Hallvard Indgjerd

• Levine, Evan I.; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Samdal, Magne & Kristensen, Steinar (2025). High-resolution drone lidar for Mediterranean archaeology: point classification, feature detection, and the potential for cultural heritage management. Journal of Greek Archaeology (JGA). ISSN 2059-4674. 10, p. 164–184. doi: 10.32028/jga.v10i.3350. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The introduction of airborne laser scanning (ALS) or lidar into the archaeologist’s ever-expanding toolkit has profoundly impacted our understanding of premodern landscapes. Most notably used for the detection of archaeological sites in densely vegetated environments, airborne lidar has been an effective tool for recording the surface topography of a landscape beneath the upper canopies of forests or jungles. While the collection of aerial lidar data for archaeology has traditionally required significant funding and collaboration with specialist firms, recent developments in lightweight and affordable sensors mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones have increased access to lidar data collection. With drone lidar, archaeologists can now capture smaller areas of interest at much higher resolutions than traditional airborne lidar, enabling precise and efficient documentation of landscapes with complex topography or ephemeral archaeological features. With readily available lidar sensors and medium-payload consumer drones, archaeologists are now able to bring lidar data from new regions into dialogue with more established zones of lidar-based research. Additionally, the higher resolution afforded by low-altitude flights and direct control over data collection enables archaeologists to explore innovative applications of aerial lidar and pose new questions about premodern landscapes.

• Campbell, Rosie; Floquet, Marie; Indgjerd, Hallvard R; Boyd, Michael J & Renfrew, Colin (2025). Building blocks between past and present: Perspectives from a holistic 3D GIS-based intra-site excavation archive. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. ISSN 2352-409X. 69. doi: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105522. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper summarises the development and showcases the uses of a 3D GIS-based tool used by the Keros Project in our work at the Early Bronze Age site of Dhaskalio, Keros. While reflexivity and born-digital tools were built into the design of the more recent 2016–2018 excavations, the earlier 2006–2008 seasons were limited to the techniques available at the time. This has led us to address how to appropriately integrate older non-natively digital excavation material into an extensive 3D environment in a way in which specialist and artefact data, stratigraphic information and architectural material can appropriately be analysed together and made accessible to team members in a single environment. The extrapolation of photogrammetric models and orthomosaics from archival excavation photos from the 2006–2008 seasons, and incorporation of 3D finds and specialist data has been a key challenge. The synthesis of old and new data from a project archive based on disparate sources in such a 3D environment has offered many benefits: first, a contribution to the role of reflexivity in excavation practices and site interpretation, and second, a better comprehension of the site overall, especially from an architectural perspective. In particular, bringing together 3D models of building remains which had been backfilled, and were thus inaccessible to those working in the most recent excavations, has been invaluable to our understanding of the site. Furthermore, such work has facilitated the production of new data in 3D reconstructions of the different occupation phases. This paper addresses some of the methodological and theoretical issues faced when attempting to incorporate such diverse data into a single access point, in particular with reference to 3D data, in the hope of continuing a dialogue on best practices for long-term single project archives in a period of increasingly born-digital data.

• Levitan, Rebecca; Levine, Evan; Athanasoulis, Demetrios; Legaki, Irini; Paga, Jessica & Campbell, Rosie [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2025). An interdisciplinary workflow for the comprehensive study of ancient quarried landscapes. Antiquity. ISSN 0003-598X. 99(408), p. 1677–1690. doi: 10.15184/aqy.2025.10212. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Quarries are information-rich anthropic landscapes, but their unique characteristics often limit the effectiveness of traditional archaeological documentation strategies. Here, the authors present a novel interdisciplinary method for the documentation and analysis of these landscapes, focusing on two ancient marble quarries on the Mediterranean island of Naxos. The workflow, combining lidar, photogrammetry, sculptural and architectural study, geoscience, ecological study and archaeological survey, provides a means for the systematic documentation of quarry landscapes in the Mediterranean and beyond, and aims to promote an understanding of premodern extractive activities not as isolated occurrences but as important aspects of interconnected, evolving landscapes.

