Ohio State Becomes First “International Institutional Member” of Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens
Ohio State recently became the first international member of the Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens (AAIA) an integral part of the University of Sydney.
The two institutions have a strong relationship due to the research of History Professor Timothy Gregory and Dr. Lita Tzortzopoulou Gregory on Kythera via the Australian Paliochora Kythera Archaeological Survey, a project of the University of Sydney sponsored by the Australian Institute.
The result of this ongoing collaboration is a new membership category: International Institutional Member, created by AAIA. The two institutions recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement confirming Ohio State as the first member of the Institute in this new category.
“The new membership creates an enduring official connection between the two organizations,” Gregory said. “It opens possibilities for deepening our relationship through reciprocal visits and opportunities for students from both countries, especially in the area of classical, that is, Greek and Roman archaeology.”
Gregory directs the Ohio State Excavations at Isthmia. In addition to his own work, he has been teaching Ohio State students at Isthmia for more than 30 years. And, over the years, Ohio State’s Excavations at Isthmia have accepted many Australian student volunteers.
The Australian Archaeological Institute at Athens (AAIA) was established in 1980 following negotiations with the Greek government.
The Institute is one of the “Foreign Schools” in Athens, similar to other scholarly institutions in the capital of Greece maintained by major European and American countries. Some of these have been in existence for well over a century.
In addition to providing research support for archaeologists, the AAIA is a research institution in its own right. It operates two libraries in Sydney, Australia, and in Athens; a hostel in Athens, and organizes summer schools, professional development courses and lectures, seminars, visiting professorships and scholarship programs.
The Institute has a strong publication record, is sponsor of the journal “Mediterranean Archaeology,” and has undertaken archaeological fieldwork in Greece at the sites of Torone, Zagora, and on the island of Kythera. It will shortly publish the Gregorys’ book on the archaeology of Kythera.
