Δέσποινα Παπακωνσταντίνου - Διαμαντούρου

Διδάκτωρ Αρχαιολόγος
πρώην Ερευνήτρια Κ.Ε.Ρ.Α. / Ε.Ι.Ε. - Πρόγραμμα Βορείου Ελλάδος

Despoina Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou

Doctor of Philosophy in Archaeology
Former Researcher at the National Hellenic Research Foundation, Section of Greek & Roman Antiquity – Northern Greece Programme

‘Pella’s girl’ – as archaeologist Fotis Petsas used to call Despoina (Depi) Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou – passed away on May 5, 2014. On the occasion of five years after her death, we created the present website, as a first gesture to honour her memory. The website shall be enriched annually, with the new discoveries that we constantly find in her private archive.

Archeio Books

All texts, except Pella I, have been digitized in their entirety in PDF format.

The rights on published texts belong to their publishers. All sources are mentioned in detail. If in any case the publishers have any objection relevant to a text that has been uploaded here, please contact us at info@archeiobooks.gr

All links are in red colour.

Βιογραφικό / CV

Curriculum Vitae

DESPOINA PAPAKONSTANTINOU - DIAMANTOUROU, 1939-2014

Doctor of Philosophy in Archaeology, former Researcher at the National Hellenic Research Foundation, Section of Greek & Roman Antiquity-Northern Greece Programme

RESEARCH INTERESTS: History, Archaeology and Epigraphy of Ancient Macedonia, focusing mainly on Pella and Thessaloniki.

1939: Year of birth in Athens. Her parents were G. C. Papakonstantinou and Verena Zweifel.

1941-1947: Childhood years in Switzerland, her mother’s country of origin.
1947-1957: Pupil at the private school Ι. Μ. Panagiotopoulos - D. Eleutheriades (former Makris).
1957-1962: Studies in the Dpt of History and Archaeology, School of Philosophy, NK University of Athens.
1962-1964: Participation in excavations in Ancient Pella – project directed by archaeologist Charalambos Makaronas.
1965: Assigned to collect ancient sources on Pella so as to publish the relevant testimonia. The project was subsequently compiled into a Ph.D. Thesis, suggesting thus, an overall historical study of the city. Title: Πέλλα Ι. Ιστορική επισκόπησις και μαρτυρίαι [Pella I - Istoriki episkopisis kai martyriai / Pella I - Historical Overview and Testimonia]; up to 1981, it was one of the five existing monographs on ancient cities and/or regions of Macedonia. She marries Paraskevas C. Diamantouros and gives birth to their daughter, Iro.
1969-1971: The School of Philosophy-NK University of Athens, approves her Thesis – it was subsequently published with funds provided by the Archaeological Society of Athens.
1971-1973: Continuation of research on the topography of Ancient Pella. Presentation of results in the Second International Symposium on Ancient Macedonia held in August 1973.
1973-1984: First stage of collecting and classifying the metal finds from the excavations in Pella (1914-1973); relevant preliminary research projects. She authors the Guide on Ancient Pella’s Archaeological Site and Museum (as it was at the time). It has been never published due to various setbacks explained in the relevant correspondence found.
1984: Contract researcher at the National Hellenic Research Foundation for the Programme of Macedonia.
1986: The contract is extended to indefinite.
1990: Promotion to Assistant Researcher after evaluation.
1994: Promotion to Associate Researcher after evaluation.
1998: Promotion to Senior Researcher after evaluation.
1991-2013: Professor of Ancient Greek Epigraphy master classes at the Institute for Byzantine Research / Seminar on Historical Sciences – National Hellenic Research Foundation. Supervision of postgraduate students’ dissertations.
2003: Founder of ‘Parilissios’, a society aiming at tackling in legal terms the arbitrary interventions in the areas of Athens near river Ilissos, especially so as to protect archaeological sites such as Aristotle’s Lyceum and Artemis Agrotera’s Temple.
2006: Her work ΙG X 2,1 Supplementum (supplement to Inscriptions of Thessaloniki) is finalized and submitted to the Berlin Academy of Sciences. Year of retirement.
2007-2010: Ongoing work on the study and gradual publication of the metal objects of the excavations in Pella conducted by Makaronas between 1957-1964. Progress interrupted due to her illness.
2008-2013: Editor at magazine Heliaia (pioneering articles connecting Ancient Greece to the modern era; all were compiled in the book Σικελία; [Sicily?], published by Archeio Books in 2016 (see Archeio Books).
2013: She falls ill again. Publication of Images and Memories of a Long-gone Pella (Archeio Books 2013, ‘Archaeology of Archaeology’ series) which she presents in the NHRF at the event of launching the publishing house (December 2013).
2014: She passes away.
Main professional fields in the Section of Greek & Roman Antiquity 1984-2006:
Responsible for:

