Profile

Vanghelis, educated in UCL and Cambridge has come to Kent from UCLA where he was Cotsen Visiting Scholar in the Institute of Archaeology there. Vanghelis is currently Senior Lecturer in Aegean Prehistory and has wide interests in Mycenaean Administration, Minoan Religion and Iconography as well as Ritual Theory. He is also interested in the history of archaeological thought and in archaeological site management and planning.

back to top

Full List of Publications with abstracts

Linear B and Linguistics

Ritual and Archaeology

Iconography and Representation

Egypt

Minoan Religion see Ritual and Archaeology or Iconography and Representation

Archaeological Theory see Ritual and Archaeology or Iconography and Representation

 

Linear B and Linguistics

2008 ‘Who is who: The shepherds in the Cn series at Pylos’, in A. Sacconi, M. Del Freo, L. Godart, M. Negri, Proceedings of the 12th Mycenological Colloquium Rome September 2005, pp. 449-460

There is a remarkable similarity between the names recorded on Mycenaean Linear B tablets at Pylos as shepherds on tablets that relate to sheep and the names of bronze-smiths recorded on tablets pertaining to bronze-work. This may imply that the administration is recording heads of clans, families or workgroups and holds them responsible for the work these groups do in shepherding, bronze-work or other. The present article argues in favour of the existence of these units and shows how the coincidence scenario is untenable.

2007 ‘Phonetic Attributions of Undeciphered Characters: the Case of Sign *56’, Cambridge Classics Journal 53, 202-228

After the decipherment of Linear B and the attribution of phonetic values to most signs, several others still remain undeciphered. Any attempt to reconstruct their phonetic value is beset with difficulties. In this paper we will attempt to set out some basic principles for making reconstructions of undeciphered characters in well-studied scripts. We shall then look specifically at the range of evidence available and the various theories built around the decipherment of sign *56 trying to construct a strong argument in favour of one possible phonetic attribution. In doing so we shall comment on the strengths and weaknesses of the various arguments, thus illuminating the usefulness of such principles in making a secure attribution.

2006 'H13 at Pylos', Proceedings of the 11th International Mycenological Colloquium, that will be a Hesperia supplement, forthcoming, pp. 2

As Linear B studies are reaching a more mature stage, and knowledge of the role of scribes is getting all the more refined, research can concentrate on the lives and functions of real individuals. This paper concentrates on one scribe, conventionally named Hand 13 and shows the identity of his function to a named administrator, called Arion. This is the second instance in the Linear B tablets whereby we can get to know more about a scribe, their administrative function and eventually their name

2003 'Undeciphered Tablets and Undeciphered Territories: A Comparison of Late Minoan IB Archives', Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society 49, pp. 118-129

In this article I follow Schoep’s points of evidence as presented in the first half of a recent article where she focuses on the Linear A evidence from various sites, and especially Haghia Triadha, Zakro and Khania. These tablets show considerable variation in various respects, mainly between the three ‘archives’ (simply here meaning tablet concentration). However, the differences between ‘archives’ to be comparable, it must be demonstrated that they play a structurally similar role in the respective administrations. The recording of commodities is comparable only when it is demonstrated that similar administrative stages for the same commodity are being considered. The way scribes work can be compared when the work of scribes who play similar roles in the respective bureaucracies is being compared. As we shall see below, however, most of the points of variation between the Linear A archives do not compare like to like. In this article most variations are explained either as results of the comparison between different parts or stages of similar centralized bureaucracies, or as minor and predictable differences between otherwise similar bureaucracies, such as scribal idiosynchracies, and differences of dialect.

2002 'Linguistic aspects of the language of the Keftiw through the Egyptian texts', Ägypte und Levante 12 2002, Vienna, pp. 211-219

In three occasions, Egyptian texts give us extracts of the language of the Keftiw: a school writing tablet with personal names, an inscription with place names, and a papyrus with two magical spells. The information that we can extract although puny, could help us in our attempt to approach the Keftiw language and its nature. All difficulties of interpretation have to be analysed and each step has to be taken cautiously.

