The Swedish fieldwork at Dendra and Midea

Ann-Louise Schallin Annuario della Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Atene LXXXVII (2010): 147-155.

Abstract (from the Introduction)

It all started in 1926 when Axel W. Persson and Otto Frodin conducted excavations at Asine. The Asine excavations had been initiated by the Crown Prince of Sweden, Gustaf Adolf, who visited the site in 1920 and was taken in by the beautiful setting. At the time, French archaeologists had already done preliminary work here. Back in Athens, the Crown Prince visited the French School, where the Swedish classicist Axel W. Persson was conducting his studies. The Crown Prince introduced Persson to his idea and they both agreed to try launching an excavation project. It became Persson’s task to persuade the French to leave their excavation rights to the Swedes as well as to convince the Greeks to give the Swedes a permit for excavation. Persson was successful in both respects. In Sweden, the Asine Committee was created with the Crown Prince as chairman of the board, its aim being of course the support of the new archaeological project. After some preparations the first cam­paign could begin and this was in 1922. Persson was a successful archaeologist, even though he actually had no excavation experience before the Asine project.