• Bargfeldt, Niels; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Letteney, Mark; Levine, Evan; Levitan, Rebecca & Reiss, Naomi [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Materiality of Incarceration in Mediterranean Antiquity: The Prison Project (2023–2026). Early Christianity. ISSN 1868-7032. 15(4), p. 545–565. doi: 10.1628/ec-2024-0027. Full text in Research Archive
• Campbell, Rosie; Boyd, Michael; Herbst, James; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Meyer, Nathan & Renfrew, Colin (2024). A holistic solution for the analysis of excavation and specialist data in a 3D GIS framework. Journal of Greek Archaeology (JGA). ISSN 2059-4674. 9, p. 47–64. doi: 10.32028/jga.v9i. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper seeks to summarise the development and showcase the uses of a 3D GIS-based tool used by the Keros Project in our work at the Early Bronze Age site of Dhaskalio, Keros. While reflexivity and born-digital tools were built into the design of the 2016-2018 excavations, 1 the issue of how appropriately to use, analyse and make accessible the vast quantities of digital data, especially the over one thousand 3D SFM photogrammetric models, came to the forefront of the post-excavation programme. This tool aims to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for the interpretation of the excavation, including multi-layered 3D views of the site and all geo-located data resulting both from the excavation and from subsequent specialist studies. This is a true 3D GIS system, encapsulating all the abilities of a traditional GIS, including data entry, database management, data analysis and manipulation, while giving access to all excavation and specialist data within a single platform, making the tool data-driven and research-oriented.

• Indgjerd, Hallvard (2022). . . . διά νήσων πλέειν  . . . Taking the Island Route: Trade and Exchange Along the Coast of Southern Naxos. In Lampinen, Antti & Ferrándiz, Emilia Mataix (Ed.), Seafaring and Mobility in the Late Antique Mediterranean. Bloomsbury Academic. ISSN 9781350201705. doi: 10.5040/9781350201736.ch-005. Full text in Research Archive
• Boyd, Michael; Campbell, Rosie; Doonan, Rodger; Douglas, Catherine; Gavalas, Georgios & Gkouma, Myrsini [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Open Area, Open Data: Advances in Reflexive Archaeological Practice. Journal of Field Archaeology. ISSN 0093-4690. 46(2), p. 62–80. doi: 10.1080/00934690.2020.1859780. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article presents a holistic and reflexive process for archaeological fieldwork from inception to publication. The opportunities afforded by maturing digital techniques allowed fundamental rethinking of field and laboratory practice paradigms. A number of normally unquestioned aspects of archaeological praxis were examined with the goal of reorganizing information dynamics. Instead of a series of disparate processes in the field and field laboratory and during study and publication phases, a heterarchically-organized common information framework bonded all aspects of work traditionally only brought together in post-excavation processing, replacing disparate datasets and encompassing ongoing processes such as excavation recording, finds processing, and final analyses. Recording uses a common interface based on the iDig iPad app, and analyses use 3D GIS, based on comprehensive photogrammetry and an underlying all-encompassing data engine. The development and application of the process are described with reference to the excavations, study, and publication of EBA sites on Keros, Cyclades, Greece.

• Ahrens, Sven; Vangstad, Hilde; Indgjerd, Hallvard Rübner; Kvalø, Frode & Tagonidou, Ekaterini (2018). Undervannsarkeologiske registreringer av skipsvrak og havner på Naxos. Klassisk Forum. ISSN 0801-3179. 2018(1), p. 53–61. Full text in Research Archive
• Indgjerd, Hallvard (2018). Ceramics as an indicator of building chronology at Kastro Apalirou: Preliminary observations. In Crow, James & Hill, David (Ed.), Naxos and the Byzantine Aegean: Insular Responses to Regional Change. The Norwegian Institute at Athens. ISSN 9789608514577. p. 145–154. Full text in Research Archive
• Brandt, Johann Rasmus; Ahrens, Sven; Wenn, Camilla Cecilie; Hagelberg, Erika; Bjørnstad, Gro & Bortheim, Kjetil [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2016). Liv og død i Hierapolis. Norske utgravninger i en hellenistisk–romersk–bysantinsk by i Lilleasia. Viking - Norsk arkeologisk årbok. ISSN 0332-608X. 79, p. 193–220. doi: https:/journals.uio.no/viking/article/view/3911. Full text in Research Archive
• Wenn, Camilla Cecilie; Bortheim, Kjetil; Cappelletto, Erika; Indgjerd, Hallvard Rübner & Kiesewetter, Henrike (2015). To the bottom – Final excavations in area B of the East Necropolis (Hierapolis, Turkey). Nicolay: Arkeologisk tidsskrift. ISSN 0332-8937. 126, p. 21–28. Full text in Research Archive

