please sign for ancient diolkos

[sofia-l]

The famous Diolkos, a paved road constructed around 600 BC and used to transport ships by land over the Isthmus of Corinth, is unique in its kind but it has never been protected since the time of excavation (~1960), progressively crumbling into the water at its western end.

In an effort to save and restore the structure, we have created an international petition at

www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/870477005

The first signs of interest have finally arrived but the Diolkos still remains tragically exposed to the erosion...

We invite you to sign and help preserve this historical monument.

Sofia Loverdou - Freelance science journalist
Yiannis Balafoutas - Retired teacher, writer


Full article with images and comments IN GREEK, at:
. Greek Architects - Το Ελληνικό portal για την Αρχιτεκτονική .
For more information and images IN ENGLISH, please go to
http://www.greece.org:8080/opencms/o...jects/DIOLKOS/

Note: when signing, for postal address you may simply enter -----

[Prokomenos]

Signed and thank you for letting us know..

[sofia-l]

On Tuesday, September 4th, a first preliminary study (master plan) for Diolkos, composed by the Direction for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments (DAAM) was approved by the Central Archaeological Council.

I do hope this will open the road to immediate salvage actions and that it will not be used as a "shield" in face of the Justice Authorities already investigating the monument's devastation.

Since Diolkos remains unprotected, and with NO guarantee as to the future, the international petition is still open for anyone who has not signed and might want to do so, at the link you can see above.

Thanks for caring!

[sofia-l]

Some friends are asking various questions about the Ancient Diolkos petition. I guess a lot of you reading about Diolkos are wondering about the same things, so I give some explanations here.

MONEY.
Signing the petition does not mean asking the Greek State to give money that it presumably cannot afford for restoring the monument. The protection of the monument should have been presented for funding (with European Union contribution or other similar projects) LONG AGO. Unfortunately, by not having even the most elementary information about the monument, the services in charge were KEEPING THEMSELVES UNPREPARED even to ASK for funding…

WHY SPEAK...
The monument is not a piece of property OWNED by someone free to destroy it. Unfortunately, this is what has happened up to now. This petition says that we want this to stop. The Diolkos is a common heritage of mankind (as many other monuments and sites all over the world).

IS THE PETITION JUST A PLEA?
No, it is more dynamic that that. The Prime Minister’s Office is being often notified about the progress and knows that many people from many countries know of the problem. Consequently, the Diolkos cannot be left to decay in silence (as was the situation up to now).

INFORMATION GIVEN
The information given at the petition site cannot cover ~50 years of neglect and destruction. It would be too long (and maybe also very shocking). If anybody feels like having more information, I will be glad to provide both information AND documentation, so please send me an e-mail at sofia-l@tellas.gr.

petition to be found at: www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/870477005

more images & info in greek: . Greek Architects - Το Ελληνικό portal για την Αρχιτεκτονική .
info images & in english: http://www.greece.org:8080/opencms/o...jects/DIOLKOS/

[sofia-l]

Yesterday the most popular portal in Greece, in.gr, presented the Diolkos case.

It is a good thing to see the veil of silence about Diolkos begin to fall and a kind of "greek tradegy", complete with an innocent victim, slowly come to light...

For those interested, the link is Εικόνες της Ελλάδας και της Κύπρου

[Prokomenos]

Good job Sofia and I comend you for your dedication to the cause. I hope other members see this thread and sign the petition.

[sofia-l]

More damage for Diolkos as one more block has recently fallen... Although the Archeological Service knew that this particular block - a big one, too - was standing half on air, the stone was not secured.

This part of the monument, which one can see at their right before crossing the moving bridge on the Corinth-Loutraki road, is the smaller part of Diolkos found on the Peloponnese side of the Canal. At the time of the excavation (around 1960) a span of about 15 meters with no vestiges of Diolkos was between this part and the Canal (actually Verdelis, the archaeologist who directed the excavation, reported that the ancient vestiges once more could be seen AFTER 15 meters by the (then) side of the Canal...

The erosion reached this part of the monument around 1992 and there is a report by an antiquities guard about this - BUT no action was undertaken. This part (section G according to Walter Werner) was left at the mercy of the erosion although rescue operations - at least temporary ones - would have been rather childish...

As the long sufferings of the excavated Diolkos come to light, various internet portals have presented the problem.

In one of these, there is also an image of the 2006 report by the General Secretary of the Ministry "informing" the Prime Minister (!!!) that the waves "have by now begun to erode the monument's substrate"...

Αρχαίος Δίολκος, ένα μνημείο σε απόγνωση - HotStation.gr Greek Radio online

Thanks for supporting the Diolkos cause...

