Event: Heritage at High Tide: Archaeology and Climate Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean

A virtual panel discussion organized by Professor Ioanna Kakoulli, Acting Director, UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture.

The Eastern Mediterranean, a cradle of ancient civilizations, stands at the precipice of an unprecedented challenge. Coastal areas, including the island of Cyprus and Greece, like other regions in the Mediterranean are witnessing the relentless advance of the sea due to climate change. Rising sea levels, heightened temperatures, extreme weather events, and marine erosion are endangering archaeological sites, Byzantine relics, and other critical historic landmarks. With climate data projecting a rise of 90 cm in sea level by 2100 in the Mediterranean, the risk to our global heritage is immediate and undeniable.

This panel aims to address/initiate discussion on two critical aspects:

1. Highlighting the Threat: An in-depth look at how rising sea levels, temperature extremes, and other climate phenomena threaten cultural landmarks, particularly in low-lying coastal zones of Cyprus and Greece
2. Bridging the Awareness Gap: A pressing need to use climate data in decision-making for the cultural heritage sector and enhancing awareness on the imminent risks

Speakers: 

Demetrios Athanasoulis, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, Greece 

Nikolas Bakirtzis, Cyprus Institute, Cyprus 

Alessandra Bonazza, University of Bologna, Italy 

Rohit Jigyasu, ICCROM, Rome, Italy 

Anthi Kaldeli, Department of Antiquities, Cyprus 

Athanasios Vafeidis, Kiel University, Germany 

Nikolaos Zacharias, University of Peloponnese, Greece

Register for this Zoom event here

View additional details and a full schedule here.

This event is being held under the auspices of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus, the Embassy of Greece in the United States, the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in the United States, the Consulate General of Greece in Los Angeles and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Cyprus in Los Angeles. This program is co-sponsored by UCLA's Cotsen Institute of Archaeology and Global Antiquity Institute and is made possible thanks to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).