Culture

A brief cultural history of hemp

A brief cultural history of hemp

Hemp is making a comeback after decades in the wilderness. What does the Gutenberg Bible have in common with the American Declaration of Independence? Or a tapestry from the Viking age with Christopher Columbus’ ship? And what connects the nomadic Scythians described by Greek historian Herodotus with the anointing ritual of the prophet Moses? The…

Traditional Pottery of Lesbos Receives UNESCO Recognition

Traditional Pottery of Lesbos Receives UNESCO Recognition

In a quaint seaside workshop on the Greek island of Lesbos, 70-year-old Nikos Kouvdis is keeping an ancient craft alive, a labour of love that has now been honoured with a place on UNESCO’s National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.The recognition celebrates his family’s dedication to preserving traditional pottery techniques in an era dominated by…

Culinary Complexities in Turkey and Greece: On Food, Nation, and Identity in the Aegean

Relations between Greece and Turkey are often imagined in binary terms. A common question typifies such bilateral thinking: Is baklava Greek or Turkish? Popular discussions attaching national labels to select dishes present food as a site for showcasing competitive and stereotypical conceptualizations of identity. In Greece and Turkey, cuisines have been integral elements of nation-building…

The Other Side of Fire in a Changing Environment: Evidence from a Mediterranean Country

In forested ecosystems all over the world, usually, fire is the main disturbance, and due to global climate change, its effects are worsening in many areas. Although fire impacts have been studied for many years, integrative analyses of their effects on various ecosystem services (ES) at different scales are uncommon. This study tries to assess…

The Protection and Enhancement of Ottoman Heritage at Mytilene/Lesvos

The lands are inviting people to inhabit them and since humanity is mainly driven from the urge for creation, peoples’ passing and presence results in accumulative anthropogenic interventions. The Ottoman presence on the island dates from 1st September 1462, until the 8th of September 1912. The archaeologists are called to preserve all the historical/archaeological phases…