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• Indgjerd, Hallvard & Levine, Evan (2025). Maquis, Marble, & Machine Learning: Current & Future Approaches to the Classification of UAV LiDAR in Mediterranean Archaeology. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The use of UAV lidar for low-altitude, high-resolution topographic survey is becoming increasingly common in archaeological field research, offering archaeologists direct control over the collection of lidar data. However, the processing workflows and classification algorithms most commonly employed by archaeologist were developed for higher altitude, lower resolution airborne laser scanning (ALS), and are not optimizied for the higher resolution topographic data collected by UAV lidar platforms. These algorithms are also unsuitable for Mediterranean vegetation profiles and are not designed to specifically target archaeological remains. This paper evaluates existing open algorithms and processing methodologies for point cloud classification with a focus on their ability to discern archaeologically relevant features in low altitude, high resolution lidar datasets. The case studies uses data collected at ancient marble quarries on the Cycladic island of Naxos and the funerary landscape in Mølen, Norway, which present a diverse range of vegetation types, complex topography, and varied anthropic features. Looking ahead, we explore new advances in the use of deep learning for the development of semi-supervised classification models. Could the fast-paced development in machine learning lead to the creation of classifiers specifically targeted for Mediterranean landscapes and the documentation of archaeological features? We discuss possible workflows and compare test results of classification models produced from semi-supervised deep learning models to industry standard classification algorithms, exploring the strengths, weaknesses, and potential for advances in point cloud classification for archaeological enquiry. In so doing, we argue for the need to develop analytical tools designed specifically for the high resolution datasets produced by low-altitude UAV data collection in the context of archaeological feature documentation.

• Indgjerd, Hallvard; Campbell, Rosie & Boyd, Michael (2025). From Field to Lab to 3D archive: Evolution of the Keros Digital Recording Programme. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Between 2016 and 2018, the Keros Project undertook a transformative shift in its excavation methodology, towards a fully digital, paperless recording strategy (Boyd et al. 2021). Utilising the iDig application, the project streamlined field and lab data collection, as well as replacing traditional field drawings with photogrammetric models of each stratigraphic context. This approach not only enhanced the precision and efficiency of fieldwork but also laid the groundwork for the comprehensive integration of excavation data into a unified digital system. Post-excavation analyses highlighted the need for an overarching digital platform capable of encompassing the entirety of the project’s datasets—ranging from stratigraphic records and artefact data, to geospatial data and photogrammetric models. To address this, we envisioned and began developing a ‘living’ 3D database and archive (Campbell et al. 2024). This dynamic system integrates material from both the 2016–2018 excavations and earlier campaigns (2006–2008), creating a unified intra-site archive. Designed to be adaptable and extensible, this database accommodates evolving research questions, supports multivariate and scalar analyses, and facilitates collaborative workflows by allowing simultaneous access for multiple users with diverse analytical needs. This work also highlighted shortcomings in the existing recording strategies and challenges with achieving a truly heterarchical and reflexive field praxis. Many of these relate to common issues in digital field recording - ensuring safe and lossless synchronisation across poorly connected work locations with concurrent data entry; striking a balance between interpretive freedom and structured data with controlled vocabularies; adapting varied and domain specific data types and research traditions into a portal and a language accessible to all contributors. In a bid to tackle these challenges, we are developing a new open source web-based recording platform that will serve as a cornerstone of our excavation strategy for the return to Dhaskalio in Spring 2025. Inspired by the FAIR movement, the system embodies principles of accessibility and interoperability for all data within the scope of the ongoing work, and facilitates creation of FAIR archival data beyond the project. A main focus is directed towards improving the interlinking of data and deconstructing information silos. We aim to link all real-time field data with the 3D GIS archive, integrating spatial and contextual information into a seamless framework. In order to facilitate knowledge sharing across domains and fast, up-to-date overviews, we are experimenting with LLM generated summaries. The system thus aspires to support immediate data visualisation and analysis during the excavation season, enhancing decision-making processes in the field and equalising access to information to all project workers. This presentation will explore the challenges and achievements of designing and implementing these digital tools, with a focus on how they address the complexities of large-scale archaeological projects. The stages of transformation from analog recording into the first and second generation of born digital field data in the Keros-Dhaskalio excavations fits well into the explanatory model of digitalisation presented by Taylor and Dell’Unto (2021). The adoption of digital recording solutions often starts out with a skeuomorph of the analogue counterpart, which needs time to mature in the user’s experience through socialisation with the new medium before the possibilities of the new technology can fully contribute to a transformation of field practices. We believe the paperless excavations of 2016-18 partly moved into the transformatory phase, but hope to show that the current iteration is securely embedded in that stage. By exploring a wider array of technological opportunities in fieldwork and post-excavation workflows, the Keros Project demonstrates an approach to digital archaeological documentation that balances flexibility and collaboration.

