Landscape Survey Proposal 2026-2028

Sikyon Landscape Survey

An interdisciplinary investigation of the 303 BC refoundation, tracing how the move from the coastal plain to the plateau reshaped urban form, land use, and the chora between the Asopos and Helisson rivers.

Explore Context Read Questions
303 BC Refoundation Date
3.5 km Relocation Distance
2 Field Seasons
5M Target Budget (DKK)
Historical and Archaeological Context

Demetrius, the Plateau, and a New City Plan

In 303 BC, Demetrius Poliorcetes seized Sikyon and relocated its population from the coastal plain to the fortified plateau 3.5 km inland. The refoundation was a deliberate urban reset, reshaping civic space, defense, and access to the chora.

Archaeological surveys and excavations show a Hippodamian grid, massive fortifications, and a monumental agora. Industrial quarters and workshops appear on the lower plateau, while the upper plateau likely hosted agricultural or pastoral use.

The project focus is the plateau itself: mapping its urban plan, production zones, and how plateau land use connects to the surrounding chora.

Why it matters

The plateau city preserves a planned Hellenistic urban layout with limited later overbuild. That makes it a rare case for testing how a major polis reorganized urban form and landscape use after a state-driven refoundation.

Key Urban Markers to Map

  • Grid plan: insulae around 60 x 65 m with streets averaging 6 m wide.
  • Fortifications: plateau edge walls with multiple gates and towers.
  • Agora scale: an estimated 37,000 to 59,000 sqm civic core.
  • Production zones: kilns and workshops concentrated in the southeast.
Research Questions and Aims

Mapping the Plateau and its
Chora.

The project targets the Hellenistic plateau city and its immediate hinterland, measuring how the 303 BC refoundation reshaped urban form, land use, and movement between the Asopos and Helisson rivers.

We combine non-invasive survey, geoarchaeology, and targeted excavation to identify the plateau's urban fabric, production zones, and agricultural patterns connected to the plateau edge and surrounding chora.

Primary aims

  • Map the plateau's street grid, blocks, and civic core.
  • Locate production and industrial zones across the plateau.
  • Test agricultural patterns linked to the plateau and chora.

Wider questions

  • How did refoundation affect urban organization and defense?
  • Can written sources be matched to archaeological evidence?
  • What does Sikyon reveal about Hellenistic urbanism?

"How did the refoundation transform plateau settlement patterns, production, and the rural landscape?"

Location map of the Hellenistic plateau and survey focus
Location of the Hellenistic plateau and planned survey zones (Google Earth/G. Giannakopoulos).
Methodology and Research Strategy

Two Phases, One Integrated Dataset

Phase 1: Geomagnetic Survey

A full-coverage geomagnetic survey with a Bartington Grad601-2 dual fluxgate gradiometer, tied to high-precision GPS. Designed to detect walls, streets, and pits beneath alluvial deposits.

Surface Survey and Coring

Systematic collection of surface ceramics, coring for geoarchaeology, and distribution mapping to connect urban activity with agricultural land use and erosion signals.

Phase 2: Targeted Excavation

Trenches positioned on clear magnetic anomalies to date structures, test production areas, and apply OSL and pollen analysis for settlement and land use chronology.

Data Integration

Geophysics, ceramics, and geoarchaeology are integrated in a GIS framework to connect urban morphology with environmental change and rural settlement patterns.

Collaborative Expertise

Geophysical processing is supported by the Institute for Geosciences at CAU Kiel, ensuring state-of-the-art interpretation and quality control.

Project Roadmap

2026

Permits and Preparation

Secure Ministry of Culture permits, finalize funding, and assemble the field team and reference group.

2026

Phase 1 Field Season

Geomagnetic survey, surface collection, and coring on the plateau and its immediate hinterland to map the Hellenistic city and chora.

2027

Phase 2 Field Season

Targeted excavation based on geophysical anomalies, with OSL and pollen sampling for dating and land use analysis.

2028

Analysis and Publication

Integrated reporting, conservation, and dissemination through a monograph, datasets, and an international seminar.

Field Database

Excavation Data Explorer

A structured prototype for a public-facing database. The map layers focus on survey coverage, sample grids, and finds locations. The finds list shows the intended data schema.

Map Layers

Embedded 2D excavation map preview

Sikyon Survey Area

Live 2D excavation map preview

If the embedded map is blocked by browser policy, open it directly at sikyonexcavation.gr/2d-map.

Prototype layers

  • Survey coverage polygon (2026 campaign)
  • Geophysical grid blocks (planned)
  • Finds points with quick metadata

Finds Data Structure

Schema Draft

Core fields

  • Find ID
  • Context / Trench
  • Material
  • Type / Class
  • Date Range

Spatial fields

  • Latitude / Longitude
  • Elevation
  • Survey Grid
  • Phase (2026/2027)
  • Confidence

Sample Finds (Structure Only)

Find 001

Ceramic

Context: Trench A3 | Date: 5th-4th c. BC | Lat/Lon: 37.93, 22.75

Notes: Placeholder record for database structure.

Find 002

Metal

Context: Grid G12 | Date: Hellenistic | Lat/Lon: 37.94, 22.76

Notes: Placeholder record for database structure.

Find 003

Architectural

Context: Survey Block B5 | Date: Roman | Lat/Lon: 37.92, 22.74

Notes: Placeholder record for database structure.

Consortium & Proposed Partners

National Museum
Denmark
→ Visit Website
Ephorate of Antiquities
Corinth
→ Visit Website
Danish Institute
Athens
→ Visit Website
Christian-Albrechts
Kiel
→ Visit Website

Get in Touch

Interested in collaboration or funding opportunities? Contact the project lead.

Project Manager

Dr. Olympia Bobou

Assistant Professor, School of Culture and Society - Unit for East Mediterranean Archaeology, History, and Archival Data

olympia.bobou@cas.au.dk

Funding Information

The Carlsberg Foundation Augustinus Fonden EU Research Programs