A Unique Experience of Discovering the Cultural Heritage of Messenia
The 2nd summer archaeological program for children aged 10 to 14 years old concluded successfully from July 8th to 12th, offering an opportunity to explore Mycenaean Messenia through experiential activities and workshops.
This program is an initiative of the Captain Vassilis and Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, carried out in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia at the welcoming space of the Iliopoulos Museum in Filiatra. The program’s design and coordination were led by Dr. Evi Papadopoulou, an archaeologist and author.
Specifically, the children had the chance to participate in a variety of activities, including an educational excavation with Eleni Alexi-Dig it and workshops on ancient Greek fresco painting with Katerina Veroutsou, ceramics with Ilias Christopoulos, Mycenaean jewelry with Constantinos Diamandis-aerides jewellery, and ancient Greek music with Nikos Xanthoulis. Additionally, the young archaeologists visited the Trifylia Branch of the Central Library of Kalamata, where they discovered the archaeological past of Mycenaean Messenia through comics. They also participated in the research of the Geo-Archaeological Program of the University of the Peloponnese and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Messenia in the area of Voidokilia, gaining a comprehensive archaeological experience using modern technological equipment.
As part of the summer archaeological program, archaeologist Dr. Evi Papadopoulou and composer Dr. Nikos Xanthoulis presented the musical performance “Reviving the Prophecy of the Griffin with the Melodies of the Ancient Lyre” in Filiatra. This musical event was based on the archaeological story “The Prophecy of the Griffin,” written by Dr. Evi Papadopoulou in collaboration with the Captain Vassilis & Carmen Constantakopoulos Foundation, the “Diazoma” organization, and archaeologists Dr. Jack Davis and Dr. Sharon Stocker from the University of Cincinnati. The goal was to promote and highlight the Mycenaean era of Messenia.
