7 Recent research on Greek architecture: 2012–2022

Abstract

The discipline of Greek architecture has been changing rapidly since the time of a major review published in 2011. The current study examines research published since 2012 about the prehistoric through to the Hellenistic eras in mainland Greece and the Aegean, along with the expansion of Greek architectural systems throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea in the first millennium BC. A narrative discussing close to 300 works from recent years is bolstered by a quantitative analysis of the subjects treated in nearly 1,000 studies from the previous decade. Traditional foci of the discipline, such as palaces and sanctuaries, are being approached in new and methodologically sophisticated manners. A notable rise in the scrutiny of material remains suggests diverse new interests in planning and construction, from the scale of an individual architectural member up to a territorial defence network. The integration of recent digital and scientific methods has been remarkable, including widespread adoption of 3D recording and modelling, remote sensing, and compositional analysis. Certain architectural types – in particular fortifications, harbours, and urban planning – have received a great deal more attention than in past decades.

8 Greek art: recent developments and current trends

“…A full range of artistic categories and media are included in the many publications cited, among them sculpture, vases, terracottas, painting, mosaic, and metals. Architecture is largely excluded, and the recent feature on it in Archaeological Reports covers current bibliography of relevance, especially pertaining to sanctuaries as an ancient setting and archaeological context for art across the Greek world (Sapirstein 2023, 175–77).…”