AT ATHENS AT FOUNDED 1881 SPRING 2021 NUMBER 76 Professor Jenifer Neils in “Athenian Pottery Up Close” at the Stoa of Attalos, part of the American School’s ongoing webinar series featuring distinguished faculty and scholars. Story on page 8 IN THIS ISSUE Frankopan to Give Celebrating American Ion Dragoumis Corinth Excavations’ 3 Potamianos Lectures 4 Philhellenism 6 Exhibition 7 Virtual Collaborations Explore Our Blegen Library Over- Student Center The Lykaion Walk 8 Webinar Series 9 comes Lockdown 10 Update 12 New Book Q&A: Kea Trip Logbook New Publication/ Staying 13 Tsoungiza Hill 14 15 Aristeia Award 16 Connected Lab’s Ancient Gala 2021 to Overseers Fund In Memoriam 17 DNA Analysis 18 Go Virtual 20 New Acquisitions 21 SPRING 2021 2 Jenifer Neils, Director of the School Lockdowns, Outreach, and Snow! Board of Trustees Every time I think life just might return to Although during the past year the country normal, we are hit with unexpected events—the has been subject to several long lockdowns, for- Alexander E. Zagoreos, rise in COVID-19 cases requiring an extended tunately, our operations have not been seriously Chairman William T. Loomis, President lockdown, a record snow fall in February, and an affected. Renovations continue uninterrupted in Constantine M. Dakolias, astounding audience for our webinars requir- Loring Hall, our staff comes to work in Kolonaki, Treasurer ing us to expand our network. The snow was the Agora, and Corinth, and we provide what ser- Jacqueline C. McCabe, beautiful and went on for two days, but many vices we can (book loans, scanning services, and Secretary trees succumbed to the unaccustomed weight take-out lunches) to our members. Although the Stathis Andris on their branches. The strict lockdown means Blegen and Gennadius Libraries remain closed, Jane E. Buikstra that Athenians cannot leave the city or go out our six doctoral students living on campus R. Nicholas Burns Jonathan Z. Cohen after 6 p.m. on weekends. Retail and restaurants (four in Canaday House and two in the Direc- Henry P. Davis‡ are all sadly closed. But the good news is that tor’s House) are allowed access and are working Jack L. Davis the vaccine has arrived and is being delivered ef- away on their dissertations, tea talks, and virtual Robert J. Desnick Elizabeth R. Gebhard ficiently. We all hope this means that Greece can Andrew S. Georges reopen this coming summer. continued on page 5 Mark L. Lawall, Ex Officio Mary R. Lefkowitz J. Robert Maguire George M. Marcus Arianna Packard Martell Theo Melas-Kyriazi George Orfanakos, Executive Director Nassos Michas Sebastien Missoffe William Slaughter Charles W. Steinmetz Phaedon T. Tamvakakis West House Renamed in Honor Judith Ogden Thomson Andreas M. Zombanakis of James R. McCredie Emeriti/ae Edward E. Cohen In the summer of 2020, Marian M. (Mimsy) Mc- to the American School’s illustrious past. Honor- Paul D. Friedland Hunter Lewis* Credie made a commitment to rename the West ing Jim’s legacy with the McCredie House adds Herbert L. Lucas House in memory of her late husband, James R. another important chapter to our rich history. Robert A. McCabe* (Jim) McCredie. In doing so, Mimsy recalled the The McCredie House, located at the west Marianne McDonald Mary Patterson McPherson eight happy years they spent together in Athens: end of the courtyard garden, will have one James H. Ottaway Jr.† “We saw part of our role as providing a sense bedroom suites on each of its three floors. David W. Packard of community and home for the students. That Apartments can be combined to accommodate Hunter R. Rawlings III is why I am delighted to have James’s name as- scholars with larger families. It will stand as a Malcolm H. Wiener† sociated with a place that will provide students tribute to Jim, an archaeologist, scholar, admin- *President Emeritus with that sense of home and community for istrator, friend, and mentor who brought the †Chairman Emeritus ‡Treasurer Emeritus years to come.” School to new heights of excellence during his Through philanthropy, the renovated 60-year association. Student Center is not only being transformed physically but also becoming a living monument continued on page 19 NEWS OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL 3 % To read more about Dr. Frankopan, please visit ascsa.edu.gr/news/newsDetails/ frankopan-selected-as-inaugural-speaker Peter Frankopan Selected as Inaugural Speaker for Thalia Potamianos Annual Lecture Series Dr. Maria Georgopoulou, Director of the mitment from Phokion Potamianos, an Gennadius Library, and Andreas Zom- Overseer of the Gennadius Library. Mr. banakis, Chairman of the Overseers of the Potamianos named the series in memory Gennadius Library, are pleased to an- of his grandmother, a distinguished Greek nounce the selection of Dr. Peter Franko- doctor, academic, and philanthropist. pan as the inaugural speaker for the Thalia Mr. Potamianos remarked, “It is a great Potamianos Annual Lecture Series on the pleasure to commence the Thalia