Archaeology Tours | 2019 Highlights

CLASSICAL

ARCHAEOLOGY 2019 Highlights

A C E C U LT U R A L T O U R S

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

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ANCIENT SICILY

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ALGERIA: ROME MEETS THE SAHARA

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AQUILEIA: CITY OF ANTIQUITY

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ATHENS, DELPHI & THE PELOPONNESE

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ROMAN KENT: TOWNS, FORTS & FRESCOES

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CORINTH & THE SARONIC GULF: CITY-STATES & SANCTUARIES

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NEW TOUR DIRECTOR: OLIVER KENZIE

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THE HOLY LAND: 2020

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ROMAN AND BYZANTINE RAVENNA: 2020

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INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

W

e are pleased to showcase highlights from our spectacular collection of archaeology tours taking place throughout 2019, focusing especially on classical archaeology.

ACE Tour Directors look forward to introducing participants to fascinating sites in destinations including Algeria, Ancient Sicily and Aquileia. We also look forward to a delightful tour exploring the towns, forts and frescoes of Roman Kent, and an exciting tour of Athens, Delphi and the Peloponnese.

Read on to discover these, as well as a preview of a brand new upcoming tour exploring Corinth and the Saronic Gulf, and contact the ACE office to book your place or register your interest.

To discover our full programme of archaeological tours in 2019, we warmly invite you to contact the ACE office.

01223 841055 | aceculturaltours.co.uk

Call:

01223 841055

to make an enquiry, or email: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

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ANCIENT SICILY 2 0 M AY — 2 9 M AY 2 0 1 9 | £ 2 7 4 5

with Philip Kenrick

E

ven the most worldly surveyor of ancient civilisations is mesmerised by the monumental grandeur of Agrigento – “Athens with improvements”, according to one 19th century visitor.

Our circuit of historical Sicily, starting in the heart of Palermo, travels via Agrigento and Syracuse to Taormina – Goethe’s “patch of paradise”, characterised by idyllic coastal vistas.

Step into the Villa del Casale to view its stunning Roman mosaics, widely regarded as one of the richest collections in the world As well as absorbing the monumental magnificence of Sicily’s classical heritage, we will examine later cultural influences, from the extraordinary Arabo-Norman architecture of Palermo to the UNESCOlisted Norman-Byzantine cathedral of Monreale.

Palermo, like Monreale, reveals a fusion of Islamic, Byzantine, Norman and Romanesque traditions. The Temple of Olympian Zeus at Agrigento was amongst the largest in the entire Greek world, whilst Syracuse, “the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all” in the opinion of Cicero, includes the island of Ortygia.

The Roman Villa del Casale at Piazza Armerina contains some of the finest mosaics in existence, with remarkable depictions of mythological figures and ancient life.

This tour will be led by Philip Kenrick, MA, DPhil, an archaeologist who read Classics at Balliol College, Oxford, where he also gained his doctorate. Philip has worked on excavations near Agrigento in Sicily, and on other sites in Italy.

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ALGERIA:

ROME MEETS THE SAHARA 2 3 A P R — 5 M AY 2 0 1 9 | £ 3 4 7 5

with Philip Kenrick

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lgeria’s diverse eastern landscapes range from coastal panoramas set against the backdrop of the Mediterranean, through the beautiful mountainous hinterland to the Sahara desert.

The variety of ancient sites and monuments encompasses ruined cities and traces of the desert frontier of the Roman Empire, medieval oasis towns and the Ottoman and French colonial architecture of the coastal region.

Discover the Roman colony of Timgad, the ‘Pompeii of Africa’, founded by Emperor Trajan We will begin our exploration of ‘Alger la Blanche’ with its labyrinthine Casbah and Ottoman palaces, before flying eastwards to Annaba, where the evocative ruins of Hippo Regius include the cathedral church in which St Augustine once held forth. A stay in Constantine, the ‘City of Bridges’, will

include visits to the nearby sites of Tiddis and Djémila; while to the south, we will take in the huge military base of Lambaesis and the Roman colony of Timgad.

After a southward excursion through the Aurès Mountains to seek out traces of the Roman desert frontier in the vicinity of Biskra, we fly south to Ghardaïa in the picturesque M’Zab valley.

Our tour will end on the coast again, with visits to the entrancing coastal site of Tipasa and the town of Cherchell, once a glittering royal capital.

This tour will be led by Philip Kenrick, MA, DPhil, an archaeologist who is a specialist in Roman pottery and has written archaeological guidebooks on Libya and Algeria.

Call:

01223 841055

to make an enquiry, or email: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

01223 841055

to make an enquiry, or email: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

Photo credit: Oliver Kenzie

Call:

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AQUILEIA:

CITY OF ANTIQUITY 11 MAR — 16 MAR 2019 | £1495

with Andrew Wilson

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quileia, once described by Emperor Justinian as “the greatest of all towns in the West”, is today a little known but important Roman city perched on the Adriatic coastline. As the ninth biggest city in the Roman Empire during the 1st century AD, Aquileia served as a crossroads, with a wide trading network between Rome and the East.

