Archeology in Greece

Last Update: March 18, 2024

Finding ancient objects in Greece is not an everyday occurrence, but it is frequent, year after year. Below are some of the media reports about discoveries made throughout Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean waters.

For a more in-depth look at the history of archaeology in Greece and the enduring obsession of the West with ancient Greece, I recommend the book "The Search for Ancient Greece," published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in 1990. Though it is compact in size, it is richly illustrated and provides a succinct overview of the subject.

MEDIA REPORTS:

Greek vase from antiquity stolen by Nazis returns to Greece

Story at Protothema [Greek]

Thousand year old bust of antiquity discovered in Philippi, northwest Greece

Story at Hypebeast [English]

Archaeological underwater research near Kasos

March 13, 2024: Story at Athina984 [Greek]

Three ancient shipwrecks now open to divers

March 2, 2024: Story at Yahoo News [English]

Medusa mosaic found in ancient Roman villa

April 7, 2023: Story at Protothema [English]

Rare "Julius Caesar" gold coin returned to Greece

April 3, 2023: Story at Smithsonian [English]

The ancient theatres of Greece

April23, 2023:Tourism at Protothema [English]

Genome research reconstructs family groups of Bronze age Greece

January 20, 2023: Story at Archaeology [English]

The significant archeological finds from the Thessaloniki subway excavations

January 8, 2023: Story at Imerisia [Greek] and at Skai [Greek]

A forest in Jerusalem location of discovery of 2,000-year-old ancient Greek inscription

December 20, 2022: Story at Greek City Times [English]

Archeological discovery on Crete finds ruins dedicated to Underworld deity

November 12, 2022: Story at Protothema [English]

Has Cleopatra's tomb been found?

November 9, 2022: Story at Eleftherostypos [Greek]

Martinez also discovered several important artifacts inside the temple, including coins bearing images and names of Cleopatra, Alexander the Great, and several decapitated statues...

DNA shows mercenaries used by Greece were from north Europe

October 7, 2022: Story at Keep Talking Greece [English]

Walking the ancient island paths

August 20, 2022: Story at UK Guardian [English]

How Greece is expanding archeological tourism to beneath the sea

June 29, 2022: Story at Imerisia [Greek]

Archeological finds made in sea near Antikythera

June 22, 2022: Story at UK Guardian [English]

Ancient statue of robed woman found at Epidaurus

December 29, 2021: Story at Greek City Times [English]

New archeological museum opening in Chania

October 19, 2021: Story at GTP Pages [English] - More Archeology in Greece

Archeological find made in Western Greece

The head of a statue dating back to Roman times was pulled out of the sea near Preveza, at a depth of about 10 meters. According to a statement by the Greek Culture, the head of a Roman-era statue, was probably sculptured at the time of the emperors Antoninus or Severus (2nd – 3rd century AD).

October 12, 2021: Story at Keep Talking Greece [English]

Probable Crusader era sword found off coast of Israel

October 29, 2021: Story at Skai [Greek] and at MSN "900 year old sword found"

Archeological find in Kozani

Wealthy woman's 1st century BC burial site found - Skai [Greek]

April 25, 2021

Protection for archeological site of the Plato Academy

Story at Skai [Greek]

April 14, 2021

Archeological find of "excellently preserved figurine"

Story at AP News [English]

March 19, 2021

Archeological find in Peania

January 24, 2021: Story at Skai [Greek]

Archeological discovery in south Peloponnese

Ancient 4th to 2nd century BC tombs discovered - story at Keep Talking Greece [Greek]

Nov 30, 2020

Greece archeological museums ranked highly online

Oct 10, 2020: Story at Protothema [English]

Thessaloniki archeological find to be removed then brought back after construction

March 7, 2020: Story at eKathimerini [English]

Archeological artifact goes back to Greece from Germany

Nov 15, 2019: An ancient wine cup - story at Archeology.org [English]

Investigation of the Acropolis of Glas archeological feat

Nov 8, 2019: Story at ABC News [English]

Multiple underwater archeological finds made off Kasos

Nov 7, 2019:Story at Newsweek [English]

Archeological find in ancient Sparta

October 25, 2019: Story at Fox News [English]

Arrests on Kalymnos for underwater archeological site stealing

October 1, 2019: Story at Keep Talking Greece [English]

Byzantine archeological find on Kythnos

September 7, 2019: Story at France24 [English]

Homer comes alive at Iklaina

August 25, 2019: Archeology story at eKathimerini [English]

Archeological discovery of two unmolested tombs in Nemea

August 12, 2019: Story at WDBJ7 [English]

Archeological remains found from ancient Battle of Salamis

June 17, 2019: Story at Newsweek [English]

COSCO work at Piraeus to be limited in future?

April 3, 2019: Expansion would include archeological areas, so the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) has halted the plan. Story at Protothema [English] and at eKathimerini [English] and at Liberal.gr [Greek]

Sunken archeological sites to be developed

April 9, 2019: Story at Yahoo on plans of the Ministry of Culture [English]

German woman returns ancient mosaics

The story is that during the 1960s the unnamed woman took mosaics from Delos and Athens archeological sites. She has now placed them with the Greek Embassy in Berlin in order to achieve their return. Story at Tornos News. [Over the centuries a great number of artifacts have been removed from Greece, usually illegally - - for example, the most famous being the "Elgin marbles aka Parthenon Marbles".)

October 18, 2018

Ancient figure and artifacts found on Santorini

Keep Talking Greece on this archeological find which includes a marble proto-cycladic female figurine plus jars and vials.

October 12, 2018

Archeology.org on a large, rock-cut chamber tomb dating to the early Mycenaean era found near Orchomenos. A second article describes some of the objects found in the tomb.

October 5, 2018

Pressure Grows for Museums to Return Stolen Objects - Der Spiegel

December 10, 2014

More about the Parthenon Marbles (aka "Elgin Marbles")

"A marble cycladic female figurine is on display at Greece's National Archeological Museum on June 6 after its return to the country after nearly 40 years in Germany.

The museums have now been directed to review the provenance of all archeological objects that have entered into the collections since 1970. A representative of each museum has been appointed to conduct the review. Pazinger also promises "We will always be prepared to return things if it can be proven that they are of illegal origin."

The looting of the National Museum of Iraq after the American invasion in 2003 and the photographs of destroyed cultural sites in civil war-torn countries in the Middle East and Africa have prompted debates about the protection of these treasures throughout the West, including Germany. Dubious purchases had been made for years by Western museums, but the practice is now widely considered to be immoral."

Thessaloniki subway compromised by major archeological find - BBC

March 14, 2013