Keros has been an archaeological mystery since 1963, when Colin Renfrew, then a PhD student, reported looting at the west end of the island. Investigations over the next 40 years showed that what had been looted was a large deposit of ritually broken prestige items, including the iconic Cycladic figurines. The discovery in 2006 of a second, unlooted deposit opened the way for scholars finally to understand that what had once existed here was the world’s earliest maritime sanctuary, where inhabitants from all the surrounding islands (and sometimes further afield) came, in wooden canoes, to participate in community rituals which resulted in the large deposits of broken figurines.

 

In 2007 and 2008, work began on understanding the adjacent settlement – now known to be the largest of the Bronze Age Cyclades. Only a small part could be excavated in 2007 and 2008, so additional excavations between 2016 and 2018 aimed to expand our understanding of this unique site. The 2016-2018 excavations with the use of the latest excavation techniques including dGPS, the iDig iPad app, and digital photogrammetry revealed extensive monumental walling, an entrance stairway into the site, and two metallurgical workshops and helped us understand how all the different parts of the island were utilised in the Early Bronze Age. We now know that the site was built in a monumental and planned manner, using marble arduously imported by sea from Naxos 10km (6 miles) distant. Although distant from ore sources, the site was a metalworking centre, where smelting and casting took place. We are only beginning to comprehend the scope of the site, its importance in the far-flung networks of the Early Bronze Age.

 

Current programme of research: In 2025, we begin a new, five-year programme of research. We use the latest micro-archaeological excavation techniques and all-digital recording, including dGPS, digital recording on tablets, lidar and digital photogrammetry. We aim to understand how all the different parts of the island were utilised in the early bronze age and develop our understanding of the overall structure, function and date of the site.

 

The programme starting in 2025 is formally a co-operative project between the Greek Ministry of Culture (Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades - EfAKyk) and the British School at Athens (BSA), with the close collaboration of The Cyprus Institute (CyI). The directors will be Michael Boyd (BSA/CyI), Evi Margaritis (CyI) and Demetris Athanasoulis (EfAKyk). Colin Renfrew has given his enthusiastic blessing to the project and will continue to advise us as Director Emeritus. The Field School is a joint enterprise of the British School at Athens and The Cyprus Institute.

 

Training: Field school participants will work with experienced excavators and will receive training in the entire excavation procedure including stratigraphic excavation techniques, site recording and survey techniques. The work at the site will be combined with activities in the field laboratory. Participants will have the chance to work with the many specialists involved in the project to learn about post excavation processing techniques and the different scientific approaches used in a state-of-the-art excavation.

 

Field school students will be receiving training and assisting with the many aspects of archaeological fieldwork including flotation, sieving, photogrammetry on the field, georeferencing, micromorphology, photographic documentation of finds, soil chemistry.

 

In addition to on-site training, the field school will organise a series of seminars where visiting experts will talk about their work, giving students unique insights into current research and archaeological practice, the Aegean Bronze Age, and the special place of Keros in the Aegean Early Bronze Age.

 

The field school will be managed by Dr Vana Orfanou, who will organise the afternoon seminar series. Teaching and training are in English. Greek and English are used on the project.

 

The field school is suitable for both beginner and advanced students in archaeology, as well as those interested in Early Bronze Age and Aegean archaeology.