Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM ET
Location: Center for Hellenic Studies, 3100 Whitehaven St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 and via Zoom
Speaker: Stella Katsarou
Please join us on April 30 for a lecture organized by the Washington, DC chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) and sponsored by the Center for Hellenic Studies. In this session, Stella Katsarou (archaeologist with the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, Greek Ministry of Culture) will deliver the AIA-DC chapter’s annual Richard Howland Lecture.
Please use the respective links below to register for the Zoom and for in-person attendance. Please note that seating is limited and will be available on a first come first serve basis.
Abstract
Caves offer a powerful gateway into the deep past of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean. From prehistory to the present, these natural sanctuaries have functioned as places of memory, where nature and culture converge. Their sensorial, mysterious environments gave rise to spiritual meaning and enduring cultural narratives. They were places of shelter, holding traces of early human migrations, Neolithic rituals, and the mythic origins of ancient civilizations. Caves are sacred landscapes—shaped by water, darkness, and stone—that inspired awe, story, and ceremony.
This illustrated talk will introduce aspects of ongoing research on the archaeology of caves in Greece. Today, caves are being reimagined not as resources to exploit, but as vital partners in understanding human history and ecological heritage. They offer rich insights into the social and symbolic worlds of ancient peoples—and serve as reminders of the deep, sacred relationship between humanity and the natural world in an era of environmental reckoning.
About the Speaker
Dr. Stella Katsarou is an archaeologist with the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology, Greek Ministry of Culture. Her research, with activity in the field and through material studies, focuses on Greek prehistory with emphasis on caves, rituals, household technologies and social structure. Her projects span sites in different landscapes on the islands, in coasts, plains, and highlands of the mainland such as the Koutroulou Magoula Neolithic tell, Theopetra, Alepotrypa and Franchthi caves, and the Bronze Age Helike. Her most recent project looks at the diachronic human presence in the western Greek mainland through a landscape-archaeology perspective focusing on caves. She has held Visiting Fellowships at the Universities of Cincinnati and Sheffield, UK, and at the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. She has published extensively including the co-edited volume on Cave and Worship in Ancient Greece. New Approaches to Caves and Ritual (Routledge 2021).