What a Difference Fresh Approaches Can Make!

Presented by Dr. Susan Lupack, Macquarie University

In 1930, nearly one hundred years ago, Humfry Payne of the British School at Athens broke ground on an excavation that would reveal one of the earliest and wealthiest sanctuaries of ancient Greece – the Sanctuary of Hera Akraia at Perachora. Over four seasons (2020, 2023–2025) the Perachora Peninsula Archaeological Project has been investigating the landscape surrounding this sanctuary, focusing on the site located just above it. Our project is using methodologies that were not available to the researchers who worked at the site in the past, including intensive surface survey, photogrammetric visualizations, and Lidar, and finding that the site extended further than was thought by either of the past excavators. We are thereby putting together a more holistic picture of this settlement whose economic and political functioning was tied to that of a significant sanctuary for centuries.

When: 6.30 pm Thursday 21 May 2026 (following the AAIA NSW Friends AGM at 6 pm)

Where: Boardroom, Vere Gordan Child Centre, Madsen Building, University of Sydney NSW