use the ceramic evidence in order to investigate the socio-economic profile of Dion in Late Antiquity and to outline the related changes that occurred in the course of this period. One of the project’s basic research questions will be the investigation of the direct and indirect contacts of the city with other long or medium distance regions, along with its place into the trade routes system of Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans during the period under examination. Through a reconstruction of the networks responsible for the distribution of each ware, an attempt will be made to shed light on whether Dion was the final destination of widely distributed ceramic products or a recipient of such imports from bigger provincial centres via regional commerce. This study will also try to investigate the nature of the economy of the city and the productive activities the population was involved in. Moreover, the information derived from ceramic analysis, combined with the architectural and stratigraphic evidence, will offer a better understanding of the urban identity and civic status of the Late Antique city.

Unlike other parts of the country Macedonia and Northern Greece in general have been left out of the scope of modern research on the production and distribution of Late Roman and Early Byzantine pottery, despite the abundance of findings that are considered to be of particular importance. Consequently, this dissertation aims to filla major lacuna in Late Antique studies in Greece, and, hopefully, work as a key step towards putting the above regions at the heart of the ongoing research in Late Antique pottery. In addition, by combining the ceramic evidence with data from other fields, this project constitutes a multispectral approach to one of the major topics of discussion about Late Antiquity — urban life and economy — with no comparative study, regarding the geographical area under examination, having been published yet.

Other activities

Conference papers:

  • 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies. Belgrade, 22-27 August 2016. Oral presentation: Episcopal Basilica of Dion, Greece. The Triconch Building and the Location of the Bishop’s Residence.
  • 41st International Symposium on Archaeometry (ISA). Kalamata, 15-21 May 2016. Poster presentation: Application of a non-destructive testing mobile lab for in situ analysis of archaeological objects from the “Late Antique House” in Dion, Greece: Results and data interpretations.

Research grants:

  • Scholarship of “Alexander S. Onassis” Foundation for postgraduate studies in Greece (MA)
  • Scholarship of “Alexander S. Onassis” Foundation for postgraduate studies abroad (PhD)
  • GACUK Scholarship in memory of Nicholas Egon (PhD)

academia.edu:

https://birmingham.academia.edu/KyriakosFragoulis

Publications

  • Mentzos Α., Fragoulis K. and Minasidis D., Δίον: οι έρευνες στην οικία της Όψιμης Αρχαιότητας (2007-2016), The Archaeological Work in Macedonia and Thrace 30 (2016), under publication.
  • Fragoulis K., Minasidis D., Tsiafis D., Pavlopoulou E. et al., Ψηφιοποίηση ανασκαφικών δεδομένων στο Δίον Πιερίας: εφαρμογές για την αρχαιολογική τεκμηρίωση, in Euromed 2015. Proceedings of the 1st Pan-Hellenic Conference on Digital Cultural Heritage (Volos, 24-28 Sept. 2015), p. 206-212. Volos 2016.
  • Mentzos Α., Fragoulis K. and Minasidis D., Οικία Όψιμης Αρχαιότητας στο Δίον: η ανασκαφή των ετών 2010-2014, The Archaeological Work in Macedonia and Thrace 28 (2014), in press.
  • Fragoulis K., Minasidis D. and Mentzos A., Pottery from the Cemetery Basilica in the Early Byzantine City of Dion, in N. Poulou-Papadimitriou, E. Nodarou and V. Kilikoglou (ed.), LRCW 4 Late Roman Coarse Wares, Cooking Wares and Amphorae in the Mediterranean, Archaeology and Archaeometry, The Mediterranean: a market without frontiers, vol. Ι [BAR International Series 2616 (I)], p. 297-304. Oxford 2014.