1999 'Two Spells in the Language of the Keftiu', in A. Karetsou et al. (eds.), Crete-Egypt, Three Millennia of Cultural contacts, The Greek Ministry of Culture, Herakleion, 2000, p. 193

1999 ‘Scribes treated as criminals: A note on the study of palm and fingerprints on the Linear B tablets of Knossos.’ in J. Bennet, J. Driessen (eds.), Festschrift volume for John Killen, Minos 33-34 (1998-9), pp. 1-8

The study of the palm and finger prints on the tablets of Knossos proves to be very useful in the light of the arguments set in a previous article (Kyriakidis 1998) and it refines the picture we have of the relation between the preparing and the inscribing hands. Moreover, it can give us an idea as to the relations between some of the scribes and between the scribal bureaus. It can also scertain the attribution of some tablets in cases when the scribe was identified with some uncertainty. Quite often one preparing hand makes tablets for more than one scribe. In that case, these scribes are ‘linked’, irrespective of whether one follows my argument on the identity of the scribal and the tablet preparing hand. In some cases, there is a chain of connections among three or more scribes. In this short contribution I attempt to elaborate on the links between the scribes at the palace of Knossos, since those at Pylos have already been assessed elsewhere (Kyriakidis 1998)

2001 'The Economics of Potnia: Storage in 'Temples' of Prehistoric Greece', in R. Laffineur and R. Hägg (eds.), Potnia: Deities and Religion in the Aegean Bronze Age [Aegaeum 22], pp. 123-129

The studies on the storage of any ritual site, are not that numerous; in fact, the only paper on the topic briefly attempts to demonstrate that there is storage associated with some Minoan ‘religious’ buildings and interprets the data accordingly. This view will be firmly supported here. It has to be noted that for the purposes of this article, the term storage refers only to food storage as indicator of subsistence potential and by extension, for a non-monetary society, of relative wealth. The much-neglected coarse ceramics, especially pithoi and large vessels can give us a reasonable idea on storage. Storage, no doubt, could also be achieved by bags or baskets, which unfortunately leave no trace. Cists or boxes that were specifically made for storage are very rare and are not normally found outside large buildings. Indeed it seems to be the case that Minoan ritual sites to have large storage capacity, and therefore to be able to store and manage wealth – one of the conditions of institution building. The same picture is drawn during the ensuing Mycenaean period, since the linear b tablets provide enough evidence for the existence of Religious institutions that manage and store wealth.

1998 ‘Some aspects of the role of scribes in Pylian palace administration’ Minos 31-32 (1996-7), pp. 201-229.

The purpose of this essay is to discuss several points, aimed at enhancing our understanding of the human aspect of the scribes: their actions, the framework in which they worked, the way they made tablets, their specialization, their movements and their co-operation with other scribes. Needless to say, such a study cannot be conclusive, and cannot account for the whole Mycenaean world; it will be limited to one palace: the Palace of Pylos. This has been chosen because it is the most thoroughly excavated and published Mycenaean palace, has a large concentration of Linear B tablets, and occupies a relatively restricted area.

 

Ritual and Archaeology

The Classical Layers at Pyrgos Tylissos, proceedings of the 11th Cretological Congress at Chania 2006, Forthcoming

It is now accepted amongst scholars who work on Minoan Peak Sanctuary material that all peak sanctuaries except Youkhtas continued their use until the end of the New Palace Period (c.a. 1400). The study of the material from Pyrgos however, shows a number of finds that are consistent with the use of the site for rituals at the end of classical and the beginning of the Hellenistic period. This discovery brings the debate on continuity and affordances of material culture again to the fore.

2008 June, 'Ritual and Risk in Chinese Divination Rituals', Current Anthropology comment on R. Flad's 'Divination and Power: A Multi-regional View of the Development of Oracle Bone Divination in Early China'. The original -uncut- version of the paper.

