1 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:09,720 The Aegean Sea and its collection of beautiful islands are framed by 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:13,480 the coastlines of mainland Greece and Turkey. 3 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:20,960 Millions of tourists of all nationalities come here every year. 4 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:26,200 3,000 years ago, it was just as popular. 5 00:00:26,240 --> 00:00:29,280 The ports of the Aegean would have been crammed 6 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,400 with families, workers, soldiers and kings, 7 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:36,200 travelling for trade and to fight. 8 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:40,240 The cities of ancient Greece were often at war 9 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:41,480 with each other. 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,160 I want to find out more about this vast 11 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:47,600 and complicated civilisation, 12 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:51,120 to dig out the real stories behind the myths. 13 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:53,840 And I'm not just going to the well known tourist spots, 14 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:59,040 of course not. I'm headed off the beaten track. 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:00,480 I'm Alice Roberts 16 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,440 and I'm travelling hundreds of miles through what is now Greece 17 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,920 and Turkey, looking into the flowering of classical civilisation 18 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:12,000 from ancient Greece to the Romans... 19 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,480 Oh, my goodness! That's wonderful! 20 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,200 ..to discover this region's vital role as 21 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:21,760 the birthplace of Plato, 22 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:28,160 Socrates and Alexander the Great, mythology, theatre and democracy. 23 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,200 After a few days in Athens, I'm taking the morning train 24 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:45,320 and heading 90 miles west to Corinth. 25 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:50,360 As a port, Corinth had a strategic role to play in ancient times. 26 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:53,680 The city amassed great wealth from trade, 27 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,200 making it a big target too for its rivals. 28 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,360 To get there, the train will cross the Corinth Canal... 29 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,120 ..a short cut between the Ionian 30 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:09,320 and Aegean seas that was started in Roman times, 31 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,080 but only completed in the 19th century. 32 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:17,840 At 24 metres, it isn't wide enough for modern cargo ships. 33 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,320 I'm too late! 34 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:32,960 That was so quick, it's a really narrow canal. Oh, I missed it! 35 00:02:37,040 --> 00:02:38,800 After a morning in Corinth, 36 00:02:38,840 --> 00:02:42,920 I'll head back east to Piraeus, the port of Athens, 37 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,600 and there I'll board a ferry to the Cyclades islands. 38 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,600 Here, in Corinth, I'm meeting an archaeologist called 39 00:02:57,640 --> 00:03:00,680 Socrates, who was once the site director here. 40 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:05,840 Socrates! 41 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,000 Hi, Alice, welcome to Corinth. Kalimera. Kalimera. 42 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,480 This is just gorgeous, isn't it? Look at that. 43 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,920 It is, it is indeed. Is that Doric? Yes. 44 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,840 Can we get inside? Of course. 45 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,040 The ancient site of Corinth contains archaeology spanning nearly 46 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,760 1,000 years, from ancient Greek 47 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,720 and Roman times through to the Byzantium period. 48 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,440 It's actually a jigsaw puzzle for us. Yeah, yeah. 49 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,440 But it is so amazing, so fascinating that it is worth working in Corinth. 50 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,160 The most imposing monument is this ancient 51 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,160 Greek temple built around 600 BCE. 52 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,240 So you think this is local stone, then? 53 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,240 It is the so-called oolitic limestone that comes from 54 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:05,840 the quarries of Corinth. 55 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,200 I do love this architecture. It's just really robust, 56 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,960 chunky architecture, isn't it, this Doric style? 57 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:19,360 Yeah, of course. The thing is that although the limestone is local, 58 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,720 it is extremely expensive to build such a temple. 59 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:24,640 And a feat of engineering. When you look at each 60 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,240 of those columns, that's a single block of stone? Yes. 61 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:34,520 Instead of drums, which you can see in other temples, in the Parthenon, 62 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:39,720 Erechtheion, the temple at Delphi but these are monolithic, 63 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,320 made of one stone. And they were probably quarried not far away from here as there were 64 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:50,200 many quarries in the area and it is extremely hard to carry them. I mean... Yeah. 65 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,480 Yeah. They're huge. They weigh tonnes. Yeah. Yeah. 66 00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,360 Can we walk over this? 67 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,160 Ah, yes, why not? Have they said we can? 68 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,120 Yes, let's do it. Yeah, OK. 69 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:11,520 I was curator of the site so... Yeah, exactly. You have some privileges. Yes. 70 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,960 Wow! OK, now. 71 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:17,480 This is pretty impressive isn't it, as a site? 72 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:18,680 Yes, it is. 73 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,520 In the second century BCE, 74 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,440 Roman forces laid siege to Corinth 75 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:28,360 and razed it to the ground. 76 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,760 It was rebuilt in the 1st century BCE as a Roman city. 77 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:42,800 And most of what we're looking at here, is this Roman? 78 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:47,600 Roman. Yeah. Roman, Roman. And over there, it's the Bema, the Bema. 79 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:49,800 The, the famous Bema. The famous Bema. 80 00:05:49,840 --> 00:05:52,320 We must go down there. Can we get down to this bit? 81 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,920 Yes, of course. We can... We can walk. 82 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,720 Corinth is referred to in the Bible in the Acts of 83 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:00,560 the Apostles. 84 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,480 The apostle Paul came here on part of his mission 85 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:07,040 to spread Christianity to Greek speaking people. 86 00:06:07,080 --> 00:06:10,360 I want to go to the very place where he's said to have stood. 87 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:13,640 This is bigger than I was expecting. 88 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:17,120 I was expecting just a kind of plinth, but it's more than that. 89 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:22,320 Yeah. This is the pedestal of the Roman monument, which was... 90 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,400 That was standing on here? Yes, this is the stylobate of 91 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:29,680 the facade. There was a row of pillars. 