The Helike Project

Location: Aigion, Achaia, GR

Season: July 28, 2025 to August 29, 2025

Application Deadline: July 14, 2025

Deadline Type: Contact for Details

Website: http://www.helikeproject.gr

Program Type:
Volunteer

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
The Helike Society and the University of Patras

Project Director:
Dr. Dora Katsonopoulou

Project Description:

Ancient Helike is on the southwest shore of the Gulf of Corinth near Aigion, about 170 km west of Athens. In searching for the famous Classical city of Helike, destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami in 373 BC, we discovered (a) destruction layers and remains of Classical buildings preserving evidence of earthquake destruction accompanied by tsunami, buried under lagoonal sediments (b) a well preserved Early Bronze Age proto-urban town with large rectilinear buildings including a corridor house, flanking cobbled streets and with intact contents (c) remains of an extensive late Classical-early Hellenistic town including a large complex building of Dye-works with installations for fulling, dyeing and drying in excellent state of preservation (d) a long section (1300m) of the major Roman road between Corinth and Patras crossing the Helike plain, followed by the traveller Pausanias in the 2nd c. AD (e) walls and occupation layers rich in pottery of the Mycenaean period (f) impessive architectural remains and rich pottery of the Geometric Helike (g) late Classical-Hellenistic,Roman and late Byzantine cemeteries (h) building remains of an extensive Roman town. The Helike Project welcomes volunteers to participate in the study and conservation work to be carried out in the field and in the Project’s laboratory.

Period(s) of Occupation: Early Bronze Age, Mycenaean, Geometric/Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, Late Byzantine

Notes:
A unique Early Bronze Age proto-urban town preserved with its contents intact, a rare Early Hellenistic Dye-works site preserving washing/fulling and dyeing/drying installations (tanks, vats, basins) intact, impressive architectural Geometric remains of a chieftain's house and abundant pottery.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 2 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No

Room and Board Arrangements:
Volunteers will stay at the Hotel Themisto in the village of Nikolaiika, about 1-2 km from the excavation sites. Meals included. Cost: Contact Mrs. Maria Karvela or Eleni Georgiou at eliki@otenet.gr