News - Koumoundourou Hill: The Second Week

View over the Mounichia Harbour from the site.

Mads instructing Panagiotis in the use of the climbing equipment.

Sanne shooting while Eva marks the survey points on Wall Section 3.

Author: Sanne Hoffmann and Panagiotis Athanasopoulos

The second week has proven to be as rewarding as the first. All logistical problems and drawbacks have been solved and the team continues its work unhindered. In addition, the new members of this year’s campaign have quickly become familiar with the site and our working methods, thus becoming great assets for this season’s campaign. We are pleased to announce that the project is now running at full speed!

The survey team went on with the demanding task of surveying the structures located in the "Cave"(see 12-06-2009 News Point) in our attempt to solve the riddle of the multi-phased structures there. Moreover, our cleaning work this week has focused on the north slope of the hill. In particular, we have managed to clean two different parts of the remaining walls (Sections 2 and 3) and to expose more in situ blocks. In both cases, only a small section of a wall was exposed. By the end of the second week, we have been able to reveal a substantial part of these walls and in the process have added more evidence to the Koumoundourou Hill site.

Safety has always been a high priority for the Zea Harbour Project. As pointed out in last week’s News Point, the steep hillside and narrow walkways have raised some safety concerns. Here, our work on the edge of Koumoundourou hill has made the use of climbing equipment essential. Mads Moeller Nielsen is a professional climber, and has given the rest of the team members a one-day seminar on basic climbing principles.

This week has been extremely warm, with the temperature consistently rising to above 32 degrees. Working conditions in the so-called "Cave" were often challenging. Equally demanding was the cleaning process of the remaining parts of the walls outside the "Cave", since we had to cope with the fierce sun and strong winds. However, a glimpse over the hill to the Saronic Gulf or even a quick look to Mounichia harbour below has proven to be a very rewarding experience, and one that provides daily inspiration.

Sanne Hoffmann reports: This has been the second week of my work on the Zea Harbour project. The first week I have been on the agora, as the ZHP again this year is collaborating with the Athenian Agora Excavations. There Richard Anderson, the architect of the agora excavations, has been teaching me and the other new student Madeleine Kelly about electronic surveying (for a more thorough introduction on this, go to earlier NewsPoints). This week I have been able to put my skills to use on the Koumoundourou Hill, assisting Eva Mortensen in the "Cave" and on the sloping hillside. Here we have been surveying remains of the fortification wall. Both sites present their sets of difficulties regarding workspace. As the cave is quite narrow and uneven, and the hillside has a steep slope, you have to watch your step. Of course, the proper safety precautions have been taken, and on the hillside, we wear a harness to prevent a worst-case-scenario fall from having fatal consequences. And the joy of watching the many points taken turn into precisely measured shapes on the computer screen makes it all worthwhile.

My first two weeks at ZHP has been exciting and educational, and I am looking forward to continue my work in the pleasant company of the ZHP team members.