92 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,280 So, stylobate, stylo refers to the pillars. 93 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:35,640 Yes. And the bate is the... Is the base. 94 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:37,200 Exactly. So the pillar base. 95 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:41,000 Yes. Yeah, OK. Exactly. So it's an open space with pillars. 96 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:42,520 Exactly. And a roof? 97 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,880 No, there was no roof. No roof? OK. 98 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:46,960 No, there was just an epistyle on top of the pillars. 99 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:49,880 So, pillars are linked together with an epistyle. Yeah. 100 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,120 Almost like a cornice going round. Exactly. 101 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:54,600 And so you'd have been able to come up here 102 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,480 and stand between columns at the front presumably 103 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,000 and talk to people in the forum. Exactly, yeah. 104 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:01,880 Which is what we think Paul did? 105 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:03,520 That's the idea. 106 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:09,320 Bema exactly mean in Greek is the word that is used for 107 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:13,400 a platform on which orators stood in order to address 108 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:15,760 the audience, the people. Bema is... 109 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:17,760 So there's one at... There's one in Athens. 110 00:07:17,800 --> 00:07:19,960 Yes, yes. Yeah, on the Pnyx. 111 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,160 Exactly. Where the... Where whoever was speaking to the assembly would have, 112 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:25,520 would have stood there. Yeah. So this is a similar idea? 113 00:07:25,560 --> 00:07:30,920 Yeah. Yeah. This was, according to me, probably the Bema of which... 114 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,360 Yeah, yeah. I love the fact as an archaeologist you'll put that "probably" in. 115 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:36,040 Probably, probably. Because you've got... 116 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:38,240 You've got the history that comes through the Acts of 117 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,480 the Apostles which is also obviously heavily biased, 118 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:45,320 but there's history in there. 119 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,840 Yes. And so if we're being told there that Paul comes 120 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:52,000 and stands on a bema to address the crowd, 121 00:07:52,040 --> 00:07:56,560 and then archaeologically you find something which was here in the 1st century, 122 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,400 then it seems reasonable to say, well, 123 00:07:59,440 --> 00:08:02,360 you know, this, this could have been it. Yes, you're right. 124 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:08,560 The American School of Classical Studies excavated this site in 125 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,720 the late 19th century 126 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:15,320 and the Americans are still here today, still finding treasure. 127 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:18,440 This is actually 128 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:20,720 the place where finds are stored 129 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,280 from the American School excavations. Yeah. 130 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:27,520 So now, I will introduce you to the Director of 131 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,720 the American excavations here in Corinth. 132 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:33,680 Oh, my goodness, look how many fragments 133 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,000 of pottery they're having to go through. Yeah. 134 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:39,400 All these fragments come from the excavations. 135 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,520 Let me introduce you to Chris. 136 00:08:41,560 --> 00:08:44,360 Hi. And you're digging here right now? 137 00:08:44,400 --> 00:08:46,400 We're digging right now. Yeah. 138 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:48,600 We're in the midst of a three month excavation. 139 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,080 We're just finishing the second of our three sessions. 140 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,840 Yeah, yeah. And are you here every year? 141 00:08:54,880 --> 00:09:00,840 Every year. We've been excavating more or less continuously since 1896. 142 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:05,120 Have you? Not you, personally. Not me, personally. 143 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,240 What a nice place to come and work. Yeah. 144 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:11,520 Yeah, and you've got tonnes of pottery coming out. 145 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:16,360 Literally. Yeah. We're in the midst of part of a bath complex 146 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,320 and it is producing lots of material, 147 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,280 mostly from the Eastern Mediterranean, 148 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:27,160 so it gives us a good idea of what kind of trade network, 149 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:31,320 economic system, were involved in. 150 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:34,080 So you can tell what goods were being brought in and out? 151 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:40,120 Yeah, and mostly what seems to be coming in to Corinth is wine. 152 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:44,800 Yeah. A surprisingly large quantity of wine. 153 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,760 So this is late Roman so we're moving into the middle of 154 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,880 the first millennium. This is late Roman so most, yeah, 155 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:51,600 it's mostly 6th century into the first half of the 7th century. 156 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,280 Yeah, yeah. At some point towards the middle of the 7th century, 157 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:59,880 there must be something rather bad happening in 158 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:04,560 the area that we have the end of the... 159 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:10,440 The life of a very large building and then the dumping of material. 160 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,440 The building's gone and then it becomes a rubbish tip. 161 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,200 Exactly, exactly. Yeah, yeah. 162 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:16,120 And then in the 12th century, 163 00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:20,000 people are again in the area, but between the 7th 164 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:21,440 and 12th centuries, 165 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,760 there's very little indication of activity in this area. 166 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,640 Yeah, yeah, so lots to discover. Yeah, 167 00:10:27,680 --> 00:10:31,800 yeah, and it relies on this hard graft. Yeah. 168 00:10:33,160 --> 00:10:35,360 How much more have you got to do today, Chris? 169 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,080 THEY LAUGH 170 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:41,840 Are you getting near the end? No. 171 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,680 No? I'll leave you to it. Thank you so much. 172 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:46,960 My pleasure. 173 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,440 Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. 174 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:54,960 Before my next train departs, 175 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,800 I've just enough time to climb up to 176 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,240 the acropolis of Corinth, known as Acrocorinth. 177 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,320 In ancient times, this flat top mountain was 178 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,720 a citadel even more imposing than that at Athens. 