The Griphos Project
July 11-15, 2011
3rd Summer Seminar at the Archaeological Site of Akrotiri

The archaeological site of Akrotiri on the island of Thera (modern-day Santorini) has proven a treasure trove of information about pre-historic Aegean civilization. Among its most valued artifacts are wall paintings (frescoes), which have been preserved in the volcanic ash since the seventeenth century BCE. The frescoes are typically recovered in fragments of a few centimeters to a few tens of centimeters in length, and reconstructing complete wall sections from the fragments occupies a major portion of the effort at Akrotiri.

In an ongoing collaboration, researchers from Princeton University, University College London and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, together with archaeologists from Akrotiri, University of Athens and University of Ioannina, are developing computer hardware, software and procedures that aim at supporting conservators in their task of assembling the fragmented wall paintings. In the context of this project (the "Griphos Project"); many interesting research questions arise around the challenge of addressing the complex needs of conservators and archaeologists with computer technology.

In the tradition of the successful summer seminars in 2009 and 2010, the Griphos team invites researchers and selected students to a second summer seminar to gather at Akrotiri and to discuss the problem domain of wall painting reconstruction and computer-aided approaches on site. The seminar will feature presentations by archaeologists and computer scientists that are working on aspects related to the Griphos project, and the goal is to stimulate fruitful discussions involving both the humanities and engineering sciences, providing insight into both disciplines and intensifying cross-disciplinary ties.

Workshop Faculty
Peter Bogucki, Princeton University
Willie Childs, Princeton University
David Dobkin, Princeton University
Christos Doumas, University of Athens
Phil Dutré, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Tom Funkhouser, Princeton University
Dimitri Gondicas, Princeton University
Amy Papalexandrou, University of Texas at Austin
Joanna Smith, Princeton University
Luc van Gool, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Andreas Vlachopoulos, University of Ioannina
Tim Weyrich, University College London

Student Participants
Antonio García Castañeda, University College London
Lara Laken, Radboud University Nijmegen
Mariya Nagornoa, Princeton University
Violetta Patinioti
Yassine Riad, KU Leuven
Giorgos Sfikas, Strassbourg + Ioannina University
Hijung (Valentina) Shin, Princeton University
Corey Toler-Franklin, Princeton University
Sophia Vakirtzi, Princeton University
Lefteris Zorzos, University College London

Greek Archaeological Service Participants
Fanis Karafotias, Conservation Greek Ministry of Culture
Maria Louka, Archaeological Museum of Phebes
Efie Tsitsa, Archaeological Museum of Heraklion, Crete

Other Participants
Panos Angelidis, Conservation Ioannina University
Benedict Brown, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Emmily Egan, (Cincinnatti) American School of Classical Studies at Athens