The Macedonian Inscriptions Archive (Macedonia Secunda).
The Epigraphic Squeezes of Macedonia Archive (in general: supervisor, author, manager). Assisted by: Cleopatra Papaevangellou, Constantine Ananiades.
The Archive of Newspaper Clips on Macedonia.
The Photo Archive of the Programme of Macedonia (approx. 5,000 photos – supervisor, editor, manager). Assisted by: Irene Kalogrides, Cleopatra Papaevangelou, Constantine Ananiades.
The Supplement to the Volume on the inscriptions of Thessaloniki published in 1972 (IG X 2,1, Ch. Edson, Inscriptiones Thessalonicae etc., Thessaloniki 1972) in collaboration with the Berlin Academy of Sciences and P. Nigdelis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) including:

a) Comments up to the year 1972 (Corrigenda).
b) New inscriptions found in 1972 and later (Addenda).
c) Photos of existing inscriptions.
d) Concordance tables, etc.
e) Indexes.

The Supplement was submitted complete to the Berlin Academy of Sciences in 2006 but was published post mortem (2021).
The study and gradual publication of the metal objects of Makaronas’ excavations in Pella (1957-1964). The complete study and publication of the metal objects is forthcoming, posthumously.
The supervision of postgraduate students’ dissertations.
1991-2013: Professor of Ancient Greek Epigraphy master classes at the Institute for Byzantine Research / Seminar on Historical Sciences - NHRF.

PUBLICATIONS:
1. Πέλλα Ι, Ιστορική επισκόπησις και μαρτυρίαι [ Pella I - Istoriki episkopisis kai martyriai / Pella Ι - Historical Overview and Testimonia]
2. Other scientific publications (1977-2010)

3. post mortem: IG X 2, 1 Suppl. 2: Inscriptiones Thessalonicae et Viciniae ... (De Gruyter, MMXXI).
4. Books

Πέλλα Ι

Pella Ι

Πέλλα Ι, Ιστορική επισκόπησις και μαρτυρίαι [Pella I - Istoriki episkopisis kai martyriai / Pella Ι - Historical Overview and Testimonia], 1971: Despoina Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou’s Ph.D. Thesis (selected parts).

The Ph.D. Thesis authoritatively analyzes and presents Ancient Pella’s history and topography. The dissertation’s main part examines all relative testimonia, i.e. philological and historical sources and epigraphic documents. Furthermore, the up to 1971 excavation reports and results are thoroughly demonstrated and all issues related to Ancient Pella’s topography and history, are exhaustively examined.

The first part presents the history of the research, with particular reference to geographical / topographical issues concerning the drainage of the ancient lake of Loudia as well as the memoirs of the travelers who visited the region after the Middle Ages.

The second part, which constitutes the main core of the Thesis, examines all known and extant testimonia, i.e. the references of ancient authors and epigraphic documents up until the Byzantine era, listed in chronological order.

The third and final part includes bibliography, catalogues, indexes and plates.
Here, we present a section that has been digitized in PDF format:

Contents and Preface (greek text)
Bibliography
Summary (english text)

Anchor 1

IG X 2, 1 Suppl. 2

D. P.-D.΄s work IG X 2, 1 Suppl. 2: Inscriptiones Thessalonicae et Viciniae – Supplementum alterum: Addenda, Indices, Tabulae was published post mortem (De Gruyter, MMXXI).

You can see the content here or consult the book.