179 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:15,160 From here, 570 metres above sea level, 180 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,080 you can see right across the isthmus, 181 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:23,440 from the Aegean Sea in the east to the Ionian Sea in the north. 182 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:27,880 Potential invaders could be seen for miles. 183 00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,280 Next, I'm heading to Piraeus 184 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:35,880 and this evening I'll be catching not a train 185 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:41,520 but a ferry into the Aegean Sea to the historic Cyclades islands. 186 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:55,160 On my journey exploring ancient Greece, 187 00:11:55,200 --> 00:12:00,480 I'm now leaving Corinth and heading back west beyond Athens. 188 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,160 The next station is 90 minutes away 189 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:07,000 and it marks a significant stage of my travels. 190 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:14,320 Well, I've just embarked on my final train ride in Greece and I'm headed 191 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,600 to the port of Piraeus. Piraeus is really important. 192 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:23,880 It explains why Athens reached this position of supreme power 193 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,600 because that was all about naval supremacy. 194 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,560 Piraeus is the port of Athens, 195 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,640 the port where Athens navy was based. 196 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,480 Just across from the railway station is 197 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:50,360 the port where I'll be leaving mainland Greece. 198 00:12:55,360 --> 00:12:58,560 But first I'm heading to the Archaeological Museum here 199 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:03,240 where they have a collection of bronzes from early ancient Greece. 200 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,640 It's rare for bronze work from antiquity 201 00:13:07,680 --> 00:13:09,760 to have survived this long. 202 00:13:12,560 --> 00:13:14,600 I'm meeting an archaeologist called Anthie 203 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:17,440 to find out more about these precious items. 204 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,120 Kalimera, Anthie. Kalimera. Nice to meet you. 205 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,160 Nice to meet you too. 206 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,120 Here we are, the Museum of Piraeus. 207 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,880 The museum has ten halls over two floors, 208 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:36,360 crammed with extraordinary artwork from two to 3,000 years ago. 209 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:43,120 This is a relief, a representation of an actor. 210 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:50,680 Oh, really? Because he holds a mask, tragic mask. 211 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,080 You can see his hand here. Yes. Yeah. 212 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:57,960 Now I've heard that your bronzes are better than 213 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,480 the ones in the main museum in Athens. Yes. 214 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:07,480 In this room, four bronze statues of gods and goddesses tower over us. 215 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,760 They were all found at the same location here in Piraeus. 216 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,600 Here we are. 217 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,920 So these bronzes were all found together. 218 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:17,760 All found together. Very close to each other. 219 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,400 And when were they discovered? In 1959. 220 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,880 OK, so during modern building work. Yes, yes. 221 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,920 That's incredible, isn't it? So much bronze. 222 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,720 Yes. And they haven't been melted down. They've survived. 223 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,240 Do we know who this statue is? Yes, this is Apollo. 224 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,120 This is Apollo. Apollo. How do you know? How can you tell? 225 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:46,640 He's recognised by the traces of the bow in his left hand. 226 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:50,040 And that is bronze, is it? And it's snapped off? Yes. 227 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:54,880 So this is a typical... A typical attribute. A typical image of Apollo. 228 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:56,320 Yes, of Apollo. 229 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,920 But he does have that kind of Archaic style. 230 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:02,960 At the end of Archaic period. 231 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,600 Yeah, and he's starting to look a little bit more naturalistic. 232 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:13,360 Yes. It's in the beginning of the Severe style of sculpture. 233 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:15,880 Severe? Severe style of sculpture. 234 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:17,320 But more naturalistic. 235 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,080 Ah, yes. Yeah. 236 00:15:19,120 --> 00:15:21,400 When does that date to then, do you think? 237 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:25,680 Probably to the end of 6th century BC. 238 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:27,680 And that's on the basis of the style 239 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:30,560 and the fact that the style is starting to change? Yes, it does. 240 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,600 So it's transitional. It's transitional between Archaic 241 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,640 and this Classical Hellenistic sculpture. 242 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:42,920 There's one more bronze that Anthie wants to show me. 243 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,000 It's not an artistic sculpture, 244 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:49,080 but part of an ancient Greek warship. 245 00:15:49,120 --> 00:15:53,320 Known as triremes, they were powerful ships with sails, 246 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,080 but also three banks of rowers. 247 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:02,560 And the prow of each ship was furnished with a bronze ram. 248 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:08,200 This is the bronze ram. Oh, wow, so that's on the prow. 249 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:09,760 Yes. Yeah. 250 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:11,600 It's the only one. 251 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:18,440 Is it? Of that time, yes. There are other too but much later. 252 00:16:18,480 --> 00:16:20,240 Right, OK. Of Roman times. 253 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:22,960 OK, and when does this date to, do you know? 254 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,240 It's from the 5th century or 4th century BC. 255 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,400 Yeah, yeah. Isn't that amazing? 256 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:32,840 It's very unique. 257 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,280 Yeah. It's not known. There's nothing else like it from the 4th century? 258 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:39,000 No, no. Yeah, yeah and it just... 259 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:41,040 I mean it just takes it back to that... 260 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:45,480 That time of naval battles across the Aegean 261 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:47,680 and all these different city states battling it out 262 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:52,200 for supremacy. And Athens investing in its navy. 263 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,880 It's one of the most remarkable objects I have ever seen. 264 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:57,800 That's amazing. Yes. 265 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,480 There are more sculptures in the open-air part of 266 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:06,520 the museum surrounding an ancient Greek theatre dating 267 00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,640 to the 2nd century BCE. 268 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,080 It's where I'm meeting a man called Aristotle. 