The Zakynthos Archaeology Project

The island of Zakynthos (Greece) has a rich and varied history, but is notoriously lacking in archaeological remains. This “scarcity of archaeology” is primarily due to the extensive destruction of the ancient landscapes by earthquakes and intensive agriculture and building. Starting point for this project is our conviction that we need to be better informed about archaeologically marginal areas such as Zakynthos in order to understand the ancient world.

The Zakynthos Archaeology Project is an interdisciplinary research with the aim to relate the distribution of archaeological finds to the dynamic landscape of the island. To achieve this, scholars and students from various Dutch and Greek universities carry out a range of researches: intensive archaeological survey, remote sensing, geological prospection, limited archaeological excavations (test trenches), study of materials and reconnaissance surveys. The project is a cooperation between the Netherlands Institute in Athens and the Ephorate for Antiquities at Zakynthos . It is directed by Dr Gert Jan van Wijngaarden (University of Amsterdam) and by Christina Merkouri (Ephorate for Antiquities at Zakynthos).