Parion Mission: Hetaera’s Krater, Ancient Urban Technology, and Digital Archaeology

Ancient Parion, aerial view

Photo courtesy of Askold Ivantchink

On September 15–16, 2025, the HSE Centre of Classical and Oriental Archaeology at the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, Faculty of Humanities, held an international conference marking the fifth anniversary of excavations carried out by HSE archaeologists as part of the Parion Mission of Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, at the agora of Parion.

At the conference ‘Ancient Troas: Five Years of Russian–Turkish Collaboration in Archaeology,’ the main results of excavations and epigraphic research in Parion (Kemer, Çanakkale, Turkey) were presented, along with findings from other sites in the Troad where active excavations are under way (Assos, Alexandria Troas, Smintheion, Tenedos).

Parion was an important centre in the Roman province of Asia. Excavations have uncovered and partially examined the remains of several public buildings embellished with intricate architectural decoration, including a theatre, an odeon, and thermae, all dating back to the Roman Empire.

‘The Parion expedition is the first Russian archaeological mission on Turkish soil. Moreover, even now, five years later, it remains the only Russian expedition not only in Turkey, but across the entire Mediterranean,’ said Askold Ivantchik, Head of the Centre of Classical and Oriental Archaeology at the HSE Faculty of Humanities.

The conference brought together 15 Turkish colleagues, led by Vedat Keleş, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun. Professor Keleş is Co-Chair of the Conference Organising Committee, Director of Excavations at Parion, and HSE University’s key partner in the mission.

Askold Ivantchik

‘Our cooperation with Professor Vedat Keleş, and through him with Ondokuz Mayıs University in Samsun, where he heads the Department of Archaeology and now also serves as dean, began in 2020. Shortly before that, the HSE Centre of Classical and Oriental Archaeology had been established within the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies. Its original concept envisaged archaeological research not only in the northern Black Sea region, but also in the Mediterranean, the core zone of the spread of classical civilisation. In 2019 we began excavations in Sicily, and we were seeking an opportunity to start work in Turkey as well. I was aware of the promising excavations at Parion, and I knew of Vedat Keleş’s publications—he is a well-known specialist in ancient numismatics. We met, and he kindly invited us to join his expedition.

For the excavations, I chose the presumed area of the agora, the central square which, in all Greek poleis, served as the chief economic, political and religious centre—and therefore, of course, is of particular scholarly interest

Area of the agora—sector of excavations by the HSE archaeologists

Photo courtesy of Askold Ivantchink

At the start of our excavations, the agora of Parion had not yet been located, and our first task was to find it. Parion was founded at the turn of the 8th–7th centuries BC and survived until the 12th century AD—in other words, it existed continuously in one place for almost two thousand years, with all periods represented in cultural layers. To reach the ancient period we were interested in, it was first necessary to investigate the overlying Byzantine strata. These yielded fascinating finds, including a well-preserved two-room house dated to the 11th century.

Most importantly, in the third year of excavations we managed to discover what we were looking for—the boundary of the agora. We found it in a different location from what had originally been assumed. The agora was separated from the rest of the urban quarters by a very long portico with a colonnade. This is what we uncovered, and we have been studying it for the past two years—and will continue to do so.

Presumed boundary of the agora

Photo courtesy of Askold Ivantchink

Our excavations are rich in finds—ceramics, terracotta figurines, coins, and architectural details. But the most striking discovery was not ours but our Turkish colleagues’ in the necropolis: a dedicatory inscription on a krater, a vessel used for mixing wine with water at banquets. This inscription, which we shall soon publish jointly with our Turkish colleagues, is very early—dating from the early 6th century BC. Such inscriptions are rare in the Greek world. Most intriguingly, its contents provide answers to a number of important scholarly questions. It confirms an ancient tradition—often doubted—that Parion was founded by settlers from the island of Paros.

