11:00 am – 1:00 pm
832 Schermerhorn Hall
Alessia Zambon
University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (University Paris–Saclay)
“Ten Feet Under”: Western Travellers and the Excavation of Early 19th-Century Athens
Abstract
At the turn of the 19th century, Athens became the stage for a frantic “war of antiquities.” Based on the private papers and diaries of the French Vice-Consul Louis-François-Sébastien Fauvel and the Bavarian architect Carl Haller von Hallerstein, this lecture dives into the gritty reality of digging in Ottoman Athens. The title “Ten Feet Under” refers to the physical challenge of reaching the sol antique, often buried under deep layers of debris and sediment. Beyond the technical aspects, this presentation reconstructs the complex logistics of discovery: the diplomatic maneuvers to obtain firmans (permits), the bribery of local officials, and the escalating costs of labor during a period of economic instability. A particular focus will be placed on the necropolis of the Acharnean Gates, where national rivalries and sociability networks met. By tracing the journey of emblematic finds, we will see how these pioneers navigated a world where genuine scientific passion often went hand-in-hand with systemic spoliation.
