The archaeological work of the 35th Ephorate for Prehistoric and Classical antiquities at Ithaca. A brief presentation
Gerasimos Livitsanis Pharos 19 (2013): 95-126
Abstract
Archaeological research on the island of Ithaca had been conducted to a Urge extent with Homeric associations and as a search for the palace of Odysseus. However, recent rescue excavations on Ithaca have thrown new light on the archaeology of the island, which covers many other periods than only the Homeric. Human presence on the island stretches back as far as the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic times. Excavations in the island’s capital of Vathy have provided evidence for habitation in the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and Classical to Hellenistic periods. Of particular importance are the Roman remains at Vathy, which enable the certain identification of the Roman town. In addition to settlement remains, tombs have been excavated at several places on the island, for example in Polis bay. The new finds provide a more complete picture of the archaeology of Ithaca.