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sofia
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:00 PM |
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| The Diolkos, the famous paved road constructed around 600 BC and used to transport ships by land over the Isthmus of Corinth, is unique in its kind but it has never been protected since the time of excavation (~1960), progressively crumbling into the water at its western end..
In an effort to save and restore the structure, we have created an international petition at
www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/870477005
We invite you to sign and help preserve this historical monument.
Sofia Loverdou – freelance science hournalist
Yiannis Balafoutas – Retired teacher, writer
Images and comments in GREEK, at www.greekarchitects.gr/index.php?maincat=8&newid=890
For more information and images in ENGLISH, please go to www.greece.org:8080/opencms/opencms/HEC_Projects/DIOLKOS/
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sofia
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| 11 Aug 2007 10:39 PM |
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More damage for Diolkos as one more block has fallen during the kast weeks of October... Although the Archeological Service knew that this particular block - a big one, too - was standing half on air, the stone was not secured.
This part of the monument, which one can see at their right before crossing the moving bridge on the Corinth-Loutraki road, is the smaller part of Diolkos found on the Peloponnese side of the Canal. At the time of the excavation (around 1960) a span of about 15 meters with no vestiges of Diolkos was between this part and the Canal (actually Verdelis, who directed the excavation, reported that the ancient vestiges once more could be seen AFTER 15 meters by the (then) side of the Canal...
The erosion reached this part of the monument around 1992; there is a report by an antiquities guard about it -  - BUT no action was undertaken although rescue operations - at least temporary ones - at this point would have been childish...
For a brief overall discussion of the "modern history" of Diolkos, please go to:
www.huts.gr/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=35 |
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sofia
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| 12 Dec 2007 1:18 PM |
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| Athough relevant services advertise their presumed interest in Diolkos, the erosion still continues to expand under the supposedly "sane" part of the monument. As it does, both ancient blocks AND their immediate substrate are hanging over a void!!!
I still don't know what was decided in a meeting that took place 2-3 weeks ago at the Ministry. I have the impression that MAYBE the permanent wall to protect Diolkos was discussed, but I still don't know for sure and - more importantly - ANY such decision would be of VERY doubtful value if it meant that more deterioration will be allowed untill actual protection work is undertaken.
Respect and attention for Diolkos are still lacking...
In November, the Directorate for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments (DAAM) sent a technical team to retrieve two ancient blocks that have fallen in 2007 from the part designated with the letter G in Werner's plan (you can see this in the link I am giving below). Nevertheless, they recovered only one of the two stones, since the second stone they brought up was NOT the one fallen last February (as instead they thought and aso wrote in their official report!).
This happened although I had personally shown images of the two stones (in two occasions) to the present Head of the Ephorate. Apparently, DAAM and the local ephorate did not coordinate...
During the recent DAAM team's visit, additional supports were place under the stones of the sector E which are now eaten by erosion. To do so, the team entered the sane part of Diolkos WITH THEIR VAN although there is a very convenient access from another point. The official report states that this operation was done in collaboration with the local ephorate; a lady archaeologist was also present, from what I hear (although I don't know who or from what body of the Ministry she was); so THIS leads us to be sure that neither the local ephorate people nor DAAM Knew or cared to look for the other access that wouldn't have a vehicle go over the ancient monument!!!
==-===
One more thing that shows how deplorable the role of the local ephorate has been under the former Head, Mr. Mantis (today at the Acropolis!!!), is this:
I had written to ask about a damage I had noticed on the part of Diolkos that is on the Attica side of the Canal (and is free from erosion). Although I had mentioned where this damage was, Mr. Mantis wrote to his superiors stating that they had performed an autopsy and nothing was wrong!!!!!
You can see the damage between the images at
http://www.greece.org:8080/opencms/opencms/HEC_Projects/DIOLKOS/Gallery.html
It is on the double row of stones, a very interesting feature of Diolkos. Their western end has been removed (by a bulldozer I think - sometime between 1978 and 1984) and then replaced haphazardly. My recent photo shows only one of the two series (the one at left in the 1960 images which you can also see) but the other end is also damaged. |
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the_historian
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:02 PM |
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| Welcome to the forums, Sofia!
That's my signature added, and I hope you succeed.
Regards,Gordon
http://freewebs.com/thehistoryvault/
www.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian |
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sofia
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:02 PM |
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| Report about the #8220;modern history#8221; of Diolkos
SAD BUT TRUE#8230;
Diolkos has never been protected. It has been shocking for me, to gradually find out about its long "modern history" of neglect. Knowing I am addressing people who love our country and who assume its treasures are adequately kept, does not make it easy on me to say what I will say, but I think that looking straight at the truth is the only way out.