Pota- Impact of Greek Culture. The lectures will mianos lectures with a series of presenta- be held on: tions in Greece and the United States by Dr. Frankopan. His work, placing Greece’s • October 7, 2021: Cotsen Hall, Athens cultural role in a global context, is at the • May 10, 2022: St. Bartholomew’s Church, heart of the purpose of the lectures and New York City highly relevant to modern Greece that is, • May 2022: Washington, D.C. (date and once again, connected to the modern venue to be determined) Silk Road.” Dr. Georgopoulou stated, “I am Dr. Frankopan is Professor of Global elated that for the first of our Thalia Pota- History at Oxford University, where he is mianos lectures, Dr. Frankopan’s bold Stavros Niarchos Director of the Oxford thinking will delve into such an intriguing Centre for Byzantine Research. A world- topic: the history of Greece from a global renowned historian and award-winning perspective.” author, he will present “Global Greece: Mr. Zombanakis noted, “A new chap- A History.” This series of lectures will ter in the history of the Gennadius Library Peter Frankopan (photo by Johnny Ring) examine the role that Greece, Greek cul- begins as we continue to rapidly expand ture, literature, and language have played our outreach program of lectures, exhibi- Every year, a highly distinguished, over the course of more than two and a tions, and webinars beyond the confines internationally renowned scholar is half millennia. Instead of focusing on the of Athens. Dr. Frankopan is a most worthy selected to conduct research and develop familiar and limited Mediterranean con- inaugural speaker for our new Thalia Pota- programs on a topic relevant to the Gen- text, the lectures will look at Greece from mianos Annual Lecture Series.” nadius Library. The research will culmi- a global perspective, allowing not only a Specific event details and links for the nate in a minimum of three public keynote better understanding of world history but lectures will be forthcoming. Please visit lectures, which will be delivered in Athens of Greece itself. ascsa.edu.gr/email-subscribe to subscribe and the United States. These talks will be Dr. Frankopan said, “I am delighted to our electronic newsletter and to receive accompanied by publications, podcasts, to have been invited to present the first updates on these lectures and other en- and other appropriate media to maximize Thalia Potamianos lectures. The American gaging events from the School. exposure and engagement. School and the Gennadius Library are Established in June 2020, the Thalia famous around the world, so it is an honor Potamianos Annual Lectures Series on the FOR MORE INFORMATION and a privilege. I am very excited to give Impact of Greek Culture seeks to create the first talk in Athens in October and then a stimulating environment to draw both Please visit ascsa.edu.gr/news/newsDetails/ potamianos-establishes-new-lecture-series in the United States in the spring of 2022.” the academic community and the general to learn more about the Thalia Potamianos The Thalia Potamianos lectures are public to the American School and the Annual Lecture Series. being made possible by a generous com- Gennadius Library. SPRING 2021 4 Maria Georgopoulou, Director of the Gennadius Library GENNADIUS LIBRARY Gennadeion to Celebrate American Philhellenism in Upcoming Exhibition at Makriyannis Wing Overseers of the Gennadius Library Andreas M. Zombanakis, Chairman Nassos Michas, Vice Chairman Phaedon T. Tamvakakis, Secretary-Treasurer Nicholas G. Bacopoulos Catherine Boura, Ex Officio Edward E. Cohen Costa Constantine Jack L. Davis Anastasios Kriekoukis Panagiotis Laskaridis Mark L. Lawall, Ex Officio Natasha Lemos Anastasios I. Leventis William T. Loomis, Ex Officio Constantine (Deno) Macricostas Lana J. Mandilas Yannis Manuelides Mark Mazower Anne McCabe E. Leo Milonas Phokion Potamianos Robert L. Pounder Curtis Runnels Susan Buck Sutton Left: American philhellene Samuel Gridley Howe (photo courtesy of Brown University). Nicholas J. Theocarakis Right: Hiram Powers’s sculpture, The Greek Slave. Maria Vassalou Alexandra C. Vovolini Chiona Xanthopoulou-Schwarz To mark the bicentennial of the Greek War which will also be available online, is Kathryn B. Yatrakis of Independence (1821–1828), Director of based on rare archival materials from the Alexander E. Zagoreos* the Gennadius Library Maria Georgopou- Gennadius Library as well as paintings and Emeriti/ae lou is organizing The Free and the Brave: objects from museums and private collec- R. Nicholas Burns American Philhellenes and the Glorious tions in Greece, including some important Apostolos Th. Doxiadis Struggle of the Greeks (1776–1866). This pieces that once belonged to one of the Michael Dukakis exhibition will be on view at the Library’s greatest American philhellenes, Samuel Edmund L. Keeley Anthony G. Lykiardopoulos Makriyannis Wing from May 25 through Gridley Howe, and are now in the private Olga Maridakis-Karatzas December 19, 2021.