The Iklaina
Archaeological Project (IKAP) is an interdisciplinary research project in the
area of Pylos, Greece. The project is carried out under the auspices of the
Athens Archaeological Society and the direction of Michael Cosmopoulos of the Department of Anthropology at
the University of Missouri at St.
Louis.Situated at a strategic
location overlooking the Ionian Sea, Iklaina appears to have been an
important district capital of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1600-1100 BC).This is the period also known as
“Mycenaean” and famous for such mythical sagas as the Trojan
War.
In 1954, the Greek archaeologist Spyridon
Marinatos conducted a brief trial excavation near the village of Iklaina and
uncovered finds that could suggest the existence of a palace or mansion. It
is believed that these are the material remains of one of the major capitals
of the Mycenaean kingdom of Pylos, identified in the Linear B tablets as
*Alphys (Linear B a-pu2).Moreover, because this site is mentioned by Homer, we have a unique
case where textual evidence meets archaeology and mythology.
After the investigation by Marinatos, the
site was left unexplored until 1998, when IKAP was launched.Because no other well-preserved
Mycenaean district capital has been systematically investigated,Iklaina is an ideal candidate for the
study of the emergence of statehood and social complexity in ancient Greece,
which is the main objective of our project.
From 1998 to 2006, we conducted a
systematic intensive surface survey of the territory of Iklaina, linking up
with the area covered by the Pylos Regional Archaeological Project.Beginning in 2006, IKAP shifted fully to the excavation stage of the
project, and is currently uncovering Early, Middle, and Late Helladic levels.
Each summer, IKAP serves as a field school, including museum and site tours,
as well as evening classes on Greek Civilization. We welcome interested
students and volunteers every summer. It is open to students from all
universities for credit (6 credit hours), and to non-students on an auditing
basis. Follow the links above for more information regarding registration,
dates, costs, and program components.
