The Archaeological Society began systematic excavations at ancient Messene in 1895 under the direction of Themistoklis Sofoulis, an archaeologist from Samos who later became a politician. The excavations continued in 1909 and 1925 under Georgios Oikonomos. These were followed by the long-term research and excavations of the Swedish archaeologist N. Valmin in Messenia, which resulted in two of his major works: one on the inscriptions of Messenia (1929) and a second on his topographical surveys in Messenia (1930).
In 1957, the then-secretary of the Archaeological Society, scholar Anastasios Orlandos, took charge of the excavations at ancient Messene and continued his work until 1974. His excavations, along with those of his predecessors, brought to light the majority of the Asklepieion complex.
In 1986, the Council of the Archaeological Society appointed Professor Petros Themelis to serve for life as director of the excavations at ancient Messene. From 1987to 2023, the excavations—along with parallel efforts to stabilize and restore the monuments—have brought to light all the public and sacred buildings of the city that Pausanias saw and described in Messenewhen he visited it during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius (155–160 CE).
From 2023 to 2026, excavations at ancient Messene were suspended due to the sudden passing of Professor Petros Themelis. In 2026, the Board of Directors of the Archaeological Society of Athens, with the approval of the Central Archaeological Council of the Ministry of Culture, commissioned its Secretary General, Nikolaos Kaltsas, Eugenia (Evi) Lambropoulou, an archaeologist with the Ministry of Culture, and Nikolaos Tsivikis, a research fellow at the National Hellenic Research Foundation (EIE), Nikolaos Tsivikis, the task of directing the excavations at ancient Messene for the five-year period 2026–2030, with the aim of completing the unfinished research project.
The Spirit of Exploration and the Work of Petros Themelis (1986–2023)
The excavation process, which is by its very nature destructive and unrepeatable, was carried out at the archaeological site of ancient Messene continuously and systematically for 38 consecutive years, based on comprehensive, methodical on-site documentation.
The core scientific team of the Ancient Messene project, as well as dozens of male and female students of Archaeology-Architecture, and Conservation from Greek and foreign universities worked each year under the guidance of the director of the project’s excavation and restoration program, Professor P. Themelis, despite the often adverse conditions and demanding schedule of the excavation program, contributing to the uncovering of important monuments and structures at the site.
Clearing the archaeological site, washing and sorting ceramic shards, excavating tombs, and drawing plans of fixed and movable finds according to their skills and experience, using a surveying instrument to determine the depth and coordinates of the objects’ discovery locations and recording the data on a special documentation form, carefully cleaning ancient walls so they can be photographed, surveyed, and drawn, always under the guidance of the supervising archaeologist and the excavation director, These were essentially the tasks carried out in the field during the excavation.
The study, documentation, photographing, and cataloging of all movable finds (which now number nearly 20,000) constituted the systematic work program carried out in the museum’s storage facilities by students and archaeologists throughout the excavation season, in the afternoons. During and in between these activities, with a focus on the day’s finds, courses in ceramics, sculpture, architecture, and other subjects were taught by the director of the excavations, Petros Themelis, and other specialists in their respective fields, followed by an open discussion with the students on topics related to the subject matter.
The Society for Messinian Archaeological Studies, chaired by the director of the excavation and restoration project at ancient Messene, Professor P. Themelis, covered the lodging and meal expenses of the student volunteers throughout the excavation season.
The archaeological site of ancient Messene is perhaps the only one where the process of excavation and monument conservation—which took place partly in the open air— such as the conservation of architectural elements and mosaic floors, as well as the restoration of the monuments, remained open to the public. The interest shown by visitors in these on-site works was remarkably intense, as they themselves felt, in a way, to be part of the process. As Petros Themelis often argued, there can be no creation without spectators and an audience that understands, feels, and is moved by the process—and not merely by the final result.