Visit Aquileia’s remarkable cathedral with its sequence of 4th century mosaics and ruins of this once important Roman city From 182 BC, when it became a Roman colony amid the local Gallic peoples, until the arrival of Huns, Goths and Lombards in the late imperial and early medieval period, Aquileia was revered for its military and economic assets as well as its cultural and spiritual magnificence.

Our tour takes in the tranquil cypress-lined forum, harbour and necropolis, rare delights

in themselves, but the city’s crowning glory is contained within its magnificent Basilica, a remarkable sequence of 4th century mosaics that provide some of the oldest and most illustrious Palaeo-Christian memoirs in Western Europe.

Nearby, we journey across a picturesque ‘Venetian’ lagoon into the beautifully situated town of Grado and also visit Cividale, located high above the Natisone River. Our final excursion is to the enchanting seaport of Trieste, a cultural meeting-point throughout its history, today the city is the site of important Austro-Hungarian architecture alongside superb Byzantine mosaics.

This tour will be led

by Andrew Wilson, BA, BD, FSAScot, an archaeologist specialising in Roman frontier systems and Byzantine mosaics.

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ATHENS, DELPHI & THE PELOPONNESE 8 SEP— 18 SEP 2019 | £2595

with Carolyn Perry

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ur journey across the Peloponnese embraces some of the most evocative names from ancient Greece: Olympia, birthplace of the Olympic Games; Mycenae, from where Agamemnon went to war against Troy; and, soaring above the Gulf of Corinth, Delphi, the ‘centre of the world’.

Discover the Acropolis of Athens and the Acropolis Museum, containing the enchanting caryatid sculptures Beginning at the Acropolis Museum in Athens we explore fascinating finds from over two thousand years of history, including the mesmerising caryatid statues, followed by a visit to the impressive Parthenon Gallery.

Our visit to the Acropolis itself will take in the Propylaia – the monumental gateway – together with the Parthenon and the Erechtheion.

In the sanctuary at Epidaurus, the most

celebrated healing centre of the ancient world, we will experience the sanctuary of Asklepios, god of healing; the striking tholos; and the well-preserved theatre, renowned for its harmonious proportions and wonderful acoustics.

Other visits include the Bronze Age site of Tiryns, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to an evocative fortress; and Argos, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Tracing the footsteps of Heinrich Schliemann, we will also view the grave circle and the palace megaron at Mycenae.

This tour will be led

by Carolyn Perry, BA, an archaeologist who is Chair of the British Foundation for the Study of Arabia and a former lecturer at Queen Mary College, University of London.

01223 841055

to make an enquiry, or email: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

Photo credit: Oliver Kenzie

Call:

01223 841055

to make an enquiry, or email: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

Photo credit: Oliver Kenzie

Call:

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ROMAN KENT:

TOWNS, FORTS & FRESCOES 1 JUL — 5 JUL 2019 | £945

with Andrew Wilson

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rom the subterranean vestiges of Roman Canterbury to the singular Bacchic frescoes in Dover’s Painted House, Kent is steeped in Roman history.

Dover’s Painted House offers some of the finest wall-paintings in Britain Our tour begins with an exploration of ancient Canterbury – Durovernum Cantiacorum – first mentioned in the second century Antonine Itinerary. We trace the route of the Roman walls before visiting Canterbury’s Roman Museum, erected around the remains of a town house still adorned with in situ mosaics. Nor will we neglect the rich early Christian history of Canterbury: parts of St Martin’s Church date back to the sixth century.

The following day takes us beyond Canterbury to Lullingstone Roman Villa, whose remnants suggest tantalizing glimpses of its wealthy inhabitants – whether they

were native Britons or occupying Romans, possibly enjoying a rural retreat. Faversham Stone Chapel, meanwhile, exhibits the remains of a flint-built medieval church lying partially above Roman ruins: possibly a mausoleum, temple or shrine.

Other highlights include Dover’s second century Painted House, which formed part of a large mansion or lodge for travellers about to cross the Channel, and the fort of Richborough, which defiantly retains the foundations of a monument built to commemorate the conquest of Britain.

This tour will be led

by Mark Corney, BA, FSA, a specialist in Roman history and presenter on Channel 4’s Time Team and a former investigator with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England.

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COMING SOON

CORINTH & THE SARONIC GULF:

CITY-STATES & SANCTUARIES 7 OCT — 12 OCT 2019 | REGISTER INTEREST

with Andrew Wilson & Oliver Kenzie

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he slender strip of land that connects the Peloponnese with the rest of mainland Greece is filled with oftforgotten but highly evocative sites.

Dotted along the coastline of the Corinthian and Saronic gulfs there are more city-states, all of which vied for control of the seas and trade to the east.

The isthmus – a word from Ancient Greek that literally means “neck” – not only symbolised in antiquity the transition from Ionia to the Peloponnese but became a crucial point of contact between rival city-states, cantankerous neighbours located in close proximity. It is probably no coincidence that within this small region, no less than two of the four Panhellenic games were established, at Isthmia and Nemea.