The performance of ritual is infested with risk. Risk of one's status as a competent performer, risk of one's projected social status, risk of intervention and interruption by human and superhuman agents. Chinese oracle bone divination rituals, based on the interpretation of the cracking of the bones aftrer firing, where in the Lower Xiajiadian culture enriched with a specific pretreatment of these 'oracle-bones'. This preparation of bones included the drilling of holes to make the cracking of the bones more predictable. This was a strategy to mitigate risk and was soon to spread to oracle bones accross China. It is argued in this short paper that the element of risk was the motive behind the spread of this practice.

2007 (ed.) The Archaeology of Ritual The Archaeology of Ritual, Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology UCLA publications, (3rd Cotsen Advanced Seminar-UCLA)

This book is the fruit of the third Cotsen Advanced Seminar conducted at UCLA in January 2004. A wide spectrum of scholars, historians, art historians, anthropologists, students of performance and of religion, archaeologists, cognitive scientists, and linguists were all asked to think about and comment on how ritual can be traced in archaeology and also to suggest possible directions for ritual research in the discipline. The product is a fairly accurate representation of research on ritual and the archaeology of ritual: scholars from various disciplines and backgrounds putting forward sober and well-considered arguments, yet with little agreement among them. So this volume should not be seen as presenting one unified attitude toward ritual and its study in archaeology. Rather, it should be viewed as exemplifying the discourse on the archaeology of ritual today. The outcome is a collection of papers, which are individually thought provoking, often controversial, but always of extremely high quality.

2007 ‘Finding Ritual: Calibrating the Evidence’, in Kyriakidis, E. (ed.), 2007. The Archaeology of Ritual, Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology UCLA publications, pp. 9-22

This paper draws attention to the challenges archaeologists face in the study of ritual evidence. Issues include the similarity of individual rituals within a system, the common use of one space for the performance of multiple rituals, the disjunction between ritual practice and belief, the inseparability of the ritual and the mundane spheres, and the finding of ritual items in secondary contexts. An awareness of the potential complications in the archaeological record, and of the need to calibrate the evidence, should facilitate secure attributions of ritual activity in archaeology.

2007 ‘Archaeologies of Ritual’, in Kyriakidis, E. (ed.), 2007. The Archaeology of Ritual, Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology UCLA publications, pp. 289-308

Of all the overarching, overlapping, and sometimes overworked themes of this book, there are three that I would like the reader to keep in mind. First are issues of definition and the relationship between ritual and religion. Second is the discipline of archaeology itself, the material it deals with, and the ways it is influenced by that material as a discipline, with certain given abilities, limitations, and interests. And, last come the various perspectives of study, some new and others old, that could be seen as fruitful avenues for future research, different archaeologies of ritual. In this final chapter, I will discuss mainly the first and the third themes, though still referring to the second (for which see also chapter 2).

2006 'Mallia Quartier 18 and the Palaikastro Kouros Rooms: two homologies', in Proceedings of the 9th International Congress of Cretan Studies, pp. 273-279 (In Greek)

On the S side of the Palace at Mallia there is a group of rooms that has been strongly associated to ritual, which seems to be remarkably similar in the conception of the architecture to a group of rooms in Palaikastro where the remnants of the celebrated Kouros of Palaikastro were found. The conceptual similarities are so stark that would argue in favour of a similar use (ritual?) of the two complexes. This is interesting however, since at Mallia two large clay feet of a larger statue were found and at Palaikastro the remnants of the Kouros. Are these the first examples of cult statues that we have attested?

2005 Ritual in the Aegean: The Minoan Peak Sanctuaries, London: Duckworth, ISBN 0715632485

Minoan archaeology and more particularly the so-called ‘peak sanctuaries’ have been the object of much interest and speculation, but also of considerable creative research. This book rigorously assesses old and new ideas about these sanctuaries, testing and enriching such ideas by connecting them with the extant material and underpinning them with a solid theoretical basis.