For this work of hers, D. P.-D. has been awarded post mortem (2021) the Academy of Athens' Economou Prize which was received by her daughter, Iro P. Diamandourou, see video.

Δημοσιεύσεις

Other scientific publications

We present here, for the first time, a full list of the scientific publications (1977-2010) by Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou.

‘Προβλήματα περί την τοπογραφίαν της Πέλλης’ [Problems in the topography of Pella], in: Αρχαία Μακεδονία ΙΙ (Ancient Macedonia II - Papers read at the Second International Symposium held in Thessaloniki, 19-24 August 1973) (Thessaloniki 1977), 343-58.
‘Χώρα Θεσσαλονίκης: μία προσπάθεια οριοθέτησης’ [Chora of Thessaloniki, an attempt to define its borders], in: Μνήμη Δ. Λαζαρίδη. Πόλις και χώρα στην αρχαία Μακεδονία και Θράκη (Thessaloniki 1989), 99-106.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα’ [Metal objects from Pella], in: Αρχαία Μακεδονία V (Ancient Macedonia V, Papers read at the Fifth International Symposium held in Thessaloniki, 10-15 October 1989) (Thessaloniki 1993), 1189-1206.
‘Επιγραφές Μυγδονίας, Κρηστωνίας, Ανθεμούντος και Χαλκιδικής’ [Inscriptions from Mygdonia, Crestonia, Anthemous and Chalcidice], in: Ποικίλα (ΜΕΛΕΤΗΜΑΤΑ 10 - Athens 1990), 229-45.
Σίδη. Νομισματοκοπία, επιγραφές και ιστορία μίας αρχαίας ελληνικής πόλης στην Τουρκία [Side. Coinage, inscriptions and history of an ancient Greek city in Turkey], Athens 1990. 2 of the 4 German texts of the book were translated by Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou.
Entry ‘Pella’ in the encyclopaedia Πάπυρος Larousse Britannica, 1991.
‘Deperditae ή το κυνήγι των χαμένων επιγραφών’ [Deperditae or the quest for inscriptions presumed lost], in: Αρχαιογνωσία 7 (1991-1992), Athens 1994, 21-28, plates 1-3.
‘Λίθου πρασίνου’ [Green Stone], in: Αρχαιογνωσία 7 (1991-1992), 141-43, plates 26.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα. Ρ΄: ένας χάλκινος ενεπίγραφος κρίκος-γρίφος’ [Metal objects from Pella. 23: a bronze inscribed ring-riddle], presentation at the Conference on Inscriptions from Macedonia held in Thessaloniki, 8-12 December 1993. Manuscript; here we present the one page that was typewritten.
Inscriptiones deperditae aus IG X 2,1’, in: TYCHE 10 (1995), 139-141, plates 4-14.
Book review of Jean Bingen’s Pages d' Épigraphie grecque. Attique - Égypte 1952-1982 (Epigraphica Bruxellensia I), in: ΤΥCΗΕ 11 (1996), 264.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα. Δ΄: οι χάλκινες εφηλίδες της θύρας εισόδου της οικίας του Διονύσου’ [Metal objects from Pella. 4: the bronze bosses of the entrance door of the House of Dionysos], paper read at the Sixth International Symposium on Ancient Macedonia, Thessaloniki, 17-10-1996.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα. Β΄: μολυβδίδες’ [Metal objects from Pella. 2: sling bullets], in: Μνήμη Μανόλη Ανδρόνικου (Μακεδονικά. 6-Annex), Thessaloniki 1997, 253-261.
‘Φίληρος η προβληματική’ [Phileros and its issues], in: Αφιέρωμα στον N. G. L. Hammond (Μακεδονικά. 7-Αnnex), Thessaloniki 1997, 350-356.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα. Ζ΄: ιππικά όργανα’ [Metal objects from Pella. 7: Horse-riding gear], in: Μνείας χάριν, Τόμος στη μνήμη Μαίρης Σιγανίδου, Thessaloniki 1998, 190-196.
Ηρακλής [Hercules]. Editor of the guideline book for the Photo Archive of the Section of Greek and Roman Antiquity-NHRF, Athens 1999.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα. ΣΤ΄: φιαλίσκη και ασπιδίσκη’ [Metal objects from Pella. 6: miniature phiale and miniature shield], in: Μύρτος, Μελέτες στη μνήμη Ιουλίας Βοκοτοπούλου, Thessaloniki 2000, 423-434.
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα Η΄: Ενεπίγραφα σταθμία’ [Metal objects from Pella. 8: Inscribed balances], paper read at the First Pan-Hellenic Congress on Epigraphy, Thessaloniki 1977 (Thessaloniki 2001), 115-24.
Entries ‘Vergina’ and ‘Pella’ in: Dictionnaire de l’ Antiquité, P.U.F. (2005).
IG Χ 2,1 Supplementum (in collaboration with the Berlin Academy of Sciences and the University of Thessaloniki). Papakonstantinou -Diamantourou was assigned by the Section of Greek & Roman Antiquity for a section of the Volume. Although completed and submitted to the Berlin Academy in 2006, it was never published.
D. Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou, P. Nigdelis (eds), ‘IG X 2,1 Συμπληρωμα: η πρόοδος των εργασιών’ [IG X 2,1 Supplementum: the project’s progress], in: Β΄ Πανελλήνιο Συνέδριο Επιγραφικής, Θεσσαλονίκη 2001 (Acts of the Second Pan-Hellenic Congress on Epigraphy, Thessaloniki 2001), Thessaloniki 2008, 181-87.
‘Πώς χάθηκε η αρχαία Πέλλα’ [How ancient Pella was lost], article in the online version of newspaper Το Vima, 24-11-2008.
‘Προχωράει το ανάγλυφον;’ [Is the relief progressing?], in: Κερμάτια φιλίας. Τιμητικός τόμος για τον Ι. Τουράτσογλου (Athens 2009), 379-85.
‘IG X 2,1 Συμπλήρωμα: η πρόοδος των εργασιών 2001-2010’ [IG X 2,1 Supplementum: the project’s progress 2001-2010], in: TEKMHΡIA 10 (2010), 119-20. At the end of the article, Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou noted the following: ‘Ein leider unerfüllte wunsch’ [Unfortunately, an unfulfilled desire], since it was never published.
‘IG X 2,1 Συμπλήρωμα: κάποια ακόμη στοιχεία’ [IG X 2,1 Supplementum: additional data], paper read at the Third Pan-Hellenic Congress on Epigraphy, Thessaloniki 2004.
‘IG X 2,1 Supplementum: τελευταίες εξελίξεις και νέα στοιχεία’ [IG X 2,1 Supplementum: recent developments and new data], paper read at Rencontres Epigraphiques de l’ EFA, Athens, Epigraphic Museum, 11-5-2010.