269 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,360 Hello, Alice. How are you? Nice to meet you. 270 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:19,880 Kalimera. Kalimera. Lovely to meet you here. 271 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:21,880 This is an ancient theatre, isn't it? 272 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:25,000 It is pretty amazing, isn't it? This is the actual thing! 273 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,080 I love the way that this has been preserved in 274 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:32,920 the middle of the...the modern city. 275 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,440 Aristotle works in education and politics, 276 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,800 where ancient Greece is always a hot topic of conversation. 277 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:49,960 If you look at the world at that time, 278 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,880 this was the most progressive society. Classical Greece, 279 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,520 and especially Athens, has made major contributions in terms 280 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:04,640 of philosophy, theatre, history...so much, arts, that have been enjoyed 281 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,200 and thought about for millennia afterwards. 282 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,520 But then you have to think, we're talking about very few free people 283 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:16,040 and not that many years, and yet they produced so much. 284 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,200 Is this a fluke? Is this a coincidence? 285 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,320 Or is there something deeper going on? 286 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:22,120 I think there's something deeper, because... What is it? 287 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:25,080 What do you think it is? ..well, I think that we have 288 00:18:25,120 --> 00:18:30,040 a society that is very aware of how precarious 289 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:36,720 the human existence is, and also a society where there is 290 00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:41,080 an incentive to excel in whatever it is that you do. 291 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:44,160 If we look at modern civilisation, which is really 292 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:45,680 an extension of Western civilisation, 293 00:18:45,720 --> 00:18:48,680 for better or worse, we are very good at keeping lists. 294 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,440 Who gets relegated? Who's number one... 295 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:54,280 ..the Premier League standings? Eurovision contest. 296 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,120 We have everything... Who is...? We like these competitions. 297 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:01,360 Yes! Who has more money? We have lists and competitions. 298 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,640 Yeah. But not every society does that. 299 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:06,520 It's not something that was historically prevalent in 300 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:10,840 the East, for example. So we have an extremely antagonistic, 301 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:13,960 competitive society where everyone has to excel. 302 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:20,200 So, small numbers, but once you have that mentality, that philosophy, 303 00:19:20,240 --> 00:19:22,840 and also a political system that gives you 304 00:19:22,880 --> 00:19:27,280 a say in what is happening, 305 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:31,680 you have a tremendous incentive 306 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:36,400 to produce, to excel, to improve. 307 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:41,360 One of the things I've been really fascinated by is understanding 308 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,720 the relationship between different areas 309 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:47,320 of what is now Greece back in antiquity 310 00:19:47,360 --> 00:19:50,200 and the very short-lived empire of Alexander. 311 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,760 He spreads himself too thinly. I'm not quite sure what he was up to. 312 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:57,840 He's battling through Asia and then eventually dies in Babylon, 313 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,400 and the empire fragments almost immediately. 314 00:20:01,440 --> 00:20:05,240 You're very correct to point out that Alexander the Great's 315 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,120 political unity achievement didn't last long. 316 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:12,400 I think that his impact on world civilisation is cultural 317 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,040 because he brings Greek, the Greek language, 318 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:19,600 and Greek civilisation to larger parts of the world. 319 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,880 I think that Greek civilisation's already there through trading, 320 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:25,640 and I think that then he becomes this powerful myth. 321 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:28,120 So... This is one man doing this. 322 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,680 It can't be... It can't ever be one man. 323 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:34,040 No man alone can produce that. Mm! But again, 324 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:38,400 going so far... And then you have the successor empires. 325 00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:42,320 Let's take Egypt. Egypt is governed by the Ptolemies. 326 00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:46,840 Mm-hm. The last of the dynasty is the very well-known today 327 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:52,080 Cleopatra, who was fluent in Greek. So Egypt was not Greek, 328 00:20:52,120 --> 00:20:55,800 but suddenly, you have a very Greek dynasty in Egypt. 329 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:59,240 So that is what I would say an example of 330 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:05,280 Alexander's culture influence. And also, Greek history is 331 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:07,960 so complex, even ancient Greek history. Yeah, yeah. 332 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,760 If we just concentrate on that. It's so complex that you actually 333 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:16,360 want to highlight things that contribute to the story 334 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,880 and understanding but are not that well-known. 335 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,640 Aristotle, so you've obviously thought very deeply about 336 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:25,080 the relationship of heritage, history, 337 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:29,120 archaeology and modern politics. Yes. 338 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:34,320 And you can see how this incredible, incredible history that 339 00:21:34,360 --> 00:21:38,080 Greece has was something that could bind people together. 340 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:42,160 Right. One can wonder today, "Why do we care about people who lived 341 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,800 "2,000-2,500 years ago, who were white and male?" 342 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:51,160 But the reason we care is because of the questions they asked. 343 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:56,960 They asked questions about politics, ethics, biology, science. Mm. 344 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,720 They produced drama, philosophy. 345 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:04,400 They asked the right questions. And for 2,500 years, 346 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,960 human civilisation is coming up with different answers, 347 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:11,720 sometimes very critical answers to what they were saying. 348 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:13,960 But the questions remain the same. 349 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:17,920 Yeah. For 2,500 years, we're grappling with the same questions 350 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:21,520 asked right here, and I think that is the big contribution. 351 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,400 Again, not their replies, their answers... 