• Levine, Evan I.; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Kristensen, Steinar & Samdal, Magne (2024). Using UAV Lidar to Reveal Quarried Landscapes on Naxos. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The ancient marble quarries of Naxos preserve complex landscapes of resource extraction, artistic creation, and labor exploitation in the Archaic Cyclades. However, their systematic study, mapping, and integration into broader discussions of island economies and political geographies has been limited by rugged topography and dense vegetation. This paper presents the collection and analysis of UAV lidar data for two ancient quarries on Naxos and the use of these data within a broader suite of interdisciplinary fieldwork that focuses on the landscape signatures and material culture associated with marble extraction. We begin by exploring the benefits and drawbacks of UAV lidar data collection for landscape study, with particular focus on its comparison to aerial lidar data and UAV photogrammetry. We then highlight the efficacy of UAV lidar data for the detection and classification of archaeological features, and the potential for these data to build accurate models of quarries, to identify traces of extraction, and to calculate volumes of extracted marble. We conclude by discussing how these methods and datasets have informed and guided other forms of fieldwork on Naxos, as part of a multiscalar and interdisciplinary fieldwork project. In so doing, we explore if and how UAV-based lidar platforms fit into the ever-expanding toolbox of Aegean survey archaeology.

• Athanasoulis, Demetrios; Campbell, Rosie; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Knodell, Alex R.; Levine, Evan I. & Öztürk, Hüseyin Ç. (2024). Islands Unknown: Small Islands and Insular Lifeways in the Early Medieval Aegean. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Our paper examines the realities of building and experiencing Late Antique and Medieval life on small, now-uninhabited islands in the Aegean, drawing from new fieldwork on three recently documented settlements of Mikri Akradia near Milos, Vriokastro near Paros, and Megalo Viokastro near Amorgos. We argue that in our period of focus, the role of the Aegean transitioned from an internal “Mare Nostrum,” where the South Aegean was a safe and stable part of the (Eastern) Roman Empire, to a precarious seascape represented by an increased focus on naval bases and islets as strategic outposts. Concentrated building activity on each of these small islands in the 7th and 8th centuries reveals patterns of evolving purpose and function: Mikri Akradia and Vriokastro, for example, served as lookout posts, providing visibility to important sea lines and approaches to harbors on their larger island neighbors. Megalo Viokastro, on the other hand, is characterized by difficult access, defensibility, and concealed architecture, suggesting a focus on defensive planning. While these islands were home to small, isolated communities, our study highlights the interconnectedness of the Archipelago, with each island settlement playing a particular role within complex economic and political networks. Architectural planning on these confined and resource limited landscapes led to a particular local vernacular architecture, and careful study of these settlements highlights differences in size, layout, and function that point to different actors and motives behind their foundation. Reintegrating study of these small islands within broader historical and archaeological narratives highlights how their unique, localized geographies contributed to the formation of particular island identities, highlighting a unique and diverse built environment and visual culture within the Medieval Aegean.

