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Research
Discovering the Hellenic world within and beyond Greece
The AAIA supports research in Greece and the Hellenic world in a variety of ways
We support research on Greece and the Hellenic world from antiquity to the modern day across a range of arts and humanities disciplines. In addition to supporting individual researchers, we facilitate permit applications for our members to undertake archaeological fieldwork and museum collection study. The AAIA is the formal liaison with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports for the acquisition of permits to undertake archaeological research and examine museum collections in Greece on behalf of Australian students and scholars. Permits for archaeological fieldwork are issued to the AAIA, not individual members or their institutions.
If you are interested in developing a fieldwork project (excavation or survey), please contact the Director and the Archaeological Research Facilitator in the first instance.
If you require a permit to undertake study in a museum, please contact the Archaeological Research Facilitator directly.
Funding opportunities
We support fellowships, scholarships and bursaries for Australian university students, early career researchers and established scholars. These are offered by our institutional members, in collaboration with regional Friends groups, and by the AAIA itself.
For funding opportunities offered by our institutional members and Friends groups, please see their individual listings.
Opportunities offered through the AAIA itself
Through our Athens centre, Australia-based researchers are able to apply for any ERC scheme as Principal Investigator (PI). The project must fit into one of the AAIA’s research themes and be oriented towards the Arts and Humanities.
A condition of every ERC grant is that the PI must spend at least 50% of their time within Europe for the duration of the project. To meet these and additional ERC requirements, the PI must be employed directly by the AAIA-A for the % of time the PI plans to be in Europe to undertake the project. A memorandum of understanding between the AAIA-A and the PI’s employing institution will be necessary to manage this aspect. The AAIA-A must also manage the financial and administrative aspects of the project.
Funding can be used to undertake project-related work in Australia, but only where the Australian institution acts as a Beneficiary Institution as part of the ERC project. For example, this could be to employ an Australian specialist for two months for a discrete aspect of the project or to undertake laboratory analyses at an Australian university.
If you are interested in applying for ERC funding through the AAIA, please contact the Director.
This fellowship supports travel to Greece for research purposes by Australian postgraduate students, early career researchers (e.g. postdoctoral scholars), and established academics based at Australian universities. The fellowship is up to 12 months.
The value of the Fellowship is A$15,000. Fellows are entitled to a discounted rate to reside in the AAIA hostel in Athens.
The AAIA Fellowship will be advertised next in May 2024 for the 2025 Fellow.
This scholarship, generously funded by Mr Nikolaos Galatis, is open to students enrolled full-time in a Masters by Research or PhD degree at any Australian university that is an institutional member of the AAIA. It is open to research across all fields of Greek Studies up to 1453. The scholarship supports travel to Greece and/or neighbouring countries where there is material or sites relevant to the applicant’s research.
The Polymnia and Aimilia Kallinikos Scholarship is advertised annually in May.
The Olwen Tudor Jones Scholarship for Archaeological Fieldwork in the Mediterranean was offered by the Society of Mediterranean Archaeology (SoMA) for the first time in 2001.
In January 2002 the Council of SoMA voted to rename the scholarship in memory of Olwen Tudor Jones. Subsequently, after generous donations were received from Olwen's family and friends, a capital preserved trust was set up. It is this trust, subsequently augmented by funds raised from SoMA events that finances the annual scholarship.
The scholarship is offered to a University of Sydney student of archaeology, or associated field, of high academic achievement for the purpose of partially funding that student's travel costs to participate in fieldwork in the Mediterranean region. Preference is given to a student who will be working on a University of Sydney project, and to a student who has not previously participated in an archaeological project in the Mediterranean.
