Conservation Office

The Conservation Department in the Agora Excavations and Museum is responsible for the cleaning, reconstruction and restoration of artifacts from the annual excavation. The first goal of the conservator is to restore the legibility of the antiquities thereby aiding the archaeologist in the interpretation of the archaeological site. The second goal is the care and preservation of the objects in our study collection and Museum. A common example of conservation in our excavation is the washing and mending of sherds to reconstruct a ceramic pot which may or may not require filling of gaps and painting of these fills. Another example is the cleaning of coins which may be done mechanically with hand tools or with chemicals. In our work conservation (the preservation of the object in its current state) is distinguished from restoration (the addition of elements which once were but are now lost). Conservation respects the integrity of the object by using reversible treatments and materials, i.e. those which may be undone or removed in the future. The Conservation Department is run by a Head Conservator with the aid of an Assistant Conservator who are employed year round. The staff are often joined by conservation student interns from around the world who come for practical conservation training to fulfill the graduate level degree requirements of their various universities. The Conservation Department of the Agora sponsors an internship program each summer during the active excavation consisting of two conservation student fellowships funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation of New York city. Students in the various graduate level university programs from around the world may apply for internships by sending a letter of interest, two letters of recommendation and a c.v. to the Head Conservator:

Amandina Anastassiades
email: conservation@agathe.gr
fax: +30 210-331-0964

Conservation Department
Agora Excavations
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens
54 Soudidias
GR 106 76 Athens