352 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,560 Although some of them are brilliant, some of them are not. 353 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:31,040 But asking the right questions. Yeah, yeah. 354 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:35,680 That's a huge part of human civilisation, 355 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:40,040 and it resonates in all parts of the world to this day. 356 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:01,680 After learning more about ancient Greek civilisation 357 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:07,520 and the naval power of the Athenians, I'm about to take to the sea myself. 358 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,760 I'm taking this ferry from Piraeus to 359 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,960 an island called Paros 360 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:18,960 100 miles from here, 361 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,560 arriving around ten o'clock tonight. 362 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,240 VOICE OVER LOUDSPEAKER: Your attention, please. 363 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:39,600 Would Professor Alice Roberts please come to the bridge? Thank you. 364 00:23:57,160 --> 00:23:59,400 HE SPEAKS GREEK 365 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,520 SPEAKING GREEK 366 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,440 Hello. Captain Kronas. 367 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:10,400 Hello, Ms Roberts. How are you? Welcome aboard. Kalispera. 368 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:11,720 Thank you very much. Nice to meet you. 369 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:15,560 Thank you. So, we've left Piraeus Harbour... Yes, already. 370 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,720 Yeah. What's next? What's next? 371 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:21,800 Our next destination is Paros, in approximately four hours. Yeah. 372 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:26,360 OK. And after Paros, then Naxos, another 45-minutes route. 373 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:30,760 And then after Naxos, around two-hours trip for Santorini. 374 00:24:30,800 --> 00:24:31,800 So you're going to keep going? 375 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:36,360 Yes. We arrive at Phila around 2.30... Yeah. ..after midnight, 376 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:38,080 and we leave at seven o'clock in the morning. 377 00:24:38,120 --> 00:24:41,440 OK, I'm going to get off at Paros, I think. Yeah. OK. 378 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,880 And it looks like good conditions today? Yeah, good condition. 379 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:47,240 A little foggy, but that is something... 380 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,160 And how many days a year is it too rough to sail? 381 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,320 Would you like to have a seat...to the lounge there? Yeah. 382 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,320 OK. I'm in charge now. 383 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:07,280 With 8,500 miles of coastline and over 1,200 islands, 384 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:11,320 it's no surprise that the Greeks are a seafaring nation. 385 00:25:11,360 --> 00:25:16,280 How long have you been a captain? I've been a captain for one year 386 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:19,320 and about a couple of months, as a master of this company. 387 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:23,000 And then serving this company, 11 years from second officer time. 388 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,200 Normally, not in every family, but in a big amount 389 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,240 of families in Greece, there is at least one seaman. 390 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:32,960 Yeah, yeah. Maybe 60%, 70%, there is somebody that work or used 391 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,680 to work around vessels or on seafaring industry. Yeah. 392 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:39,240 Maritime culture. Maritime culture, yes. Maritime society. Yeah. 393 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:43,520 Given how much Greece still relies on maritime transport, 394 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,680 it makes you wonder if 395 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:49,120 the Greek civilisation would have risen as quickly as it did in that 396 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,960 first millennium had it not been for that island nature. Of course. 397 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:57,640 If there was no maritime tradition in Greece, 398 00:25:57,680 --> 00:26:01,120 I wouldn't think we would have made what we made. 399 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:03,840 Yeah, so it's all down to the sea, really. Yeah. 400 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:06,440 It would be a totally different civilisation. Yeah. 401 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,920 I mean, if... I don't know if it's in genetics or DNA, 402 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,600 but sure it has helped a lot for Greek civilisation 403 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,960 to expand, because of navigation. Yeah. 404 00:26:19,320 --> 00:26:21,720 This ferry has the very latest kit, 405 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,040 including state-of-the-art navigation technology. 406 00:26:26,840 --> 00:26:31,480 But it's nice to see they're still using more traditional devices, too. 407 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,880 There are still about 60 miles to go before I arrive in Paros. 408 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,160 Perhaps enough time to learn a new skill. 409 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,040 This is the zero. This one. Yeah. 410 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:50,520 OK, and 35, 411 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,680 36, 37. Yeah. 412 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:57,600 And now in the same line, you transfer... 413 00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:01,680 ..and you are here. Oh, I see. Yeah. 414 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:05,560 So you've measured it here and then you transfer over. Yeah. 415 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,720 In the same line. Yeah, yeah. 416 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,920 So it's the equivalent to bringing a ruler in from here. Yes. 417 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:18,520 You take a pencil and in this mark... Yeah. This is your position. 418 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:22,880 That's where we are. Yeah. And we're headed out this way? 419 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,080 Yes. That's the little island I can see. Yeah. 420 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:32,040 And now this is the Paros port. 421 00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:41,000 So, where are we going to be coming in? Just on this pier? Yes. 422 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,120 Missing these little rocks on the way. 423 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,040 But it's OK. Captain's... You trust him. 424 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,440 Yes. Yeah. Knows everything. Yeah. 425 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,400 I think he'll get us there. 426 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,720 The ferry arrives at the port of Paros 427 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,120 at 10pm, right on schedule. 428 00:28:21,360 --> 00:28:22,880 Over the next few days, 429 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,280 I'll be travelling around the islands on smaller boats. 430 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:27,840 But first thing tomorrow, 431 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,920 I'm looking forward to a guided tour of ancient Paros. 432 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:47,200 Paros has been inhabited for at least 5,000 years. 433 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:52,600 It's a fertile island, occupying a strategic location - 434 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,440 right in the middle of the Aegean Sea. 435 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:03,040 And it became famous in antiquity for its fine, white Parian marble, 436 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,920 sought after by ancient Greek sculptors. 437 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:13,360 The island's chief port and capital, Parikia, 438 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:18,160 is a popular tourist resort today, and it's easy to see why. 439 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:25,200 Among the whitewashed buildings are little gems from the past. 440 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:39,400 This is part of a Venetian castle built in the 13th century. 