xs
sm
md
lg

Welcome

Welcome to the website of the Belgian School at Athens. We are primarily engaged in archaeological research in Greece, which especially includes excavation and survey but also material studies and the publication, presentation and preservation of results. Our main projects are the excavations at Thorikos in South Attica (Lavrion Attikis), and, on the island of Crete, at Sissi (Agiou Nikolaou) and at Itanos (Sitias), both in the Lasithi province.

Apart from these projects, we host a library with a large number of Belgian publications on Greek archaeology, we organise conferences, seminars, courses, and colloquia.

Through this website we hope to reach all those interested in Greek archaeology. Our calendar highlights not only our activities in Greece but also scientific activities related to Greek archaeology organized in Belgium. You can also find guidelines on excavation and research permits, Belgian academic institutions involved in research on Greek soil and heritage

The director
Athena Tsingarida

Activities in Greece

ITANOS 2025

Since the 24th June, the team from the Université libre de Bruxelles (CReA-Patrimoine) continues the excavation program at the Necropolis of Itanos, Eastern Crete, undertaken under the auspices of the Belgian School at Athens. The program, co-directed by Professors Athena Tsingarida (EBSA/ULB) and Didier Viviers (ULB), includes academics from UCLouvain (Jean Vanden Broeck-Parant) and the  University of Thessaloniki (Vicky Vlachou) and Senior Researchers from the École française d’Athènes (Yangos Chalazonitis), ULB (Isabella Bossolino, Alexandros Laftsidis) and the Royal Academy of Belgium (Antoine Attout) along with Early Career Fellows and PhD students from ULB (Mostafa Alskaf, Louisiane Betrancourt, Macha Tchernitchko), the University of Oxford (Myrtô Kokkalia et Roswyn Wiltshire), the University of Thessaloniki (Yiannis Chatzokonstantinou). 13 students (ULB, UCLouvain, Université de Paris 1 et Université de Bordeaux) are also taking part to the excavations.

Fieldwork already allowed a better understanding of the early phases of the large architectural complex, including a large-scale upper yard, dated to the 6th and 5th c. BCE. and located within the Necropolis.  It also uncovered new Roman tombs on an upper terrace, as well as two new, destroyed tombs for newborn babies (enchytrismoi), north of tumulus A, at the top of the hill that hosts the necropolis. We were further able to clarify the phases of reoccupation of an ancient tumulus (B) destroyed around 600 BC, which became the center of ritual practices, probably nocturnal, in honor of the dead during later periods.

On Thursday 10th July, the Belgian Archaeological mission of Itanos was happy and honored to welcome his Excellency, the Ambassador of Belgium in Greece, Mr Marc Calcoen, and his wife who visited the archaeological site. They were shown the recent discoveries on the field, while our collaborators, specialized in anthropology, ceramics and restoration work, presented them the work in progress in the lab!

THE ANNUAL MEETING Of The BELGIAN SCHOOL AT ATHENS, 2025

Monday, 26th of May 2025 - 19:00 (EEST)

Venue: Kostis Palamas Building (Κτήριο Κωστής Παλαμάς)
Address: Akadimias 48, Athina 106 79


Programme

19:00
"The Work of the Belgian School at Athens in 2024"
Prof. Athena Tsingarida, Director of the EBSA

19:30
"Mobility and Funerary Practices in Prehistoric Greece through the Lens of Isotope Research"
Prof. Christophe Snoeck, VUB

20:30 - Reception
Offered by the Embassy of Belgium in Greece


Attendance Details

To attend in person, please register at info@ebsa.info by Monday, the 19th of May.
To join online, follow the link below:
EBSA Annual Meeting 2025

Activities in Belgium

The 14th Day on Belgian Archaeological Research in the Ancient Greek World

The 14th Day on Belgian Archaeological Research in the Ancient Greek World 13th December 2024 is here!
Musées royaux d’Art et d’Histoire/ Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis Lecture Room : Grand Auditorium Cinquantenaire Park 10 1000 Brussels

To follow online: https://bit.ly/4g1oCCM