[Angelo]

Signed: Am hoping to hear good news

[sofia-l]

Although relevant services advertise their "interest" in Diolkos, the erosion continues to expand under the supposedly "sane" part of the monument. As it does, both ancient blocks AND their immediate substrate are hanging over a void!

I still don't know what was decided in a meeting that took place 2-3 weeks ago at the Ministry. I have the impression that MAYBE a permanent wall to protect Diolkos was discussed. However, ANY such decision would be of VERY doubtful value if it meant that more deterioration will be allowed untill actual protection work is undertaken.

Respect and attention for Diolkos are still lacking...

In November, the Directorate for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments (DAAM) sent a team to retrieve two ancient blocks fallen in 2007 from the part designated with the letter G in Werner's plan (you can see this in the link I am giving below). Nevertheless, the second stone they brought up was NOT the one fallen last February (as instead they wrote in their official report!), although I had personally shown images of the stones (in two occasions) to the present Head of the Ephorate. Apparently, DAAM and the local ephorate did not coordinate...

During the same visit, in order to place some supports under the stones of the sector E which are now eaten by erosion, the DAAM team entered the sane part of Diolkos WITH THEIR VAN although there is a very convenient and easy to find access from another point. Since the operation was done in collaboration with the local ephorate, one can be sure that neither the local ephorate people nor DAAM knew or cared to look for the other access that wouldn't have a vehicle go over the ancient monument!

==-===

One more thing that shows how deplorable the role of the local ephorate has been under the former Head, Mr. Mantis (today at the Acropolis!!!), is this:

I had written to ask about a damage I had noticed on the part of Diolkos that is on the Attica side of the Canal (and is free from erosion). As I quite recently found out, Mr. Mantis wrote to his superiors stating that they had performed an autopsy and nothing was wrong!!!

You can see the damage between the images at http://www.greece.org:8080/opencms/o...S/Gallery.html
It is on the double row of stones, a very interesting feature of Diolkos. Their western end has been removed (by a bulldozer I think - sometime between 1978 and 1984) and then replaced haphazardly. My recent photo shows only one of the two series (the one at left in the 1960 images which you can also see) but the other end is also damaged.

I DO hope Mr. Mantis does better as Head of the ACROPOLIS ephorate!

[Angelo]

Originally Posted by sofia-l

Although relevant services advertise their "interest" in Diolkos, the erosion continues to expand under the supposedly "sane" part of the monument. As it does, both ancient blocks AND their immediate substrate are hanging over a void!

I still don't know what was decided in a meeting that took place 2-3 weeks ago at the Ministry. I have the impression that MAYBE a permanent wall to protect Diolkos was discussed. However, ANY such decision would be of VERY doubtful value if it meant that more deterioration will be allowed untill actual protection work is undertaken.

Respect and attention for Diolkos are still lacking...

In November, the Directorate for the Restoration of Ancient Monuments (DAAM) sent a team to retrieve two ancient blocks fallen in 2007 from the part designated with the letter G in Werner's plan (you can see this in the link I am giving below). Nevertheless, the second stone they brought up was NOT the one fallen last February (as instead they wrote in their official report!), although I had personally shown images of the stones (in two occasions) to the present Head of the Ephorate. Apparently, DAAM and the local ephorate did not coordinate...

During the same visit, in order to place some supports under the stones of the sector E which are now eaten by erosion, the DAAM team entered the sane part of Diolkos WITH THEIR VAN although there is a very convenient and easy to find access from another point. Since the operation was done in collaboration with the local ephorate, one can be sure that neither the local ephorate people nor DAAM knew or cared to look for the other access that wouldn't have a vehicle go over the ancient monument!

==-===

One more thing that shows how deplorable the role of the local ephorate has been under the former Head, Mr. Mantis (today at the Acropolis!!!), is this:

I had written to ask about a damage I had noticed on the part of Diolkos that is on the Attica side of the Canal (and is free from erosion). As I quite recently found out, Mr. Mantis wrote to his superiors stating that they had performed an autopsy and nothing was wrong!!!

You can see the damage between the images at http://www.greece.org:8080/opencms/o...S/Gallery.html
It is on the double row of stones, a very interesting feature of Diolkos. Their western end has been removed (by a bulldozer I think - sometime between 1978 and 1984) and then replaced haphazardly. My recent photo shows only one of the two series (the one at left in the 1960 images which you can also see) but the other end is also damaged.

I DO hope Mr. Mantis does better as Head of the ACROPOLIS ephorate!

Am sure Adonis Georgiades of 2nd district of Athens can really help out.You should pay him a visit.