Sissi Archaeological Project to Move Forward in 2021

The Sissi Archaeological Project (Sarpedon), a key Minoan excavation project on the north shore of Crete, Greece, is on a mission to prepare the site so that it can be visited by the public. Dr. Jan Driessen, the head of the Belgian School at Athens (EBSA), and his extraordinary team of scientists and volunteers are preparing a consolidation and conservation program. 

For readers unfamiliar with this fantastic project of Bronze Age discovery, the Sissi archaeological find, of a previously unknown Minoan palace, is more than an arduous scientific project. The work near the seaside village of Sissi, it’s a journey through millennia into the cradle of European civilization, the world of the ancient Minoans. The project attempts to unveil the mysteries surrounding the rules of power and the complex structure of Minoan society which gradually collapsed after 1450 BC. 

Besides its scientific goals, Dr. Driessen and his team are building qualitative training for future generations of archaeologists in a multidisciplinary and international working environment. The team is making great strides to ensure the sustainable preservation of this unique site, by involving local communities, and by educating the broader public as to the vast richness of Minoan history. As you can deduce from the images we’ve provided, the Sissi Minoan Palace echoes a fabulous past era that was once only thought to be myth.  

Driessen’s work at Sissi, and elsewhere, has a scope few unfamiliar with his work know about. The Sissi archaeology project expands beyond the borders of the dig itself. The Vrachasi Old School restoration Project (below) is a good example of how bold archaeology endeavors positively affect small communities.

Dr. Driessen’s work has been the subject of critical acclaim worldwide including many stories, references, and academic papers discussing the Sissi finds. Informative articles like this one in the Archaeological Institute of America, and research in the archaeologist’s many papers and books, reveal for the first time another palatial puzzle piece to the riddle that is the Minoan civilization. 

As friends of the project, the team here at Argophilia want to help Dr. Driessen and the project team to seek wider recognition and broader institutional funding so that the program can be accelerated. Currently, the Sissi Archaeological Project can only survive thanks to private gifts.

Please consider, if you will, consider contributing to the completion of this extraordinary and vital work into uncovering the lessons and treasures of Aegean history. Please follow this link for those in Belgium. And for US citizens, please get in touch with INSTAP (http://www.aegeanprehistory.net/) and in Greece with the Belgian School at Athens, or message Dr. Driessen directly.