Papers by Gert Jan van Wijngaarden
IXNH. Walking in the footsteps of the pioneer of Aegean Archaeology in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Heinrich Schliemanny , 2024
The site of Troy has been playing a key role in the development of archaeology in general and in ... more The site of Troy has been playing a key role in the development of archaeology in general and in Aegean scholarship in particular. With his excavations at Troy from 1870 onwards, Heinrich Schliemann effectively framed the field of Aegean archaeology, in which archaeology has been the dominant method for interpretation, even if Greek mythology continues to be a source of inspiration. Later excavations at the site have all been directed by leading scholars in the field, who introduced new
techniques and methods of archaeological research. Since 2018, we have been carrying out a research programme focusing on the development of archaeological method at Troy. Here, we present some of the results of this research, which we have entitled Archaeology of Archaeology. The main aim of this paper is to discuss how the archaeological methodology of Heinrich Schliemann affected the interpretations about Troy and the physical remains at the site. The second aim is to show the usefulness to study his methods archaeologically
Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology, 2024
The current ubiquitous use of 3D recording technologies in archaeological fieldwork, for a large ... more The current ubiquitous use of 3D recording technologies in archaeological fieldwork, for a large part due to the application of budget-friendly (drone) sensors and the availability of many low-cost image-based 3D modelling software packages, has exponentially increased the amount of 3D data of archaeological sites and landscapes.
Tijdschrift voor Mediterrane Archeologie, 2024
Pseudoarcheology in the era of Post Truth: the Search for Homeric Ithaca
Pseudo-archaeology has b... more Pseudoarcheology in the era of Post Truth: the Search for Homeric Ithaca
Pseudo-archaeology has become a mainstream form of infotainment and contributes to the public distrust of scholarly knowledge that has become a hallmark of the current ‘Post Truth’ era. In this article, I explore the relation between professional archaeology and serious research that can be understood as pseudo-archaeology: the search for Homeric Ithaca. In the last twenty years, several proposals have been made for the location of the Palace of Odysseus in the Ionian islands. Whereas archaeological scholars and authorities have been ignoring these proposals, they gained widespread public popularity. According to Bruno Latour and others, a new epistemology is necessary to restore trust in academic knowledge. Following this, I argue that professional archaeologists should not ignore, or even ridicule research such as that into Homeric Ithaca. Rather than debating which facts are right or wrong, we should use it to better explain the backgrounds to knowledge about the past.
Archaeology of Archaeology? The information value of old excavation remains
Session #615 at the ... more Archaeology of Archaeology? The information value of old excavation remains
Session #615 at the EAA in Rome organised by
- Gert Jan vanWijngaarden (Netherlands)
- Rüstem Aslan (Turkey)
- Lee Clare (Turkey/Germany)
- Jitte waagen (Netherlands)
P. Fischer & T. Bürge (eds.), “Sea Peoples” up-to date. New research on transformations in the eastern Mediterranean in the 13th-11th centuries BC. Vienna: Austrian Academy of Science. , 2017
The phenomenon of the Sea Peoples can be understood as a
change over several decades in the natur... more The phenomenon of the Sea Peoples can be understood as a
change over several decades in the nature of long-distance communications
and exchange in the Mediterranean. In this paper,
this change is explored by investigating the social role of exotic
artefacts, notably ivory, in the central Mediterranean, the Aegean
and Cyprus. Across the period of the Sea Peoples, all three areas
show an increase of local production of such exotic items, indicating
familiarity with foreign arts and crafts in different parts of the
Mediterranean. The question addressed here is the extent to which
these changes can be related to the migration of
. P.F. Biehl, Y. Rassamakin (eds.), Import and imitation in archaeology, 2008
Archaeology of the Ionian Sea
Lampas, 2018
The visitors to Mycenae, among which are many classicists, wonder in amazement about the enormou... more The visitors to Mycenae, among which are many classicists, wonder in amazement about the enormous blocks by which the wall is built and ponder how Agamemnon would have passed the Lion Gate to go to Troy. These tourists are the successors of travelers, who have been visiting the renowned ruins since antiquity. All these travelers have had to connect their mythological knowledge to the visible remains. In this article the tension is explored between literary, mythical approaches to Mycenae and archaeological, material perspectives. By looking at the knowledge and methods by which visitors have tried to interpret the remains at the site, we will understand better the archaeological site and its interpretations. In addition, we will see the various ways by which stories and archaeological remains are actively connected to each other.
