The Pylos-Iklaina Archaeological Project (IKAP) is an interdisciplinary research project in the area of Messenia, Greece. The project is carried out under the auspices of the Athens Archaeological Society and the direction of Professor 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 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, recorded in the Linear B tablets as a-pu2. Moreover, some scholars have suggested the possibility that this site might be identified with the Homeric Aipy, one of the Nine Cities of king Nestor mentioned in the second book of the Iliad. If this were true, this site would represent 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. Students and volunteers interested in applying, please go to the appropriate links on the left hand side bar.