• Knodell, Alex R.; Athanasoulis, Demetrios; Banks, Jeffrey; Belza, Anna; Campbell, Rosie & Cherry, John F. [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). The Small Cycladic Islands Project 2023: The Islets of Andros, Tenos, Mykonos, and Amorgos. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Small Cycladic Islands Project (SCIP) is a diachronic, comparative survey of numerous small, currently uninhabited islands in the Cycladic Archipelago of Greece. While most of these places never sustained long-term populations, they witnessed a variety of different uses in the past, including pasturage, agriculture, stopovers, refuges, and strongholds. Since 2019, SCIP has carried out systematic archaeological surveys of 68 small islands. The 2023 field season focused on 22 islets in the vicinity of Andros, Tenos, Mykonos, and Amorgos. This paper presents the results of this most recent phase of fieldwork. The goals of the 2023 season were threefold. First, we aimed to expand our coverage to the islets of the eastern Cyclades. These zones are points of comparison with the western and central Cyclades, where the project conducted fieldwork between 2019 and 2022. Second, we aimed to include more “medium-sized” islets in the survey. Earlier work on relatively large (18 square kilometers) and very small (under 1 square kilometer) islands revealed interesting patterns concerning island size and intensity and consistency of use. We had previously surveyed only two examples in a middle range between 1 and 3 square kilometers in size. In 2023 we surveyed five such islets, where the volume and variety of finds suggest a critical size threshold in this range. Finally, the 2023 field season provided an opportunity to implement a lidar-led methodology that combines intensive pedestrian survey with high-resolution remote sensing. This was an exceptionally effective survey strategy, especially for covering larger survey zones in a limited amount of time. In addition to these comparative and methodological advances, findings of particular interest include evidence of Neolithic visitation in several places; a major Early Cycladic settlement; an Archaic-Hellenistic sanctuary site; Roman fortifications and waystations; and several medieval churches and settlements.

• Indgjerd, Hallvard (2023). Back to DIY: Beyond turnkey web solutions. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Archaeologists working in the field are met with a particular set of challenges different from most other web-based database users. These include the need for mobile, battery powered recording devices, lack of network connectivity in remote areas, and the wide range of data types being collected. The paper takes the author’s experience with setting up and implementing both general purpose proprietary DBMS solutions and specially designed web-based systems for archaeological survey and excavation research projects in the Mediterranean as a starting point for discussing typical advantages and challenges inherent in the available alternatives. It then moves on to look into how the system might be developed going forward, attempting to address some of the issues encountered. While collector apps, such as FileMaker Go and ODK Collect, sets the user free from the need of server connectivity during data capture, they introduce potential issues synchronising the data back at the base, and can’t provide immediate updates on other teams’ work. iDig attempts to alleviate this by allowing for a flat, mesh-like structure of devices that can synchronise with each other in the field, but not without introducing its own ‘syncing headaches’. Most web- and browser-based solutions, like ARK, rely on a central web server storing and sending the data to each connected client device. This ensures every client sees the most up-to-date information, but requires constant network connection. A workaround for remote areas is a ‘field server’ running on a laptop or battery powered SBC, for example a Raspberry Pi. Ready-made web-based platforms offer a welcoming user experience, but they can’t (and can’t be expected to) cater for the variety of use cases and differing expectations across archaeological research projects. While customisation is certainly possible, especially in the case of open-source systems, it often requires a high degree of technical skill and understanding. Then the gap to a fully custom made solution is not so far. Instead of ready-made all-in-one solutions, the author argues it’s time (again) to consider dividing up the tasks and using multiple pieces of software that ‘does one thing, but does it well’. Increasingly user-friendly entrances to advanced and often Free/Open-Source Software packages means more of us have access to enterprise-level tools. Similarly, the recent rise of low- and no-code solution for developing (JavaScript-based) browser based apps has lowered the bar for custom development considerably, further facilitating the creation of custom user interfaces. Decoupling the database and file storage (backend) from the user interface (frontend) introduces a new level of flexibility for users and developers, but may also contribute to better data preservation and FAIR compliance. This allows for multiple routes of access to a single source of data depending on needs during recording, analysis, visualisation and outreach – or simply based on user preference. Rather than keeping data separated in different software, saved in incompatible, and sometimes proprietary file formats, the same familiar software packages can be used as frontends accessing the same data. Automated data processing, data integrity rules and safety measures can be done on the database level or within the user facing software, depending on whether it’s specific for one route of access, or it should apply to all data. In the paper, one such example will be presented. Here, a PostgreSQL with PostGIS database stores the majority of the produced datasets, and provides links to media file types. Having been set up with transparency in mind, the table structure is kept simple and naming schema human readable, ensuring that the data and links can easily be reconstructed by someone new to the system. A number of user interfaces have been set up for data recording and access, all of which can be used in parallel, and immediately see the latest state of the data. For field recording, a web-based interface (LAPP) with modules adapted to the project’s needs is accessed with mobile devices. While the web-app provides a 2D GIS with vector recording options and a simple 3D visualisation feature, more advanced GIS tasks and analysis are done in a dedicated GIS suite. For QGIS, also the project files and layer styles are stored in the PostgreSQL database, providing a file-less solution with minimal configuration for the user. As some users prefer data entry through pre-existing forms in Access or in a spreadsheet-like interface, an ODBC connection has been set up for opening the tables in Access – LibreOffice’s equivalent database software comes with PostgreSQL support pre-installed. Permissions and user management, audit trails and automated backups are all conducted within the database, ensuring a uniform security policy regardless of the user interface, and thus giving a higher level of control over e.g. GIS data creation than is typically seen.