UNPUBLISHED:

Pella: Archaeological Site and Museum Guide (1978).
‘Μετάλλινα αντικείμενα από την Πέλλα. Ε΄: η γραφίδα του Πανός’ [Metal objects from Pella. 5: Pan’s stylus], paper read at the Sixth International Symposium on Ancient Macedonia, Thessaloniki, 1996.
‘IG X 2,1: Un anniversaire’ [IG X 2,1: An anniversary], paper for the Xe Congrès international d’ épigraphie grecque et latine, Nîmes, 4-9 octobre 1992.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS RELEVANT TO ΙG X 2, 1 SUPPLEMENTUM AND PAPAKONSTANTINOU - DIAMANTOUROU

P. Herrmann, ‘Inscriptiones Graecae’, in: Atti del XI. Congresso Internazionale di Epigrafia Greca e Latina: Roma, 18-24 Settembre 1997, Roma 1999, 939-940.
P. Μ. Νigdelis, ‘Μακεδονικά Επιγραφικά ΙΙΙ (Θεσσαλονίκη)’ [Inscriptions from Macedonia III - Thessaloniki], in: ΤΕΚΜΗΡΙΑ 10 (2011), 121-184.
K. Hallof, ‘Presentation by the long-term epigraphic projects and publication series’, read at the 13th International Congress of Greek and Latin Epigraphy, Oxford, 2-7 September 2007:
IG X 2,1, Suppl. I. Tituli inter a. MCMLX et MMXV inventi. Edid. Pantelis M. Nigdelis – X, S. 317-553, LXII Tab. - Praefatio (2017). Reference is made in the preface to Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou’s relevant work and overall assistance.