E. Karantzali, The Periphery of the Mycenaean World. Recent Discoveries and Research Results, 2021
The island of Zakynthos is mentioned on Linear B abets in Pylos and Mycenae. In this paper we exp... more The island of Zakynthos is mentioned on Linear B abets in Pylos and Mycenae. In this paper we explore what is known about the Mycenaeans of Zakynthos on the basis of the Zakynthos Archaeology Project that was carried out from 2005 to 2015. Several new sites have been identified and it is clear that all phases of Mycenaean culture are represented on the island.
B. Eder & M. Zavadil (eds.) (Social) Place and Space in Early Mycenaean Greece, Mykenische Studiesn 35, Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2021
Recent landscape archaeological research on the island of Zakynthos has resulted in the identific... more Recent landscape archaeological research on the island of Zakynthos has resulted in the identification of a number of sites with pottery from the Middle Helladic and the early Mycenaean periods. In this article we will look at these archaeological materials and at the geographical location of the sites. Zakynthos will then be compared with other parts of western Greece and beyond, in order to identify similarities and differences in material strategies in the landscape. The analysis will result in a discussion on the intensity of interactions in regions of different scale in which Zakynthos participated.
Lampas 51, 2018
Modern visitors to Mycenae, which will include many classicists, are likely to wonder in amazemen... more Modern visitors to Mycenae, which will include many classicists, are likely to wonder in amazement at the enormous stone blocks which were piled up to construct the enclosure walls, and may well pause at the Lion Gate to imagine Agamemnon leaving the citadel on his fateful journey to Troy. Modern tourists are but the most recent of generations of travelers who have made their way to this celebrated site since Antiquity. All of these visitors need to find a way to connect their mythological knowledge to the physical remains which they encounter. This article explores the tensions that exist between literary and mythical, and archaeological and material perspectives on ancient Mycenae. By examining the various ways in which visitors have attempted to make sense of the site we aim to provide a more nuanced archaeological interpretation of the ruins and their settings. We argue that meanings emerge from the interplay of mythologies and archaeological remains which are actively connected to each other.
Pharos. Journal of the Netherlands Institute at Athens 23, 2018
In the summer of , we carried out a surface survey a few kilometres northeast of the town of Skou... more In the summer of , we carried out a surface survey a few kilometres northeast of the town of Skoulikado on the island of Zakynthos. This region is situated to the north of the other areas of the Zakynthos Archaeology Project. The impetus for starting this research was the discovery and report of Mycenaean pottery by one of the inhabitants in the area. As elsewhere on Zakynthos, the archaeological surface record is very fragmented, due to geomorphology and agricultural practices. Nevertheless, we have been able to identify traces of human presence in the area since the Palaeolithic period. In particular, there are two find concentrations that testify to habitation in prehistory and the Mycenaean period and one find concentration testifying to human presence in the Hellenistic-Roman period. Moreover, this latter site can be connected to an inscription that was found in the th century.
Pharos, 2006
The pilot-survey that was conducted in 2005 on Zakynthos clearly indicated that there were good p... more The pilot-survey that was conducted in 2005 on Zakynthos clearly indicated that there were good possibilities for archaeological research on the island. At the same time, the problems for archaeological survey became evident as well. Seismic activity and intensive agricultural practice during a very long period appear to have resulted in a high rate of destruction of archaeological sites and of individual finds. In addition, the luscious vegetation on slopes and hills and intensive development for tourism severely limit accessibility to archaeological remains. In order to begin to understand the archaeology on Zakynthos, ways will have to be found to deal with these problems.