The decay of Diolkos has not only been allowed by the Ministry of Culture but it has also been favoured.
Very briefly, I am giving here some information (and anybody is welcome to ask me for the relevant documentation at sofia-l@tellas.gr).
1960 - c.1985; documentation is missing from the ephorate's files but it is clear that no protection measures were taken.
1985 - after an "understanding" of the Canal Company and the Ministry of Culture, a term calling for a restoration study is "forgotten"
1989 - a ludicrous "study" to embellish Diolkos is produced. It leaves completely out a large part of the monument which has been cut out from the rest by the erosion. After more than a decade it is actually suspended by KAS. SIX weeks after the KAS decision, the (then) ephor, Mrs Spathari, writes to the Corinth Court of Law that the study would soon be approved!
1992 - an antiquities guard notifies the ephorate that the erosion approaches the smaller part of Diolkos on the Peloponnese side. No action is taken, although the morphology of the ground at that point was favorable to practically ANY rescue approach.
1999 - Mr Papaligouras and Mr Dimas (two members of the parliament then at the opposition) present written questions about Diolkos. The official answer of the Minister, Mrs. Papazoi, was that a "study of the currents" had been asked to the Canal Company in order for measures to be proposed. The answer is ridiculous in itself but there is more: appallingly, as clearly denounced in the local post, NO SUCH STUDY HAD EVER BEEN ASKED.
.... in 2005, when I first met Mr Mantis (ephor between the summer of 2001 and november 2006) he told me that he was proposing to restore Diolkos. As I found out, however, the ephorate had NO documentation on how the monument looked initially... Mr Mantis was not only totally unprepared for any submission regarding funds, etc., but he also vehemently denied any rescue operations. In a meeting held at the Ministry on February 13th, 2006, the Direction for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments (DAAM) wasn't even invited to participate! The local ephorate kept for themselves the role of gathering "restoration standards" within 20 days... Mr. Mantis left the ephorate nine months later without having presented anything...
... to cut a VERY long story short, by now DAAM has the call to the Diolkos operations (from what I gather, at least). A few stones of the long erosion front have been supported last March, while the erosion keeps eating away the substrate underneath them. The already fallen part of Diolkos is suffering terribly from the waves and the wakes of passing vessels.
Having by now at their heels two Justice Authoroties and a Public Administration Control Body, the Ministry has proceeded to compose a "master plan" which was approved by the KAS (Cntral Archaeological Council) on september 4th. This can be falsely reassuring: no rescue action has yet been taken and the various relevant bodies are still largely ignorant #8211; and non caring - of the monument¢s needs. (For example the Ephorate for Underwater Antiquities, instead of doing everything to ensure rescue operations, which call for no approval, WAITED for the master-plan to be approved BEFORE sending a reconnaissance diving team to Diolkos...)
As can be easily deduced, the Services of the Ministry have completely overlooked their obligations towards our heritage for long decades.
The things I have pointed out are only SOME peaks in a sea of illegality, neglect and this outrageous "ass |
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sofia
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:02 PM |
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| Some days ago the most popular portal in Greece, in.gr, presented the Diolkos case.
It is a good thing to see the veil of silence about Diolkos begin to fall and a kind of "greek tradegy", complete with an innocent victim, slowly come to light...
For those interested, the link is www.in.gr/Reviews/imagegallery.asp?lngReviewID=1667&lngChapterID=16500&lngItemID=57977 |
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sofia
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| 25 Apr 2008 9:02 PM |
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While officials are always ready to present presumed proofs of presumed interest for Diolkos, the mental, moral and operational incompetence of the Greek Ministry of Culture is shocking.
Relevant services were so unable to coordinate that a sum assigned some months ago by the Ministry to a #8220;study#8221; for Diolkos is lying unused. This is the second sum of 40.000 euros that the Ministry has been UNABLE to put into use (the other sum coming from the Loutraki municipality).
This utter lack of coordination and common sense creates serious doubts as to how the Ministry is going to organize things with the Canal Company, as it is SUPPOSED (?) to be doing.
The Diolkos continues to be essentially abandoned.
Both a definite solution AND rescue actions should however have been undertaken long ago, springing naturally from the mechanisms of the Greek Ministry of Culture.
Since, as indeed seems to be the case, these mechanisms are unable to perform even the most childish task, then I think their workings should be questioned, reformed and provided with INTERNATIONAL SURVEILLANCE in order to fulfill the protection of Cultural Heritage.
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