FORTHCOMING:

Study and publication of the metal objects of the Makaronas’ excavations (1957-64) in Pella.
A book titled ‘A Model Course on Epigraphy’ containing Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou’s master classes at the NHRF.
Commemorative book to honour Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou and her work.

Οδηγός Αρχαιολογικού Χώρου

Guide of Ancient Pella and its Museum

We didn’t know that during the years 1976-1978, Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou had written a Guide for the Archaeological Site and Museum of Pella. The Guide is in manuscript and includes a full description of the Museum at the time (the first of the three museums that followed) that is unavailable elsewhere; see the last pages in the Guide’s PDF file.

She had never mentioned it. We found the Guide’s text in her private archive after she had passed away, along with all her notes and preliminary drafts; the manuscript was ready for printing. Its fate is explained in the relevant correspondence that she had archived.

Πέλλα 1962-1964

Pella 1962-1964

When Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou wrote Images and Memories of a Long-gone Pella (2013) we created with her a website to include all the photos she had taken herself (3 photo albums) during the period archaeologist Makaronas was excavating Ancient Pella. Click here to visit this website and see everything relevant to those years: the archaeologists, the buildings, the artifacts found, the excavations, portraits of villagers, and more. In the Photo Index you will find all the names of the people in the pictures and relevant information.

Εκδόσεις Αρχείο

Archeio Books

We present the two books written by Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou, published by Archeio Books.

Images and Memories of a Long-gone Pella went out while she was still among us (2013) and was the book that launched the publishing house, more specifically, the series ‘Archaeology of Archaeology’. Both versions (Greek and English) are sold at the Museum Shop of Ancient Pella’s archaeological site.

Σικελία; [Sicily?] (Greek text only) is a posthumous (2016) edition: a collection of all the articles she wrote for the magazine Heliaia in the years 2008-2013.

To browse sections of these books, click the respective book cover:

PellaGR-Exofyllo (2015_11_06 18_08_17 UT

Μαθήματα Επιγραφικής

Master classes on Epigraphy

From 1991 to 2013, Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou delivered master class courses on Ancient Greek Epigraphy at the Seminar on Historical Sciences-NHRF, which had great attendance. On the Sunday before each cycle ended, she took her students on a tour at the Epigraphic Museum; indeed, she had designed a route especially for this visit, for the purpose of presenting the exhibits.

Presently, we are processing the abundant and exceptional material of these lectures (texts, photos, and videos) so as to publish a book that shall be titled ‘A Model Master Class on Epigraphy’. This is the reason why, for the time being, we present here only a limited number of texts or photos, indicatively.

Παριλίσσιος

‘Parilissios’ society

Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou was a very active member of society; she focused mainly on issues that emerged concerning the areas around Ilissos River in the historic center of Athens’, where she resided. From 1992 and until her death, she fought – with the absolute and literal meaning of the word – to truly benefit her city and not for promoting an agenda dictated by micro-politics and personal interests.

We present the full story of her 23-year-long endeavour for which she dedicated all her extra time, which certainly ‘dissatisfied’ and charged the emotions of many people, even those ‘close’ to her and entailed many sacrifices; she found herself in the crosshairs, experienced the cover-up of the press and tackled it, as well as indirect repercussions on her carrier… Yet, she was finally justified, even if it was 3 days before her death (Lyceum of Aristotle), even posthumously, five years later (Temple of Artemis Agrotera).

ΗΙSTORY OF ‘PARILISSIOS’ SOCIETY AND THE AREA IN QUESTION

1965-66: The Ministry of Culture designates Villa Ilission (1840), the mansion of the Duchess of Plaisance (Doukissa Plakentias) in Athens, as a protected zone which included a garden, the area of the subsequent Park of Aghios Nicolaos. Georgios Rizaris, a benefactor from Epirus, bequeaths a neighbouring lot to the Rizarios Hieratical School in order to build its facilities. In his will, he stipulates that its vegetation must be preserved. The area enclosed by Righilis and Rizari streets becomes a public archaeological park named after the church of Aghios Nicolaos; the area between Rizari Street and Hilton Hotel becomes a second park, Rizari Park. In the same year, the area defined by the streets Righilis - V. Georgiou II - V. Konstantinou - Rizari - V. Sophias is listed as a historical heritage site.

