Month: April 2024

On Sunday, April 21, 2024, the General Assembly of members and the elections of the Society for Messinian Archaeological Studies (EMAS) were held at the Kalamata Cultural Center. Ms. Eugenia (Evi) Lambropoulou, an archaeologist and, for many years, the supervising-archaeologist overseeing excavation and restoration work in various sectors and at various monuments within the archaeological site of Ancient Messene under the direction of the late Professor, Petros G. Themelis.
The EMAS Board of Directors also includes the following members: Andreas I. Sarris (secretary), Stavros Benos (vice president), Konstantinos Tsapogas (treasurer), and Dimitrios Balopoulos (deputy secretary). Alternate members are Anastasios Papadogonas and Konstantinos Dikaos.

This is a historic moment for EMAS, as the new Board of Directors is called upon to carry on the invaluable legacy left by Petros Themelis, as one of Greece’s most important archaeologists and the man who transformed the Archaeological Site of ancient Messene into a model archaeological-ecological park.

The Ministry of Culture strongly supports the continuation of EMAS’s work and has already signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with EMAS for the project “Protection, Conservation, and Sustainable Development of the Archaeological Site of Ancient Messene.” The purpose of this collaboration, according to the Memorandum of Cooperation, is to promote all necessary actions so that, on the one hand, the designated archaeological site with its monuments, as well as the museum’s surrounding area, remain clean, accessible, and well-maintained, and, on the other hand, by securing funding for studies related to the conservation and restoration of monuments within the archaeological site, to contribute to the protection and preservation of the ancient city.

A few words about the Society for Messinian Archaeological Studies (EMAS):

EMAS is a nonprofit legal entity and raises the funds necessary to achieve its objectives through donations, third-party grants, and membership dues. Throughout its existence, it has made a substantial contribution to the Archaeological Society’s excavation and restoration program, under the direction of Professor Petros Themelis. Today, it aims to contribute in the best possible way to the care, maintenance, and preservation of the Archaeological Site of Ancient Messene.

The management strategy for the Archaeological Site of Ancient Messene was based on distinct phases, in accordance with current international standards, for each process of excavation, conservation, restoration, and presentation of the material remains of the past. The operation of the archaeological complex of Ancient Messene and its “socialization” have offered significant opportunities for local development, stimulating the local community’s interest in its cultural heritage, and ensuring that this heritage will retain its vitality for future generations in the spirit of sustainable development.