You are invited to an IIHSA Lecture (in person) on Thursday December 19, 2024 at 5.00 pm (Irish time) / 7.00 pm (Greek time)/12.00 (EST) by Eva Andronikidou (National Technical University of Athens), The archaeological site in its natural context: natural and cultural diachronic processes

Abstract

This work seeks to research the way the archaeological site relates with its natural context and how this relation has evolved through time, from a designer’s point of view.

The relation of man with nature has changed radically in the last years. This relation is clearly expressed in the way man creates space. Architect and urbanist Dimitris Pikionis describes civilization as the creation that was built when man was called to respond to nature: the difficulties, the needs, the opportunities. Every civilization was dictated by nature (Pikionis, 2014: 55-57). The human constructions on earth, are transitional objects between man and nature.

An archaeological site is a fragment of a past reality in the modern world. A contemporary visitor without a relevant background can hardly understand its function or perceive how it originally looked,
especially in places where the environment has changed dramatically, either because it has converted into a modern metropolis, or because of changes in the natural landscape. The design of historical landscapes, when it results from the collaboration of Archaeology with other scientific fields, depending on the case, can lead to a deeper understanding, through the spatial experience of visiting and touring. That said, the purpose of this interdisciplinary research is to investigate methodologies and production of material that can be used as a basis for a design proposal of an architectural synthesis of an archaeological site.