Olwen Tudor Jones Scholarship Honor Roll
- 2019 – Amir Zaribaf, Archaeological Water Histories of Oman (University of Sydney and John Hopkins University)
- 2018 – Vickie Tran, El Toll and Teixoneres Cave Complex, Spain (University Rovira)
- 2018 – Olivia Cashmere, Thorikos Field Project, Greece (Belgian School at Athens)
- 2017 – Sarah Gyngell, Nahal Ein Gev, Israel (The Hebrew University)
- 2016 – Ellen Campbell, Keros Field School, Greece (McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Cambridge)
- 2015 – Sareeta Zaid, Pintia Necropolis Program, Spain (ArcheoSpain)
- 2014 – Hannah Morris, Zagora Archaeological Project, Greece (Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens and the University of Sydney)
- 2013 – Kate McAllan, Zagora Archaeological Project, Greece (Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens and the University of Sydney)
- 2012 – Lauren Morris, Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project, Cyprus (University of Sydney)
- 2011 – Elaine Lin, Tunzha Regional Archaeological Project, Bulgaria (University of NSW and University of Michigan)
- 2010 – Philipa Mott, Menorca Spain (Ecomuseum of Cape of Cavalleria)
- 2009 – Eleanor Clarie Pitt, Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project, Cyprus (University of Sydney)
- 2008 – Miriyan Kidson, Borders of Arabia Project, Jordan (University of Sydney)
- 2007 – Louisa di Bartolomeo, Pompei Archaeological Research Program: Porta Stabia, Italy (Stanford University – University of Michigan)
- 2007 – Kristen Mann, Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project, Cyprus (University of Sydney) and Southern Euoboean Exploration Project, Greece (Canadian Institute in Greece)
- 2005 – Lily Withercombe-Taperel, Pompei Archaeological Research Program: Porta Stabia, Italy (Stanford University – University of Michigan)
- 2004 – Alexandra Vaughn, Geece (Greek Ministry of Culture)
- 2003 – Nicholas Vlachos
- 2002 – Keryn Paul, Italy (University of Geneva)
- 2001 – Cathy Hammond, Paphos Theatre Archaeological Project, Cyprus (University of Sydney)
Research Themes
The scholarship undertaken by our individual researchers and field teams foregrounds the importance of study of the past for today and is organised around five key themes:
Sustainable Environments takes a broad view of what an environment might be (e.g. the natural environment, the built environment, or even a linguistic environment) to emphasise how our understandings of these environments in the past can encourage sustainable practices today.
Decentred Narratives seeks to ensure better representation of social and cultural groups beyond the classes and societies that have hitherto dominated our understanding of the past.
Migrations and Mobilities considers the experiences of those who moved and settled elsewhere in the past and the long-term impacts of such activities on cultural practices.
Conflicts and Reconciliations examines the experiences of conflict and legacies of war on individual and group levels from across a range of disciplines.
Intangible Experiences brings to the fore non-material features of the lived experience to create a more enriched understanding of what it was like to live in the past.
Current Fieldwork Projects
Directors: Dr Dimitrios Athanasoulis (Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades); Dr Emlyn Dodd (Institute of Classical Studies, UK).
Directors: Dr Panagiota Kasimi (Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Corinthia); Dr Susan Lupack (Macquarie University); Dr Shawn Ross (Macquarie University)
Directors: Dr Lesley Beaumont (University of Sydney); Dr Stavros Paspalas (AAIA; University of Sydney); Dr Paul Donnelly (University of Sydney)
Originally excavated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Andros island site of Zagora is famous for its well-preserved Early Iron Age settlement. These renewed excavations use cutting edge methodologies to better understand the site’s manufacturing and processing activities, hydrological infrastructure, and animal husbandry practices.
Past Fieldwork Projects
Directors: Professor Timothy E. Gregory (Ohio State University, USA), Dr Stavros Paspalas (AAIA; University of Sydney), and Dr Lita Tzortzopoulou-Gregory (AAIA)
The Australian Paliochora-Kythera Archaeological Survey (APKAS) investigates the diachronic development of the cultural landscape of northern Kythera from prehistoric times to the present. The project utilises surface survey, historical/archival sources and anthropological methods to address questions relating to site location, settlement patterns, and factors influencing occupation and site abandonment.
Directors: Associate Professor Tom Hillard (Macquarie University); Associate Professor Lea Beness (Macquarie University); Dr Richard Jones (University of Glasgow)
Directors: Dr Craig Barker (University of Sydney). Senior team led by Emeritus Professor J.R. Green (University of Sydney) and Dr Smadar Gabrieli (University of Western Australia).
Directors: Dr Lita Tzortzopoulou-Gregory (University of Sydney); Dr Konstantinos Trimmis (University of Bristol); Dr Konstantina Kalogirou (Cardiff MET University).
An AAIA collaboration with five European research institutions through an Erasmus+ Key Action 2 research grant to study mobility in South East Europe through object biographies.
Director: Professor Alexander Cambitoglou (AAIA; University of Sydney)
Prior to fieldwork, the Chalkidikian site of Torone was primarily known via ancient written sources as an Archaic-Classical polis, with some Hellenistic and later remains visible. These excavations extended its history back to the Final Neolithic and exposed Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods.
Director: Professor Alexander Cambitoglou (AAIA; University of Sydney)
Zagora is located on the western coast of the island of Andros. These original excavations revealed a uniquely preserved Early Iron Age settlement. Evidence suggests it was occupied 900-700 BCE, although its sanctuary was visited well into the fifth century BCE. Two final publication volumes to date have been produced:
Cambitoglou, A., Coulton, J.J., Birmingham, J. and Green, J.R., Zagora 1. Excavation of a Geometric Town on the Island of Andros. Excavation Season 1967; Study Season 1968-1969, Athens, 1971.
Cambitoglou, A., Birchall, A., Coulton, J.J. and Green, J.R., Zagora 2. Excavation of a Geometric Town on the Island of Andros. Excavation Season 1969; Study Season 1969-1970, Athens, 1988.