Stones for the Gods: questions on the quarryscapes of Naxos and Itanos

Jean Vanden Broeck-Parant is a former postdoctoral researcher at Utrecht University and currently teaching at Louvain-la-Neuve. He will speak online in our seminar about his recent research on the building blocks of Greek sanctuaries and the logistics of quarrying, transportation and architectural use, including his own fieldwork and research at the stone quarries of Naxos and Itanos (Crete).

Jean is interested in ancient Greek construction, particularly from a socio-economic perspective. Drawing mostly on epigraphic and archaeological material, he investigates various aspects of monumental architecture, including ancient repairs and restorations, the social organization of builders, technical innovations and the diffusion of architectural shapes and techniques. He has recently begun work on several new projects on ancient quarries, on the island of Naxos as well as in the territory of ancient Itanos, in Eastern Crete. The quarries are investigated both from the perspective of their technical features, and as part of wider economic and religious landscapes (‘quarryscapes’) in order not only to better understand the chaîne opératoire of construction, but also to explore the social implications of such activities