Greece has decided that its archaeological sites are not just about marble, myths, and guidebooks. They are also home to wildlife. The initiative “BIAS II: Biodiversity in Archaeological Sites” aims to prove that temples and ruins can double as ecological sanctuaries.
Developed by the Culture and Environment Ministries with the University of Athens, the National Hellenic Research Foundation, and N.E.C.C.A., the €1.09 million program is an upgrade of the earlier BIAS project. This is bureaucracy’s way of saying: version one worked, now here comes the sequel.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni summed it up neatly:
“Our archaeological sites are not only living monuments of history but also vital refuges of biodiversity.”
A Country of Ruins and Roots
The numbers are eyebrow-raising. Archaeological habitats may cover less than 1% of Greece’s territory, but they host 11% of its biodiversity. That helps explain why Greece, with just 1.3% of Europe’s land, shelters one in three species on the continent.
During the first BIAS program, scientists documented over 10,460 species of flora and fauna across 20 emblematic sites, including the Acropolis, Olympia, Delphi, and Delos. The conclusion was clear: ruins are not just history, they are micro-refuges of life.
Environment Minister Stavros Papastavrou put it diplomatically:
“Our nature and culture are inextricably linked and are central to our homeland.”
Translation: yes, the Acropolis has pigeons, but also thousands of other species you never knew about.
The Next Field Trip
BIAS II will expand the research net to a broader range of archaeological sites, including Mycenae, Knossos, Gortyna, Vergina, Amphipolis, Monemvasia, Geraki Castle, the Aggitis Springs, and Dion, as well as island gems such as Kastellorizo, Agathonisi, Nea Moni of Chios, and the Heraion of Samos.
The aim is not just to count species but to map how humans, history, and nature have interacted from antiquity through the 18th century. In other words, archaeologists and biologists will finally be forced to share field trips — a clash of sandals and hiking boots.
Greece is estimated to host around 5,900 plant species and 35,000 animal species, many of them endemic. With BIAS II, the official message is that archaeological sites are not only “museums of history” but also “islands of life.”
For once, the slogan might stick: the ruins of Knossos are not just haunted by Minoan ghosts, but by butterflies, owls, and wildflowers that have been there just as long.