441 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:45,920 The builders clearly recycled older materials. 442 00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:50,720 But there are much older sites here, 443 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,600 sites that have survived the development of hotels 444 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:58,840 and houses because of one man, an archaeologist called Yannos. 445 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:06,520 Yannos. Hi. Good morning. Kalimera. Kalimera. 446 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:07,880 What should we do? Where should we start? 447 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:09,760 Should we start in the museum or in the town? 448 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:11,640 No, we do the museum after. OK. 449 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:14,640 Let's start with a workshop of pottery, the Roman house 450 00:30:14,680 --> 00:30:16,480 and the other archaeological sites around. 451 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,120 Lovely. You lead the way then. Perfect. OK, let's go. 452 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:24,280 Yannos has been excavating here for 38 years. 453 00:30:24,320 --> 00:30:27,200 He's taking me on a tour of his greatest hits. 454 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:31,960 There is a lot of history here. Yeah, yeah! 455 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,200 We have Prehistoric, we have Classical, 456 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:36,120 we have Archaic, we have Hellenistic, 457 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:41,440 Roman, Byzantine, post Byzantine. We have everything. Neoclassical. 458 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,600 I'm telling you there are antiquities all over. 459 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:47,560 Parikia has expanded a lot in 460 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,200 the time that Yannos has been working here. 461 00:30:50,240 --> 00:30:52,400 One of the biggest challenges is 462 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:54,720 preserving and protecting the history. 463 00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:58,680 Kalimera. Kalimera. 464 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,040 SPEAKING GREEK 465 00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:15,640 What have we got down here? WOMAN SPEAKS GREEK 466 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,360 What have you got in your basements? 467 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:21,000 WOMAN CONTINUES IN GREEK 468 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:23,960 Oh, my goodness! Look at that. 469 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,040 So you're really impressed, huh? I didn't expect... 470 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:30,840 Something like this. ..this to be quite as deep. 471 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:34,200 Yannos struck a deal with the town planners 472 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,400 to safeguard these ruins whilst 473 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,160 carefully building apartments right on top of them. 474 00:31:40,160 --> 00:31:42,400 So, this is a Roman house? Yes. 475 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,000 So we had the idea to preserve the site. 476 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:47,520 So... 477 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,840 That's wonderful. So this is the front of a... 478 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:51,840 The front of the house. ..of a Roman house here. 479 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:56,400 The threshold and the door jams. Got a couple of doorways. All marble. 480 00:31:56,440 --> 00:32:00,280 Can I walk on those steps? Yes, of course. You are with me. 481 00:32:09,440 --> 00:32:12,560 And were there any archaeological finds in here? A lot. 482 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:15,920 Glasses, pottery, bronzes, a lot of things. 483 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:18,480 Really? They're in Paros Museum. Yeah? 484 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:20,080 If you want to come around and see the side 485 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,360 and then we can go. You have a lot of things to see. 486 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:25,520 OK. This is fantastic. I'd like to have 487 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:27,200 a Roman house in my cellar. 488 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:31,840 Right, next thing. 489 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,280 THEY SPEAK GREEK 490 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:39,800 You want coffee? 491 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:41,920 Ooh, yes! That would be lovely. 492 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,160 THEY SPEAK GREEK 493 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:49,320 What kind of coffee you want? Black coffee, please. 494 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:52,120 Frappe sketo. Thank you. 495 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:54,600 Now you're going to see the church. 496 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:59,880 This is a private church, so I have the key of the lady. Huh! 497 00:32:59,920 --> 00:33:01,280 While the coffee's brewing, 498 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:03,880 Yannos wants to show me another treasure. 499 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:06,080 But this isn't one of his excavations. 500 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:13,160 It is a double church. 501 00:33:13,200 --> 00:33:15,760 Oh, it's lovely. Yeah, double aisles. 502 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:20,280 It's Profitis Ilias and the Virgin Mary. 503 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:23,440 And in here, we find some older archaeology. 504 00:33:25,320 --> 00:33:28,640 But you see the column? This is an ancient column. 505 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:30,680 Is it? Yeah. So that's been reused. 506 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,640 Reused for the church. Yeah. 507 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,000 When you say ancient, you think this is Hellenistic? 508 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:38,960 Hellenistic or Roman. Yeah. 509 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:42,600 And this is still used, this church? 510 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:46,000 Yes, it's a private church. It belongs to the family. Does it? 511 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:47,640 That has the Roman house underneath. 512 00:33:55,680 --> 00:33:57,840 We'll take the key back. I wonder if our coffee's ready. 513 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,640 Yes, your coffee's waiting for you. What's the name of this lady? Vula. 514 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:04,960 Vula! Vula! We're coming in. 515 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:09,640 THEY SPEAK GREEK 516 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:11,960 Oh, Vula! Eucharisto! 517 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:15,240 THEY SPEAK GREEK 518 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,800 Take the plastic and we go. Oh, coffee to go. 519 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,600 Vula, that's so kind. Thank you. Efcharisto. 520 00:34:22,640 --> 00:34:24,640 Kalos? Mm! 521 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:26,920 HE SPEAKS GREEK 522 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:29,440 Kalos. Efcharisto. Kalos. 523 00:34:31,240 --> 00:34:33,240 Is there a lot of building going on? 524 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:38,840 There's lots. We have almost 1,000 requests. 525 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:40,920 Right, where are we off to now? 526 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:45,920 Yannos' tour will take me on 527 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,360 to see some more incredible archaeology. 528 00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:50,840 It's brilliant. And it's very well-preserved. 529 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:54,280 And how lovely just to be able to walk past and see it down there. 530 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,160 And I'll help him solve a mystery. 531 00:34:57,200 --> 00:34:59,560 I think this is a male. Male? 532 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:00,840 This is very narrow. 