• Campbell, Rosie; Boyd, Michael; Herbst, James; Indgjerd, Hallvard & Meyer, Nathan (2023). Building and using an integrated 3D database. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While modelling techniques such as structure-from-motion photogrammetry are becoming more and more common in archaeological practices, rarely has it been used for more than visualisation purposes or to support the process of manual field drawings (Magnani et al., 2020). It is important to move past the phase of record keeping and visualisation, toward that of significant interpretative value. The improved capacity of computer specifications, normalisation of photogrammetric and 3D modelling as means of archaeological recording, and the increased capacities of current 3D GIS software, have created an ideal environment to develop and expand the use of the third dimension in archaeological analysis. This paper presents an example of a 3D GIS environment that incorporates site data in synthesis with image-based 3D models of each stratigraphic context and structure excavated at the site. Such a ‘true 3D GIS system’, encapsulating all the abilities of a traditional GIS, including data entry, database management, data analysis and manipulation, gives access to all excavation data within a single platform, making the tool data-driven and research-oriented. This is built as an interface for running comparative queries across the trenches and aiding site interpretation by way of spatial analysis. Furthermore, it will act as an interactive database, where site data, photographs, and specialist data and interpretations can be accessed in a single environment. The overarching goal is to improve the integration of separate classes of archaeological data – 3D, 2D GIS, tabular finds data and measurements, photographs, and descriptions – through the creation of a unified system that streamlines interpretation and analysis into a single project centred around 3D models. Data from the most recent excavations of the Early Bronze Age (EBA) site of Dhaskalio, Greece, excavated in the 2016 - 2018 field seasons are used in the current presentation. The recording strategy employed in the field is discussed in detail in Boyd et al. (2020). It included an extensive photogrammetry program, which created the basis for this project. While UAV was used for site-wide image-based models, DEMs and orthomosaics, the 3D models were mainly based on hand-held terrestrial cameras. Both intra-site and micro-level recordings were made of the architecture, stratigraphic units and layers, and other features, giving a three-dimensional representation of each taphonomic event. Finds and samples, including structured chemical sampling of all surfaces, was also recorded in three dimensions. The authors will discuss the experiences and challenges encountered when implementing the system and opening it for use by project participants with varying use cases and levels of technical know-how in the post excavation analysis and write-up phase. We aim highlight the areas where the system added analytical value, but also pinpoint pitfalls and propose workarounds for future implementations.