Tijdschrift voor mediterrane Archeologie, 2019
Van Wijngaarden, G.J.M. N. Pieters 2018, Between the Aegean and the Adriatic. Zakynthos in the Bronze Age, In: R. Laffineur, M. Fotiadis, Y. Lolos, A. Vlachopoulos, Hesperos. The Aegean Seen from the West, Aegeum 41, Leuven: Peeters, pp. 375-381.
Troy is of crucial significance for the history of archaeology. Since 2016, new excavations have ... more Troy is of crucial significance for the history of archaeology. Since 2016, new excavations have started at Troy, directed by Rüstem Aslan (Canakkale University). The University of Amsterdam is participating in these excavations with a project called Archaeology of Archaeology at Troy.
A B S T R A C T The island of Zakynthos is one of the most seismically active areas in the Medite... more A B S T R A C T The island of Zakynthos is one of the most seismically active areas in the Mediterranean region because it is located very close to the convergent boundary between the African and Eurasian plates. Its evolution during the Holocene has been influenced by tectonic activity, catastrophic events and relative sea level changes. The scope of the present paper is to examine the Holocene palaeoenvironmental changes of the coastal areas of Zakynthos Island using a multidisciplinary approach, combining sedimentological and palaeontological data with 14 C and OSL dating from four cores of a maximum depth of ~30 m. The integrated results reveal that sea level and tectonic activity have brought significant modifications in the coastal geomorphic settings of the island during the past ~10,000 yr B.P. The depositional environments and the palaeontological biofacies document four main geomorphological evolutionary stages of the island. We identified fully marine and lagoonal deposits with marine influence (before 4100 yr B.P.), as well as brackish and freshwater limnic depositional environments (around 4100 yr B.P. to present). The interpretation of our data indicates that Zakynthos island was separated into two main parts before the middle Neolithic period (around 7500 yr B.P.) with Vasilikos peninsula in the SE being isolated from the main island. The fact that Zakynthos Island was a divided Mediterranean island for a significant period of time in its prehistory is of great importance to understand better the archaeological landscapes of Zakynthos and the other Ionian Islands.
Avramidis, P., S. Kalaitzidis, G. Iliopoulos, P. Papadopoulou, K, Nikolaou, S. Papazisimou, K. Christanis, G. van Wijngaarden 2017, The so-called ‘Herodotus’ springs’ at ‘Keri Lake’ in Zakynthos Island: a palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological approach, Journal of Quarternary Sciences 439, 37-51 In the present study the palaeoenvironmental setting of the coastal mire/swamp zone called 'Keri ... more In the present study the palaeoenvironmental setting of the coastal mire/swamp zone called 'Keri Lake', on Zakynthos Island, west Greece is presented. The mire/swamp area is famous for the asphalt-pitch seepages named as 'Herodotus-springs'. In order to interpret the Holocene evolution of the area, samples from four 7 m long vibracores were analyzed for their total organic carbon, total nitrogen and sulfur contents, as well as for their micro-and macro-fauna. The chronological framework of this study was based on three 14 C ages, while the age depth model and the sedimentation rate were estimated applying OxCal software. The age depth model indicates that the cores cover the period from the middle Holocene to present, with a mean sedimentation rate of 1 mm/yr. Before 4000 BP large part of the area inundated by the sea while after 4000 yrs BP the ecosystem changed to a high marsh and gradually to a fen environment, where peat accumulated under telmatic to limnotelmatic conditions. The trends and the ratios of the geochemical markers TOC, TN and TS clearly reflect the palaeoenvironmental change from terrestrial to fen depositional environments. The results show that during the middle Holocene the Herodotus Lake was influenced by sudden sea water inundation events, possibly as a result of high waves or storm events, while since the late Holocene the setting is that of a brackish coastal fen, where peat accumulates, under the significant inflow of fresh water that originates from the karstic systems of the catchment area.
