CULTURAL EXPLORATION OF THE CYCLADES (IN 3 PARTS)

Main Focus: This program aims to provide participants with an informed educational experience of modern and historical culture in the Cycladic islands. It is thematically oriented to and inspired by the ritual activities of the ancient cult of Apollo, which addressed many relevant aspects of Cycladic life; including lawfulness, medical and ascetic practices, prophecy, and poetry. These esteemed attributes defined the ideal of the kouros, the adolescent entering into adulthood and acquiring the social status of full citizenship. Adolescents underwent a long preparatory period (ephebia) during which they learned the Apollonian arts, in order to manifest in themselves the ideal kouros. Physically and symbolically removed from their communities (sometimes for months), they learned how to hunt with bow and arrow, how to sing and dance, how to use medical plants, and how to communicate with their patron deity in ecstatic meditations. The Diakron Institute’s “Cultural Exploration of the Cyclades” reinterprets these activities in the context of a contemporary educational experience. By learning about Greek language and history, by participating in the excavation of ancient artefacts and architecture, and by actively engaging in a modern interpretation of the religious experience of ancient Apollonian rituals, participants will cultivate a meaningful understanding of the life-style and culture of the Cyclades.

Project Team: The tour program is managed and directed by Italian archaeologist Luigi Lafasciano and Greek-American designer and cultural preservationist Andrew Gipe-Lazarou. Luigi is currently developing a PhD on archaeology and cultural anthropology at the University of Salerno (Italy) and the École Pratique des Hautes Études de Paris (France). His work focuses on understanding the relation of cult practices and the social and spatial evolution of communities from the ancient Greek City-State to the Early Christian Town. He has lived, travelled and worked as an archaeologist in Greece for several years. Andrew is currently developing his PhD on architecture and education at the National Technical University of Athens (Greece). His work focuses on the functionality of public spaces and its evolution and interaction with the social dynamics of the evolving city center of Athens, the historical borderland between Eastern and Western culture in the Mediterranean. The team’s assistant managers include Italian underwater archaeologist Paola Palumbo and Brazilian archaeologist Erica Angliker. Erica just completed a PhD in Archaeology at the University of Zurich (Switzerland); her work focus on the development of cults in connection to the rise of the Greek City-State in the insular context of the ancient Cyclades. The archaeological excavation is lead by Yannos Kourayos, Greek Archaeologist of the Ephorate for the Antiquities of the Cyclades. In addition to their individual specializations, all team members share a multidisciplinary approach to historical research and a passion for innovative teaching methods.