• Athanasoulis, Demetrios; Davis, Elizabeth R.; Indgjerd, Hallvard & Knodell, Alex R. (2023). A Small-Island Settlement in the Byzantine Aegean: Mikri Akradia, Milos. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In 2022 the Small Cycladic Islands Project (SCIP) carried out an intensive archaeological survey of Mikri Akradia, a small (c. 9 ha) islet located about two kilometers northwest of Milos. The islet was home to a Byzantine-era settlement, which in the past has been identified as a monastery dedicated to Panaghia Akradiotissa. The architectural remains include at least two churches and numerous other structures covering most of the island. In spite of the proximity to Milos—where archaeological evidence for Late Antiquity (and early Christianity) is abundant—Mikri Akradia remains poorly understood. For example, the identification as a monastery is largely speculative, based on the marginal location and the presence of churches. This paper presents the preliminary results and interpretations of SCIP’s survey of Mikri Akradia. The structural remains and pottery are among the most densely concentrated of any of the 45 islets so far surveyed by the project. In this paper, we reevaluate the claim that this island housed a monastery, and argue that it in fact is much more—a proper settlement with evidence of long-term habitation in a strategic (if somewhat challenging) location. This paper also considers the island in its broader temporal and geographic contexts, especially in relation to the Late Antique landscape of Milos. The extensive architectural and ceramic remains offer an opportunity to examine the significance of the site in dialogue with contemporary settlements throughout the Cyclades. This paper therefore sheds new light on a previously understudied Late Antique and medieval complex in a unique location.

• Uleberg, Espen; Matsumoto, Mieko; Dell'Unto, Nicoló; Callieri, Marco; Pantos, George Alexis & Bonelli, Letizia [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Converging and diverging vocabularies - a constant strive for national agreement. Full text in Research Archive
• Bonelli, Letizia; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Pantos, George Alexis & Uleberg, Espen (2023). Experiences from the BItFROST Project: Developing a 3D repository at the Museum of Cultural History. Full text in Research Archive
• Uleberg, Espen; Bonelli, Letizia; Pantos, George Alexis; Indgjerd, Hallvard; Kristensen, Steinar & Samdal, Magne (2023). Digitizing and connecting archaeological objects and documentation. Full text in Research Archive
• Indgjerd, Hallvard (2021). ABANDONMENT AND REUSE - (P.) Cimadomo, (R.) Palermo, (R.) Pappalardo, (R.) Pierobon Benoit (edd.) Before/After. Transformation, Change, and Abandonment in the Roman and Late Antique Mediterranean. Pp. viii + 113, figs, b/w & colour ills, b/w & colour maps. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2020. Paper, £30. ISBN: 978-1-78969-599-1. The Classical Review. ISSN 0009-840X. 71(1), p. 198–201. doi: 10.1017/S0009840X21000160. Full text in Research Archive
• Ahrens, Sven; Krüger, Sverre; Vangstad, Hilde; Kvalø, Frode; Indgjerd, Hallvard & Nitter, Marianne [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2020). Norske spor i greske landskap. [TV]. NRK2. doi: https:/tv.nrk.no/program/KOID75007819. Full text in Research Archive
• Wenn, Camilla Cecilie; Indgjerd, Hallvard Rübner & Laforest, Caroline (2015). Newcomers to the grave: Roman and Medieval burials in Hierapolis of Phrygia (Turkey). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The starting point of this session is the excavation of four house tombs, three sarcophagi as well as a number of simple tile graves in Hierapolis, Phrygia. One house tomb in the North Necropolis was used from the Augustean period, but an inscription indicates that the tomb was taken over by new owners in the third century. While some artefacts and bones from the first phase were thrown under the funeral benches, skeletons were left in situ onthe benches, and the bodies of the second use period were deposited directly on top. The other graves, all in the North-East Necropolis, could be tied to re-use of the necropolis – graves being taken into use again after long periods of disuse, being emptied, or just tidied, new graves being constructed almost on top of earlier graves, and so on, but generally in a less organised manner. In these cases, we have been faced with serious challenges in trying to disentangle what belongs to whom, what happened when, who did what, and how it was done. We will present some of the methods we use to sort out and to try to understand these events, particularly why so many different reappropriations exist within our relatively small sample. Indeed, it does not seem to be one general motivation behind the reappropriation of the tombs, and the finds, both human remains and grave goods, give evidence on practical, social and religious considerations governing the access of funeral spaces, and testify to changing times and traditions.

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