Even more fascinating is the fact that the krater belonged to the famous hetaera Rhodopis, whose story is told by Herodotus; she was regarded as the most beautiful woman in Greece

Five years is not a long time for an archaeological mission, yet it is sufficient to draw some initial conclusions. Scientifically, our joint project has been very successful: we have obtained important results. The first volume of our research is ready and will be published by the end of the year, and several articles have already appeared.

Equally important are the personal relations we have developed in Parion with our Turkish colleagues. I can say that we are not only colleagues but also friends. Coming to Parion is always a joy for us, although the work is hard under the merciless sun. The conditions created for us are virtually ideal, whereas archaeologists often have to work in far more difficult circumstances. I am deeply grateful to Vedat Keleş and our other Turkish colleagues, and I very much hope that our cooperation and friendship will continue, and that in another five years we shall all meet again at a new conference to celebrate the tenth anniversary of our collaboration.

The HSE conference showcased not only research in Parion but also beyond. Colleagues working at neighbouring sites joined us, allowing our excavations to be placed in a wider context

Almost all archaeological sites currently under active investigation were represented at the conference—Alexandria Troas, Smintheion, Assos, Tenedos—and their directors attended. It seems to me that never before has the archaeology of the Troad, and indeed Turkish archaeology more broadly, been presented in Moscow so comprehensively—we welcomed 15 Turkish colleagues. This conference is therefore not merely of local significance, but is important for Russian–Turkish academic cooperation as a whole.’

İdil Malgil from Turkey, a postgraduate student of the HSE Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, presented a paper at the conference together with her colleague Alper Yılmaz from Ondokuz Mayıs University. This joint work is entitled ‘City Without Streets: A Topographic Approach to Reconstructing Roman Roads of Parion.’

İdil Malgil

The excavations in the agora of Parion have provided us with an understanding of Parion’s civic and commercial core. Over the past five years, the work has clarified the layout of the market district, its relationship to surrounding monumental structures, and its usage afterwards as a craft area and a Christian burial site. These results have been crucial for reconstructing Parion’s urban organisation in the Imperial period later on and for situating the city within the broader narrative.

My PhD dissertation at HSE University focuses on reconstructing the urban landscape of Parion during the Roman period using remote sensing, GIS-based analysis, and geophysical prospection. The agora excavation serves as a key dataset within this research, since it represents the civic heart of the city. By integrating architectural documentation from the field with digital modelling, I aim to understand how Parion’s urban fabric was reshaped after Roman colonisation and how its civic spaces functioned within the wider cityscape.

The collaboration between Russian and Turkish scholars has created an environment of methodological diversity and intellectual exchange

Working in a joint team has been one of the most enriching aspects of my career so far. Different academic traditions and perspectives have not only deepened our collective interpretations but also fostered a collegial atmosphere where mutual respect and shared enthusiasm drive the research forward.

What has impressed me most is how archaeological evidence constantly challenges our expectations.

As an architect by training, I was struck by the scale of Roman technology and the ingenuity of urban solutions

Discovering these interconnections first-hand was both surprising and intellectually rewarding, as it reshaped how I think about Roman urbanism as a living and adaptive system.

İdil Malgil

Photo courtesy of İdil Malgil

HSE University has given me the opportunity to expand my methodological toolkit beyond architectural documentation into digital archaeology. The academic environment encouraged me to connect traditional excavation data with advanced remote sensing, predictive modelling, and GIS-based approaches. This training has significantly broadened my professional profile, enabling me to act as a bridge between field archaeology and digital analysis within the Parion project.

Being part of the Parion mission has been transformative both personally and professionally. It allowed me to evolve from an architect documenting structures to a researcher asking broader archaeological questions. My main takeaway is the importance of interdisciplinarity: architecture, archaeology, history, and digital methods all converge in Parion, creating a holistic understanding of the past. Beyond the science, working on this site has given me a deep appreciation for cultural heritage and for the shared responsibility of preserving and interpreting it for future generations.