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Papers by Gert Jan van Wijngaarden
techniques and methods of archaeological research. Since 2018, we have been carrying out a research programme focusing on the development of archaeological method at Troy. Here, we present some of the results of this research, which we have entitled Archaeology of Archaeology. The main aim of this paper is to discuss how the archaeological methodology of Heinrich Schliemann affected the interpretations about Troy and the physical remains at the site. The second aim is to show the usefulness to study his methods archaeologically
Pseudo-archaeology has become a mainstream form of infotainment and contributes to the public distrust of scholarly knowledge that has become a hallmark of the current ‘Post Truth’ era. In this article, I explore the relation between professional archaeology and serious research that can be understood as pseudo-archaeology: the search for Homeric Ithaca. In the last twenty years, several proposals have been made for the location of the Palace of Odysseus in the Ionian islands. Whereas archaeological scholars and authorities have been ignoring these proposals, they gained widespread public popularity. According to Bruno Latour and others, a new epistemology is necessary to restore trust in academic knowledge. Following this, I argue that professional archaeologists should not ignore, or even ridicule research such as that into Homeric Ithaca. Rather than debating which facts are right or wrong, we should use it to better explain the backgrounds to knowledge about the past.
Session #615 at the EAA in Rome organised by
- Gert Jan vanWijngaarden (Netherlands)
- Rüstem Aslan (Turkey)
- Lee Clare (Turkey/Germany)
- Jitte waagen (Netherlands)
change over several decades in the nature of long-distance communications
and exchange in the Mediterranean. In this paper,
this change is explored by investigating the social role of exotic
artefacts, notably ivory, in the central Mediterranean, the Aegean
and Cyprus. Across the period of the Sea Peoples, all three areas
show an increase of local production of such exotic items, indicating
familiarity with foreign arts and crafts in different parts of the
Mediterranean. The question addressed here is the extent to which
these changes can be related to the migration of
techniques and methods of archaeological research. Since 2018, we have been carrying out a research programme focusing on the development of archaeological method at Troy. Here, we present some of the results of this research, which we have entitled Archaeology of Archaeology. The main aim of this paper is to discuss how the archaeological methodology of Heinrich Schliemann affected the interpretations about Troy and the physical remains at the site. The second aim is to show the usefulness to study his methods archaeologically
Pseudo-archaeology has become a mainstream form of infotainment and contributes to the public distrust of scholarly knowledge that has become a hallmark of the current ‘Post Truth’ era. In this article, I explore the relation between professional archaeology and serious research that can be understood as pseudo-archaeology: the search for Homeric Ithaca. In the last twenty years, several proposals have been made for the location of the Palace of Odysseus in the Ionian islands. Whereas archaeological scholars and authorities have been ignoring these proposals, they gained widespread public popularity. According to Bruno Latour and others, a new epistemology is necessary to restore trust in academic knowledge. Following this, I argue that professional archaeologists should not ignore, or even ridicule research such as that into Homeric Ithaca. Rather than debating which facts are right or wrong, we should use it to better explain the backgrounds to knowledge about the past.
Session #615 at the EAA in Rome organised by
- Gert Jan vanWijngaarden (Netherlands)
- Rüstem Aslan (Turkey)
- Lee Clare (Turkey/Germany)
- Jitte waagen (Netherlands)
change over several decades in the nature of long-distance communications
and exchange in the Mediterranean. In this paper,
this change is explored by investigating the social role of exotic
artefacts, notably ivory, in the central Mediterranean, the Aegean
and Cyprus. Across the period of the Sea Peoples, all three areas
show an increase of local production of such exotic items, indicating
familiarity with foreign arts and crafts in different parts of the
Mediterranean. The question addressed here is the extent to which
these changes can be related to the migration of