1950-70: Apartment blocks are built at the side of the park facing Rizari Street. A decade later, they are torn down and a large pit is formed; it was coined ‘the dig hole of Karamanlis’. In 1969, during the junta of the colonels, the Athens Conservatoire is constructed arbitrarily, to the south of Aghios Nicolaos. The junta never reported the antiquities that were found during the digging for the foundations.

1979: The Rizarios Hieratical School agrees with the State on an exchange of lands; the School shall be built elsewhere so as to preserve Rizari Park.

1992: The Prime Minister C. Mitsotakis approves within one day the request of Basil and Elise Goulandris to build their Modern Art Museum in the area and concedes a lot that includes the public park of Aghios Nicolaos.

1994: A number of societies as the Architect’s Guild, the City Planners’ Association and other individuals, e.g. residents of the area as Mrs Aimilia Geroulanou, react and file appeals to the Supreme Court, five in total, which were all overruled and a building permit for the erection of the museum is granted. The ‘lot’ is fenced arbitrarily and in August, all the park’s trees were ‘secretly’ cut down in the black of night within one and a half hour, just in time before daybreak. While digging for the building’s foundations an unknown part of Ancient Athens at the banks of the River Ilissos is unearthed… Moreover, the Palaestra of Aristotle’s Lyceum. The project comes to a halt and archaeological excavations begin. It was then that Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou wrote a letter to the press that was never published; among other things, she suggested the following: ‘…Indeed a Modern Art Museum should be built, but in one of the many other locations suggested. The Righilis area can become a wonderful archaeological park and the greenery must be restored as much as possible. And when combined with the area surrounding the Byzantine Museum, Villa Ilission and the Athens Conservatoire, it will blend uniquely the ancient, byzantine, and modern cultural legacy of Athens.’

1999: A new ministerial decision concedes Rizari Park to Basil and Elise Goulandris for their museum. Immediately, a citizens’ committee to defend the public area is formed.

1999-2000: By virtue of two unanimous decisions, the Municipal authority denies permission for the building of the museum at Rizari Park; it will remain a public green area. Residents appeal again to the Supreme Court; this time it rules in their favour.

December 31, 2002: The Articles of Association of ‘Parilissios’ society are announced in the press.

2003-2013: During these years, ‘Parilissios’ handled issues relevant to the National Garden, the Zappeion, Ktisiou Street, the Temple of Artemis Agrotera, the garden of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, the small garden in Naiadon Street, and more.

May 5, 2014: On this day, the founder of ‘Parilissios’ Despoina Papakonstantinou - Diamantourou passed away; fortunately she managed to tackle the society’s most important issues of concern. Just three days before she died, she heard the joyous news that the former Righilis Park, now Lyceum of Aristotle, re-opened for the public after 23 years of struggles and angst.

2019: The efforts of ‘Parilissios’, of ‘Ardittos’ society and other bodies with regards to another major issue pending since 1964(!), i.e. a permanent solution for the situation with the Temple of Artemis Agrotera, finally reach a happy ending. The Central Archaeological Council ruled against the erection of an apartment building at the location and in favour of expropriating the area, continuing the excavations and showcasing the antiquities.

PARILISSIOS (in Greek)
MINUTES OF THE SOCIETY’S GENERAL MEETINGS (in Greek)

Μνήμη

In memoriam

Selected eulogies and letters that were written shortly after Papakonstantinou -Diamantourou had passed away, by friends and colleagues who cherished and loved her. Among them, Byzantinist Alice-Mary Talbot, the pathologist Dr. Marios Pararas, art historian Claire Papapavlou, and historian N. G. Moschonas.

On November 9, 2014, we held a commemoration event at the café ‘Vegghera’ in Pella for her colleagues and friends from Thessaloniki and Pella.

Φωτογραφίες