533 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:14,360 I'm on the historic island of Paros, having a guided tour with 534 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:19,640 an incredible man who's been excavating here since the 1980s. 535 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:22,560 We have a funeral urn inside. Yeah. 536 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:24,480 And this is still of the 5th century. 537 00:35:24,520 --> 00:35:28,040 Yeah. There's another one next to that. A pottery urn? Yes. 538 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:29,400 Yeah, yeah. 539 00:35:29,440 --> 00:35:31,480 He'll be retiring later this year 540 00:35:31,520 --> 00:35:34,760 and we're racing around so he can show me all his work. 541 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,040 Look at the... Look. 542 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:42,440 Oh, yeah. There was a kiln. 543 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,560 The next site is right underneath our feet. 544 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:47,080 It's... It's here? It's underneath. 545 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,880 So this was my first excavation, 1986. Was it? 546 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:56,240 And I had the idea to preserve the site under the house. 547 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,000 It's brilliant. And it's very well-preserved. 548 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:00,760 And how lovely just to be able to walk past and see it down there. 549 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,400 But of course, you need the key to come and see the site. Huh! 550 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,560 What do you think? That's fantastic. 551 00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:13,320 I mean, what an incredible depth of archaeology. 552 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:16,920 It is. This is of Hellenistic and Roman period again. Yeah. 553 00:36:16,960 --> 00:36:20,680 But we have a house of Classical period that had 554 00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:23,680 the workshop of pottery on top of that. Yeah. 555 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:31,080 This wonderful workshop from 2,500 years ago has six kilns 556 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:33,360 for producing all sorts of pottery. 557 00:36:35,280 --> 00:36:38,160 See that over there? That was very difficult to do that... 558 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:39,680 Under the road now. 559 00:36:39,720 --> 00:36:44,120 The mayor gave me the permission for three months to excavate. Yeah. 560 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:46,560 I promised in three months I will finish 561 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:49,840 because that was the main road to go to the house. Yeah! 562 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:51,960 So this was open when you were excavating it? 563 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:53,520 Yeah, of course. For three months. 564 00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:55,960 Then we cover it. And then you build over it. Yeah. 565 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:57,000 We were very lucky 566 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,720 because...had a lot of money so we pay for the roads... 567 00:36:59,760 --> 00:37:01,840 Yes. ..the cement and everything. Yeah, yeah. 568 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:03,640 And it means you can still come down here 569 00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:04,960 and see all of this archaeology. 570 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,160 And it's very well-preserved. If it was in open air, 571 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:09,200 everything going to be destroyed. 572 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:11,400 Yeah, exactly. Yeah. 573 00:37:11,440 --> 00:37:13,240 No, it's perfect. 574 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,400 YANNOS SPEAKS GREEK 575 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:35,360 THEY SPEAK GREEK 576 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:37,000 Yannos knows everybody. 577 00:37:43,560 --> 00:37:47,040 I'm going to be the second mayor, I mean, after this mayor. 578 00:37:47,080 --> 00:37:48,800 You know everybody. Everybody. 579 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:50,680 After 38 years, I'm Parian. 580 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:54,720 You feel part of the community. They don't hate me. No! 581 00:37:54,760 --> 00:37:56,720 Usually, they hate archaeologists. 582 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:02,640 Another excavation that was led by Yannos uncovered 583 00:38:02,680 --> 00:38:05,600 a workshop for sculptors. 584 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,400 Parian marble would be brought to this site 585 00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:13,760 and the craftsmen would chip away, making statues over centuries. 586 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:20,280 You can see a lot of chips from the... 587 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,200 When they work the marble... 588 00:38:22,240 --> 00:38:24,720 Oh, yeah. ..they throw all the chips down. You see those? Yeah, yeah. 589 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:29,080 Yeah, there's pieces of marble everywhere. 590 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:31,640 Just little chips of it. 591 00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:36,200 You can see from here, we have layers of those chips. 592 00:38:36,240 --> 00:38:39,120 This depth of marble chips, I mean, this is telling us something 593 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:42,600 about how long people were here... Exactly. ..making... 594 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:44,640 For many years, they were... ..making marble sculptures. 595 00:38:44,680 --> 00:38:47,640 Generations and generations of people, right here, 596 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:49,280 making marble sculptures. 597 00:38:51,200 --> 00:38:53,280 Look at here, look here, it's really good. 598 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,080 I can walk over this, can I? Yes, you can. 599 00:38:56,120 --> 00:38:57,960 That's narrow baulk. 600 00:38:58,000 --> 00:38:59,480 Oh! 601 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:01,440 Thank you. 602 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,480 Look, you see that? Oh, yeah. 603 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:05,800 We left it so people can understand that there are 604 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:08,560 layers and layers of chipping. 605 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:10,560 And it just builds up over time. 606 00:39:12,760 --> 00:39:17,440 And from here, you can see also... That's a brilliant section. 607 00:39:17,480 --> 00:39:18,560 Yeah, it's a great section here. 608 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,760 Yeah, so you've just got lots and lots of little marble chips. 609 00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:26,040 And a lot of pottery also. Yeah. Of Hellenistic period, of course. 610 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:30,320 So, you've got a rubbly layer here and, then, on top of that, 611 00:39:30,360 --> 00:39:34,400 which then becomes a floor, you've got all these marble chips. 612 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,280 So, we started excavation here, another archaeologist before me, 613 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:40,920 and then we continue and now we still continue the excavation 614 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:42,560 after 30 years. 615 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:44,480 Yeah, I wonder how far it goes that way. 616 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:47,880 It goes... But we can't excavate here because we have the road. 617 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:49,480 Yeah, but you've excavated under roads before. 618 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:53,280 Yeah. Yeah. It's not so easy. There's a lot of bureaucracy now. 619 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,600 We've done that once. Yeah. 620 00:40:04,160 --> 00:40:07,080 Have you seen...have you seen the house with the pottery? 621 00:40:07,120 --> 00:40:10,080 Yeah. Yes, we just came from there. He just walked around. 622 00:40:10,120 --> 00:40:12,960 We've been here a week and you just stumble upon it all. 623 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,200 Isn't it wonderful? So, Yannos excavated that in the '80s. 624 00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:19,880 Oh, YOU did? Yeah. Thank you! Thank you. Unfortunately. 625 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:22,680 THEY LAUGH 626 00:40:22,720 --> 00:40:24,640 Nice meeting you. Bye-bye. Bye. 627 00:40:28,600 --> 00:40:30,120 Isn't that wonderful? 628 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:31,840 They said they're just walking round the town 629 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:34,720 and they stumbled upon the archaeology, just as you intended. 