General theoretical issues such as the attribution of ritual value to a prehistoric activity, the assessment of degrees of ritual establishment and the creation of ritual institutions are developed with the peak sanctuary material in mind. The results are then compared and contrasted to other studies on the social and political dynamics of Minoan Crete, providing a new insight into ritual in the area as a whole.

2002 Ritual and its Establishment: the Case of some Open Air Rituals in Minoan Crete, PhD Cambridge

This work aspires to contribute to the study of ritual in as constructive and methodologically sound way as possible. The contentious issue of ritual interpretation is deliberately avoided. Instead, methodologies for positively recognising ritual and assessing its establishment are developed. The study of the establishment of ritual is based on the premise that it can be a valuable source of information for the dynamics and establishment of the given society.

The entire study takes the special perspective of prehistoric and more specifically of Minoan archaeology, concentrating on the case of some open air rituals. Firstly, ritual value is attributed to some Minoan open air sites and to the relevant iconography. Subsequently, following the methodology developed in the first chapters, it is shown that all studied rituals were highly established. Moreover, some of these ritual sites could be seen as entities which also managed, produced, and invested wealth, demonstrating the great establishment of the respective rituals, and further contributing to it through their own establishment.

The high level of establishment of the Minoan ritual sphere, as seen through the open air rituals, points to the great importance of rituals to the dynamics of Minoan society. It also implies a high level of establishment of other spheres such as the political or that of social relations. Finally it contributes to the overall establishment of Minoan society, as a factor which unified the politically fragmented island.

Our discussion of the Minoan material demonstrated that the methodologies developed for the attribution of ritual value to an activity and for the assessment of its establishment can be beneficial for prehistoric archaeology and for most social sciences. The Minoan material profited from these ideas but also showed that their implementation is feasible.

2001 'The Economics of Potnia: Storage in 'Temples' of Prehistoric Greece', in R. Laffineur and R. Hägg (eds.), Potnia: Deities and Religion in the Aegean Bronze Age [Aegaeum 22], pp. 123-129

The studies on the storage of any ritual site, are not that numerous; in fact, the only paper on the topic briefly attempts to demonstrate that there is storage associated with some Minoan ‘religious’ buildings and interprets the data accordingly. This view will be firmly supported here. It has to be noted that for the purposes of this article, the term storage refers only to food storage as indicator of subsistence potential and by extension, for a non-monetary society, of relative wealth. The much-neglected coarse ceramics, especially pithoi and large vessels can give us a reasonable idea on storage. Storage, no doubt, could also be achieved by bags or baskets, which unfortunately leave no trace. Cists or boxes that were specifically made for storage are very rare and are not normally found outside large buildings. Indeed it seems to be the case that Minoan ritual sites to have large storage capacity, and therefore to be able to store and manage wealth – one of the conditions of institution building. The same picture is drawn during the ensuing Mycenaean period, since the linear b tablets provide enough evidence for the existence of Religious institutions that manage and store wealth.

 

Iconography and Representation

2007 ‘A Note on Representations and Archaeology: Evolution and Interpretation’, in Renfrew, C. & I. Morley (eds.), 2007. Material Beginnings: a Global Prehistory of Figurative Representation. (McDonald Institute Monographs.) Cambridge: McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, pp. 303-308

It is the aim of this paper to make a small contribution to the greatly debated topic of representations and their role in archaeology. It explores how neither the creation nor the perception of representation necessarily involves high-level ‘thinking’, with two interesting repercussions for the study of representations in archaeology. Firstly, the representational capacity per se is not the result of a major stage in human evolution. Secondly, this illuminates how it comes to pass that a great number of (archaeological) interpretations — though not necessarily wrong — may not have been intended by the authors of the respective representations.

2006 ‘Scarab Seals – Scarabaeus Sacer an morphological and terminological comparison’, Antenna: The Journal of the Royal Entomological Society forthcoming

Scarab amulets were mass produced in the east Mediterranean from the Bronze age to the first centuries before Christ (they are still produced today) and have been widely used as chronological markers by archaeologists and historians. The similarity of these artefacts to the original insect species was at times remarkable. A comparison between the artefact and the insect is most beneficial as it explains a number of features on the artefact that are difficult to understand from the artefact alone, but also points out morphological differences that reflect anatomical differences between subspecies that had not hitherto been observed.