This tour will be led

by Andrew Wilson, BA, BD, FSAScot an archaeologist who has led many tours for ACE in the Greco-Roman world.

Discover some of the less-visited sanctuaries in Greece as well as the Panhellenic centres at Isthmia & Nemea

This tour will also feature as guest-lecturer Oliver Kenzie, BA, MRes, a Cambridgebased archaeologist whose research has focussed on early Greek temples.

01223 841055

to register your interest, or visit: www.aceculturaltours.co.uk

Photo credit: Oliver Kenzie

Call:

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Spare a thought for a glass of wine...

New ACE Tour Director Oliver Kenzie explains why having a glass whilst in Greece might provide a stronger link with the past than you might think...

For most, a great amount of thought no doubt goes into selecting a holiday destination. To be never too far from good wine and good archaeology is usually where I set the bar. I have often found both in abundance in Greece, and my most recent venture proved no different.

Visit any archaeological area and you’ll probably still be in striking distance of a taverna – even for sites situated on paths less well trodden, a glass of the local wine and a couple of olives are never too far away.

It serves as a ready reminder of the so-called ‘Mediterranean Triad’, that phrase coined by Sir Colin Renfrew in his influential work The Emergence of Civilisation, that describes the cultivation of grains, vines and olives which set the foundation for success in the Aegean during the Third Millennium BC. This humble trio of crops is responsible, in part, for the mesmerising archaeology I take such pleasure in exploring. It’s always worth sparing a thought, or a sip, for the simple glass of wine, not least as a fantastic connection to have with our forebears in the ancient past.

I have been to Greece countless times: the sacred nature of its sanctuaries, set amongst a landscape of olive groves, large skies and deep blue seas – there is nowhere like it.

And there is so much more to tell and so much more to explore. From the wide panoramas of Apollo’s sanctuary at Delphi to the cafe I stopped at every morning for Greek coffee on a bustling Athenian street, I’d challenge anybody to find exploring Greece’s archaeology a chore.

Whether you’re a classical novice or a seasoned Grecophile do go, sit, wander, point, smile and perhaps, have a sip of wine, and think of those early viticulturalists who were there at the dawn of western civilisation.

Read Oliver’s full blog and find details of future tours he will be leading for ACE on our website.

Oliver graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2013 with a degree in Archaeology before going on to postgraduate research in Greek Archaeology. His thesis focused on religious architecture from the Greek Early Iron Age and the development of Greek temple architecture.

New Tour Director

01223 841055

to make an enquiry, or email: sales@aceculturaltours.co.uk

Photo credit: Isabel Sudbury

Call:

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THE HOLY LAND 16 JAN — 23 JAN 2020 | COMING SOON

with Andrew Wilson

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ur tour will aim to explore Jerusalem from the early Iron Age through the rise of Judaism to the Roman period. We also hope to examine the Islamic conquest, the Crusades and finally the region’s post-1948 history.

“The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world; it is more, it is the history of heaven and earth”, wrote Benjamin Disraeli in 1847.

Leaving Jerusalem behind, our itinerary will investigate Caesarea, the capital of Palestine under the Romans, and Beit She’an, the only one of the Decapolis trading cities situated to the west of the River Jordan.

Visits include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Shrine of the Book – the repository for the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The rugged natural fortress of Masada, built

by Herod the Great is the quintessential symbol Jewish resistance, and also a site of huge archaeological significance as the camps, fortifications and siege works are perhaps the most imposing to be found anywhere in the Roman world.

Precise details of timings and visitations for this tour will be subject to confirmation closer to the departure date.

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RAVENNA

2 MAR — 6 MAR 2020 | COMING SOON

with Andrew Wilson

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oday a small, tranquil town of cobbled streets, Ravenna was once one of the Mediterranean’s most illustrious cities. The final capital of the Western Roman Empire, Ravenna served as the seat of Theodoric, King of the Ostrogoths, before the Byzantines transformed the city into one of Europe’s foremost centres of art and culture.

Just outside the ‘city of mosaics’ we expect to visit the ancient port of Classe, founded

by Augustus, and to view the huge Basilica of Sant’Apollinare with its exceptional mosaics rich in gold and turquoise.

Ravenna’s surviving collection of early Christian monuments and mosaics is without parallel in Christendom, a beguiling blend of Graeco-Roman tradition and Christian iconography.

The seemingly humble Mausoleum of Galla Placidia boasts Ravenna’s earliest mosaics, including a vivid portrayal of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence as he approaches the red-hot grid-iron.

Breathtaking, too, is the interior of the Basilica of Sant’Apollinare Nuovo, where the nave mosaics depict a sparkling procession of martyrs and virgins, saints and angels.

Precise details of timings and visitations for this tour will be subject to confirmation closer to the departure date.

Both of these 2020 tours will be led by Andrew Wilson, BA, BD, FSAScot an archaeologist specialising in Roman frontier systems and Byzantine mosaics who has led many tours for ACE in the Greco-Roman world.

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