630 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:36,120 Exactly. 631 00:40:41,520 --> 00:40:44,800 Further along the road, there's a sanctuary. 632 00:40:44,840 --> 00:40:45,960 Then we have... 633 00:40:46,000 --> 00:40:48,000 Here's another city here. 634 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:53,520 Different sites for graves. This is a big Roman monument. 635 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,280 All the statues from here are now housed in 636 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:58,640 the island's museum. 637 00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:03,400 And just around the corner, surrounded by car parks, 638 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:05,320 are the ruins of a Roman house, 639 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:08,000 complete with a beautiful mosaic floor. 640 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:13,560 Near the seafront, Yannos shows me an ancient cemetery. 641 00:41:15,520 --> 00:41:17,680 At the far end, there's a small museum 642 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:19,920 with remains from some of the graves. 643 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:29,560 A horse?! A horse. Was that in the cemetery? Yes. 644 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,840 Is that unusual, to find animals buried in a cemetery? 645 00:41:33,880 --> 00:41:39,280 Usually, we have some, but it's unusual to find. Yeah, yeah. 646 00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:40,600 And then these burials are interesting. 647 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,680 So, you've got some in... There are different burials here. 648 00:41:43,720 --> 00:41:46,000 This female burial. 649 00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:47,640 With a mirror? With a mirror. 650 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:50,480 Yeah. IS it a female? 651 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:51,680 Can I pick up the pelvis? 652 00:41:51,720 --> 00:41:52,920 Yes, you can do that. 653 00:41:55,320 --> 00:41:57,680 The bones are original. Yeah. 654 00:41:58,880 --> 00:42:02,560 So, you can say that it's female? I'm going to shock you now. Hmm. 655 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:08,440 Hmm. 656 00:42:09,680 --> 00:42:12,640 You can see this is a doctor. Yeah. 657 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:14,240 I think this is a male. 658 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,480 Male? No. This is very narrow. 659 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:19,800 It's interesting cos it's narrow on this side, 660 00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:21,600 but a little bit wider here. Mm-hm. 661 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:23,400 Let me look at the skull. 662 00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:26,400 OK, so the skull is looking more male. 663 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:29,240 There's a significant brow ridge. 664 00:42:29,280 --> 00:42:31,440 You've got a large mastoid process. 665 00:42:31,480 --> 00:42:33,360 And then I suspect it would have 666 00:42:33,400 --> 00:42:36,720 a large occipital protuberance as well. 667 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:38,400 May I pick that up? Yes. 668 00:42:41,680 --> 00:42:44,240 Oh, no, actually, it's quite rounded. 669 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:48,760 But on balance... 670 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:52,280 ..I think this is male. Interesting. 671 00:42:54,040 --> 00:42:56,440 Is that a surprise? It's good to know. Yeah. Yeah. 672 00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:59,520 We had the mirror, so I don't know. Yeah, yeah. 673 00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:01,680 So, we have another... So, typical... 674 00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:03,360 What you would consider to be typical female 675 00:43:03,400 --> 00:43:07,360 grave goods, but then you have to look at the biology, don't you, 676 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,520 of the...? And young as... 677 00:43:09,560 --> 00:43:11,000 Well, yeah. 678 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:15,640 You can still see the fusion lines there on the sacrum. 679 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:16,840 Although having said that... 680 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:19,840 So, from the finds, we say female, but I don't know if it's male, 681 00:43:19,880 --> 00:43:21,200 I don't know. 682 00:43:21,240 --> 00:43:24,400 Then we have a lot of funeral urns of marble with 683 00:43:24,440 --> 00:43:27,040 the name of the deceased. Do you see that? 684 00:43:28,160 --> 00:43:29,640 Yeah, yeah. 685 00:43:29,680 --> 00:43:31,960 Yeah. This is part of her sarcophagi. 686 00:43:33,240 --> 00:43:38,160 Sarcophagi? Sarcophagus. Sarcophagus. Yeah. 687 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:41,680 You know, the Americans, they use... 688 00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:43,520 They say sarcophagi, so I don't know. 689 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:45,080 Do they? Yeah. 690 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:48,560 Like "vah-ses" and "vay-ses". Yeah, yeah. 691 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:50,320 Right, where should we go now? 692 00:43:54,440 --> 00:43:58,280 Finally, we arrive at the Paros Archaeological Museum. 693 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:02,560 The museum's shut, but we're being allowed in. 694 00:44:03,720 --> 00:44:07,160 It's closed for refurbishment, but we're going in anyway. 695 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:08,840 I'm with Yannos, after all. 696 00:44:11,080 --> 00:44:14,120 And those are the inscriptions. 697 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:15,360 Look at that! 698 00:44:17,320 --> 00:44:20,440 I'm so lucky to be looking at this. 699 00:44:20,480 --> 00:44:22,200 The museum's going to be open in a couple of days, 700 00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:23,520 but they've let me in. 701 00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:27,920 There are all kinds of treasures here from the sites 702 00:44:27,960 --> 00:44:30,960 that we've been looking at, but the statues made from 703 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,240 Parian marble are the main attraction. 704 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:38,240 Then, the masterpiece of the museum is this one. 705 00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:40,800 Look at that drapery! I mean, that is... 706 00:44:40,840 --> 00:44:45,200 This is the trophy of the victory of the Parians against the Athenians. 707 00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:49,480 So, this is a victory. Nike? Nike. Nike. 708 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:52,440 It's just stunning, isn't it? 709 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:57,720 That's an incredible sculpture. 710 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:01,760 This is the Gorgon of Paros. Roman Medusa. 711 00:45:03,240 --> 00:45:06,280 Ooh, where's that from? From behind the museum. 712 00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:07,960 This is the open-air sanctuary. 713 00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:11,480 Used to be an architectural piece on top of the pediment. 714 00:45:11,520 --> 00:45:15,800 So, she would have greeted you as you enter the temple. Exactly. 715 00:45:15,840 --> 00:45:17,440 OK, we finish. 716 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:20,560 We love you, I hate you, you have to leave now. It's one. 717 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:22,760 ALICE LAUGHS 718 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:30,080 In this museum, you really get an appreciation of... 719 00:45:31,400 --> 00:45:35,080 ..this incredible level of craftsmanship here on Paros. 720 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:41,840 They had the most amazing sculptors of the ancient world. 721 00:45:43,440 --> 00:45:45,440 It's just full of masterpieces. 722 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:52,520 Yannos takes me from one to the next, every one is beautiful. 723 00:45:57,040 --> 00:45:59,040 Kalimera! 724 00:45:59,080 --> 00:46:03,840 Next time, I seek out some more remote ancient islands. 725 00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:05,840 So, is anybody living on Despotiko today? 726 00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:11,200 Nobody. We have a shepherd and around 800 goats. Right. 727 00:46:11,240 --> 00:46:12,320 Nothing else. 728 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:15,680 I visit the legendary birthplace of Apollo. 729 00:46:15,720 --> 00:46:19,640 The more we know, the more questions we have. Yeah, yeah. 730 00:46:19,680 --> 00:46:24,880 And I go in search of ancient Greece in modern Turkey. 731 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:29,160 To the future. To the future. 732 00:46:29,200 --> 00:46:30,640 And the past. 733 00:46:32,200 --> 00:46:37,000 Subtitles by Red Bee Media