2005 'The Unidentified Floating Objects on Late Minoan Seal Iconography', American Journal of Archaeology 109, pp. 137-154

Extremely elegant and detailed Minoan gold-rings are ornamented with exquisitely detailed depictions of complex scenes in which the artist leaves nothing to chance. A group of small motifs that ‘hover’ above the iconography have not yet been satisfactorily explained. The aim of this paper is to define them as a group, describe their traits and peculiarities and suggest a possible interpretation for their existence. The interpretation offered that they depict constellations is particularly important as that not only changes our understanding of the whole iconography, but may also have serious implications for the history of Astronomy.

2004 'Aniconicity in Late Minoan I Seal Iconography', Kadmos 43, pp.159-166

Much has been said for the aniconicity of Minoan Religion. Most of such arguments are predicated on the study of Minoan gold signet rings. On them some figures lack facial traits which is often explained as a symptom of Minoan Religion. But is that so? In this article several cases of gold signet rings with ‘aniconic’ faces are studied. The first observation is that not all faces are entirely aniconic. There are some which have several facial features rendered and are therefore ‘iconic’. There are many other however with facial characteristics but not properly rendered that can be termed ‘semi-iconic’. Studying the importance of the iconic figures it becomes obvious that they also are the most important in status. So it does not seem to be true that the gods’ faces are not depicted, instead it seems more likely that the gods were the ones depicted, and less important figures were not. I would argue that aniconicity is not a product of religious belief, but of technique, as several ‘aniconic’ figures are the ones that are depicted in frontal or ¾ views.

2000 'Miscellanea: Pithos or baetyl? On the interpretation of a group of Minoan Rings, OpAth 25-26, 2000-1, pp. 117-8

The stance of the figures leaning on a ‘baetyl’ (after Warren) is very standardized. It is not believed here that this fact is significant for the interpretation of the event/ritual that is taking place on the seals comprising these figures. It is however, important for the initial description of what is depicted; even more so when the rendering of the seal is not clear. This standardization is not only going to help us reconstruct some unclear iconography, but will also argue against the existence of the so-called ‘pithos cult’, discrediting most representations of a pithos as mirages.

2000 'A Sword Type on the Chieftain's Cup (HM 341)', Kadmos 39, 2000, pp. 79-82

The conventions of Minoan artists are often alien to us, and call for close and systematic observation. Here the convention used for a type of sword will be studied, with reference to frescoes from Thera and a figure on the Chieftain’s Cup from Ayia Triada. Learning more about the conventions of the Minoans does not only help us understand more about their iconography, but ultimately opens a window into their minds.

1997 ‘Nudity in Late Minoan I Iconography’, Kadmos 36 (1997), pp.119-126

The existence and interpretation of nudity in Minoan iconography has received much attention for almost a century. In this short essay a particular group of seals will be considered, namely the Minoan golden Signet rings. Their elaborate iconography includes, among other features, certain female figures in various stances, which are apparently nude. They have ‘pronounced thighs’. These female figures have been variously interpreted and sacral or divine status has often been attributed to them.

1999 E. Kyriakidis (ed.), The cultural importance of fauna and flora in Crete, Herakleion: Crete Regional Council

This was a collective effort that attempted to tackle the huge issue of the cultural importance of species of flora and fauna in Crete through the ages. The project was very ambitious at its aim. As a result various scholars worked each on different periods either on fauna or flora. Ultimately the work comprised most periods from Neolithic and Bronze Age, to Classical and Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman to the modern days. A host of excellent scholars, ethnobotanists, archaeologists, literature experts, and anthropologists all participated in this collective effort.

