News - Saying goodbye is such sweet sorrow

Niels turning the newly washed working gloves inside out for drying

Mette finishing the basis find registration in the shade of the stored dry suits

Mads doing the last check up on his structure descriptions

Crying in the beer, Niels and Niels postponing the inevitable goodbye to Zea

Author: Niels Ladefoged Rasmussen and Mette Schaldemose

This week in the Peloponnesian War: In early November 424 BC the Athenian generals, Demosthenes and Hippocrates (not to be confused with the famous orator and doctor of the same names) prepared to invade Boeotia. Demosthenes was supposed to sail with a large number of ships to launch an attack on Siphae, while Hippokrates too posses- sion of Delion. For some reason, however, Demosthenes arrived at Siphae too early and had to withdraw immediately, as he was not able to take the city without the intended diversion at Delion. When Hippocrates finally occupied Delion, the Boeotians had already moved their soldiers there from Siphae.

The Boeotians attacked with a force of 7.000 hoplites, more than 10.000 light troops, 500 peltasts and 1.000 horsemen. The Athenian army, consisting of a similar number of hoplites and cavalry but with almost no light troops, were defeated near Delion by superior Boeotian tactics and mobility. The general Hippocrates himself fell in the battle. The Athenians retired to Delion and now faced the detriments of siege. It seems that lack of communication between the two generals caused the misuse of the Athenian navy, which should have ensured the timeliness of the operation. The results were disastrous.

Back in 2007, we have much more reasons for joy, as we conclude this year’s excavations and are able to look back on good results, which have improved our understanding of the ancient Athenian naval installations.

Wrapping up the site: Monday morning started with only few staff members to wash, clean and pack the huge amount of equipment necessary for conducting underwater excavations at Zea.

Vassilis and Niels made sure all diving equipment - dry suits, gloves and masks - was cleaned thoroughly and stored safely away. Additional equipment such as diving underwear, communication cables and boxes and all sorts of small bits and pieces were stored and inventoried (fig. 1).

Charles and Mads took care of the heavy excavation equipment, water pumps were cleaned and lubricated, dredge heads were repaired and dredge hoses and pipes stored away in storage space generously provided by Marina Zea. Mads also found time to finish the last structure descriptions and make the photo list of all the underwater photos taken during the previous week (fig. 2). Though organising and supervising the packing, the assistant director also managed to catch up on her find registration while her office was turned into storage space (fig. 3).

This week furthermore offered an almost endless number of farewell dinners, as we said goodbye to Ioannis Triantafillidis, Vassilis Tsiairis, Mads Møller Nielsen, Panagiotis Athanasopoulos, Chryssanthi Papadoupoulos, Charles Pochin and our students: Niels Bargfeldt, Mette Arenfeldt and Eva Mortensen –all of whom we hope to see back on ZHP 2008 (fig. 4).