Someone Who. Really Digs the Classics by Cheryl Arnold ·
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~ARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA '-..... ....__ ...._- Someone who. really digs the classics by Cheryl Arnold · leusls, the spiritual centre of the "History is a chain of events and you entire Pagan world for more than have to reconstruct every link in order to 3,500 years, is being uncovered understand our own civilization and Elayer by patient layer by a Univer culture," says Cosmopoulos. sity of Manitoba archaeologist who has already peeled back time to the bronze The chain began at Eleusis around age. 3000 B.C. when the Greeks constructed a sanctuary at the designated site of the MThe site is second only to the Acrop abduction of the Greek goddess Perse olis in historical significance," e.'I.'J)Iains phone. It ended in 400 A.D., when the Dr. Michael Cosmopoulos, who last year Huns destroyed Eleusis. began an archaeological e.'\cavation of the Greek sanctuary. Vice-provost of The sanctuary was dedicated to University College, Cosmopoulos is a Persephone and her mother Demeter, the member of the department of classics. goddess of agriculture. It was run by a He is also a Greek citizen, which gives society which often engaged in symbolic him and the University of Manitoba a and mysterious rites to guide Persephone unique window through which to ex and the rebirth of each gro\\ing season. plore the ancient world. Secret and inspiring, the rites were Foreign countries, including Cana never revealed, for violating the oath of secrecy brought instant death. Because ::....~ da, are allowed to dig at only three sites Dr. Michael Cosmopoulos (left) in Greece. As a Greek national, Cos this precluded a wrtuen record, the only conducrs the excavations at Eleusis. mopoulos has been allowed to direct ex way to reconstruct life in Eleusis Is cavations at an additional two. He start through archaeological digs. Modern e.\:· ed the first one at Oropos in 1989 and is cavations, begun in 1880, were halted in still directing it. 1930. INSIDE... Between 150 and 200 studems from Since 1994, when Cosmopoulos was Rebuilt hydraulics lab opens Its the University of Manitoba and from given the honour of resuming excava gates other unlversi ties in North America have tions there, remains of the Roman peri already worked to assist research at od, houses from the fifth century classi AIDS in the womb Oropos. Six take part in the Eleusis dig cal Greek period and bronze age depos What makes a good teacher? annually. its from the time of the Trojan War have When the 'old' drugs no longer been unearthed. Cosmopoulos says the excavations, work especially at Eleusls, provide students Cosmopoulos is using these findings • Aging consumers and their with unique training in the field, and to study the economy and social and communities they draw international attention to political organization of each era. His So.mething fishy in geological Canada and the University of Manitoba e.'I.'J)loration of Eleusis is supported by a sc1ences from the world\\ide archaeological com 5128,000, three-year grant from the So munity. cial Sciences and Humanities Research lihe physics of pharmacy Council of Canada. UM .'V-IN•TiiiEiiiRIIIi'9•5r------=0 .