 

Egypt

2002 'Linguistic aspects of the language of the Keftiw through the Egyptian texts', Ägypte und Levante 12 2002, Vienna, pp. 211-219

In three occasions, Egyptian texts give us extracts of the language of the Keftiw: a school writing tablet with personal names, an inscription with place names, and a papyrus with two magical spells. The information that we can extract although puny, could help us in our attempt to approach the Keftiw language and its nature. All difficulties of interpretation have to be analysed and each step has to be taken cautiously.

1999 With O. Keel, ‘The Scarabs of Crete’,in A. Karetsou et al. (eds.), Crete-Egypt, Three Millennia of Cultural contacts, The Greek Ministry of Culture, Herakleion, 2000, pp. 304-333

This is the first form of a full publication of all the scarabs found in the island of Crete through the ages. They date from the third millennium to the roman period and always constitute an important dating feature in most of the related contexts. A more complete publication of these scarabs will address some of the issues that have arisen from this study.

1999 'Two Spells in the Language of the Keftiu', in A. Karetsou et al. (eds.), Crete-Egypt, Three Millennia of Cultural contacts, The Greek Ministry of Culture, Herakleion, 2000, p. 193

back to top

Research

Initiative for Heritage Conservancy, Director

The linguistic choices of the Pylian Scribes, a sociolinguistic study with ancient people, with Dr. Rupert Thompson (University of Cambridge)

In this collaborative venture with the linguistic scholar Rupert Thompson, the linguistic idiosyncrasies of each of the Mycenaean Linear B scribes working in the palace at Pylos are being compared to their position in the administrative hierarchy, their specialisation and the other scribes (s)he works with, corrects the work of, and is corrected by.

Study of three Minoan Peak Sanctuaries of Central Crete: Keria, Philioremos, Pyrgos

For several years now, Vanghelis has been studying the material from three Minoan Peak Sanctuaries, the only secure ritual sites of Minoan Crete. These are the sites that are most promising for understanding Minoan ritual and religion. Of the 30 sites that have been excavated so far, none has been published and only one has been adequately reported. This study will not only conduct the primary publication of these sites, but will also enhance our understanding of Minoan politics, urbanization, and religion (for the north central part of the island.) Every year 4-10 students have the opportunity to come with Vanghelis to Crete and are trained in fieldwork.

The Scarabs of Crete

Scarabs are most commonly Egyptian made amulets that look like the scarab beetle. They are easy to transport and have been produced for thousands of years in very large amounts in a great number of workshops. As frequently traded items they appear all over the Mediterranean world and are seen by local archaeologists as reliable dating indicators. Indeed most absolute dating works use scarabs as such indicators. Their typology is marred with difficulties, however, and scarab experts consider them fairly unreliable. A comprehensive study of the Egyptian scarabs in Crete will clarify these issues as far as the great island is concerned.

Minoan Constellations Project

Over the past 10 years Vanghelis has been working on a number of obscure iconographical items that appear as floating on some remarkable golden rings, the so-called signet rings. It was recently argued that these floating objects are Constellations. This has initiated a large term project to identify all the constellations and study the repercussions to our understanding of Minoan Religion, Calendar, Seafaring and so on. Vanghelis will be primarily working on this project during his three year sabbatical from 2008-11 funded partly by Cotsen/UCLA

Recent Publications

2007 (ed.) The Archaeology of Ritual The Archaeology of Ritual, Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology UCLA publications, (3rd Cotsen Advanced Seminar-UCLA)

2005 Ritual in the Aegean: The Minoan Peak Sanctuaries, London: Duckworth, ISBN 0715632485

back to top

Grants

Award

The 2002 Michael Ventris Award for Mycenaean Studies with Dr. R.J. Thompson (Cambridge)

Grants

2009

€300000 from Lloyd Cotsen
$20000 from INSTAP on the Philioremos peak sanctuary

2010 Various grants to Initiative for Heritage Conservancy

2008

INSTAP award for research (Crete Peak Sanctuaries $15,000)

Kent Alumni Trust award (Renfrew Collection £2,000)

UELT Challenge Fund Grant (Digitization of Lectures £1,000)

2007

INSTAP award for research (History of Archaeology $5,000)

