Evi Lambropoulou, president of the Society for Messinian Archaeological Studies, on ERT Kalamata
Excavations at Ancient Messene will resume in September—with the new five-year program and the Roman Baths taking center stage.
A particularly important piece of news for Ancient Messene, Messinia, and Greek archaeology was announced on the ERT Kalamata program “Twelve – One… Composure”: Systematic excavation work at Ancient Messene will resume in September, three years after the death of Professor Petros Themelis.
The news was revealed to journalist Maria Tomara by the president of the Society for Messinian Archaeological Studies, archaeologist Evi Lambropoulou, noting that the Central Archaeological Council recently gave the “green light” to continue the research as part of a new five-year excavation program.
This restart holds special symbolic significance. For nearly four decades, Ancient Messene was Petros Themelis’s major archaeological project. Since 1986, when he took over as director of the excavations, the professor succeeded in transforming a vast and largely unknown archaeological site into one of the country’s most important visitor attractions, combining excavation with restoration, conservation, and promotion.
Now, three years after his passing, the shovel returns.
From the Roman Baths
According to the information that has been released, the new excavations will begin at the Roman Baths, essentially continuing the research that Petros Themelis had left in progress. The work will be led by archaeologists Nikos Kaltsas, Nikos Tsivikis, and Evi Lambropoulou, while Messinian colleagues who worked alongside Themelis for years are also expected to participate in the project.
And this is perhaps one of the most significant aspects of this new phase: the project is not starting from scratch. It builds upon decades of research, documentation, and experience and seeks to continue a scientific journey that has left behind a vast body of work but also many unanswered questions.
Because Ancient Messene has not yet revealed all its secrets.
The new five-year program aims to advance and complete excavation work so that new monuments and artifacts still buried underground can be brought to light. At the same time, completing studies, restoring, and showcasing the monuments that are uncovered remains a top priority.
https://www.ertecho.gr/radio/kalamata/show/12-1psyxraimia-kalamata/ondemand/1371243/h-eyi-lampropoulou-president-of-the-messinian-archaeological-studies-society-at-ert-kalamata-august-24-2026/