INSTAP award for research (Central Crete Peak Sanctuaries $20,000)

Cotsen Foundation, seed endowment for Centre for History of Archaeology ($25,000)

Mediterranean Archaeological Trust award for research (Peak Sanctuaries £1500)

British Academy, research grant (Peak Sanctuaries £2,000)

Cotsen Foundation/UCLA, research grant (Minoan Constellations ($50,000)

Steinmetz Foundation/UCLA, research grant ($8,500)

Kent Alumni Trust Fund, grant for a research assistant for Renfrew Collection (£5,000)

2006

INSTAP award for research (Pyrgos Peak Sanctuary) ($10,000)

Mediterranean Archaeological Trust (Pyrgos Peak Sanctuary) (£1,000)

Promising researchers initiative HEA, university of Kent (£1,900)

Young researchers initiative, SECL, university of Kent (£1,500)

2005

Collyer-Ferguson for research (£400 Pyrgos Peak Sanctuary)

2004

INSTAP award for research (Pyrgos Peak Sanctuary) ($10,000)

INSTAP award for the library at Kent ($5000)

Steinmetz Foundation Award for Arch. Publications (Pyrgos Peak Sanctuary) ($5000)

UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archaeology research grant (Pyrgos Peak Sanctuary) ($3000)

back to top

Fellowships, Membership, Service

Fellowship

Cotsen Visiting Scholar, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA 2003-4

Membership

Research Associate, Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA
Fellow, Society of Antiquaries London
Fellow, Archaeological Society of Athens
Member of the British School at Athens

Service

Director, Centre for the History of Archaeology

member, International Strategy Working Group, University of Kent 2007-8

Director, Enterprize and Publicity, School of European Cultural and Languages 2006-8

Admissions Tutor, Classical and Archaeological Studies 2007-8

Responsible for UCAS days, Classical and Archaeological Studies 2006-8

Responsible for Open days, Classical and Archaeological Studies, 2007-8

Responsible for website development, Classical and Archaeological Studies 2007-8

back to top

Research Students

Evangelos is the lead supervsior for:

Céline Murphy

Area of Interest: Minoan Archaeology.

Research Topic: Gestures as Non-Verbal Communication in Minoan Wall Paintings and Anthropomorphic Figurines.

Céline began her research MA in Minoan Archaeology in September 2009, having completed her degree in Classical and Archaeological Studies at the University of Kent in 2009. She is studying the gestures produced by the characters in the wall paintings from Xeste 3 in Thera, and by the anthropomorphic figurines from the Peak Sanctuary of Gonies-Philioremos in Central Crete. Believing that one cannot understand the original meaning of ancient ‘art’ since one lacks the historical perspective of its creation, she is currently interested in studying gesture as an element of a scene’s overall communicative properties. By observing this form of non-verbal communication, she is attempting to identify a context or an implication for the gestures produced by both painted and modeled figures. Interaction does not simply occur between the artifact and the human onlooker, it also occurs between the depicted Minoan figures.

Céline has worked with Dr Kyriakidis’ on his Three Peak Sanctuaries of Central Crete Project since 2008. She took part in the post-excavation analysis of the pottery from the Gonies-Philioremos and Keria peak sanctuaries, and will participate to the upcoming excavation at Gonies-Philioremos.

back to top

Teaching

Vanghelis is currently teaching or convening courses on the Bronze age Aegean, Minoan art and Architecture, Archaeological project, Modern Greek and contributes to the introduction to archaeology and the archaeology and epistemology courses. He also takes students every year on fieldwork to Crete and is responsible for sending students to the British School at Athens topography of Greek sites course. He is keen to supervise students in any topic relating to the Bronze Age Aegean, especially Mycenaean Epigraphy, Minoan Iconography and Religion, as well as Ritual Theory, History and Process of Archaeology or related subjects.

His research students are Céline Murphy, who is studying for an MA, and Alison Palmer who works on natural dyes in Minoan Crete.

Resources for Courses

back to top