Page 30 - SMCK Magazine #4

Top: Gold and lapis lazuli bead, 2000 BC.
Middle: Silver and gold seal ring, 1900 BC.
Bottom: Petshaft seal made of rock crystal, 2000 BC.
SMCK: How do you envision your project’s future?
MT: My vision for the monumental complex at Petras, to which I have dedicated thus far 37 years of my life, centers on what both this important archaeological site and the lovely town of Siteia deserve. The strong foundations have already been laid.
First, it is imperative to finish the excavation of the Minoan ce- metery and complete the consolidation of the architecture. A complete study of what will be necessary for the cemetery site to be accessible to the public, including technical works, was begun during the pandemic, in collaboration with two specialists, and we hope that soon will be able to return and complete the work in situ.
metery, Final Neolithic settlement, Late Minoan settlement). A paved path leading from the settlement on Hill I to the cemetery on Hill II, and a second access by car will be pro- vided for handicapped people. Large bilingual signs on Hill II will offer necessary information to the visitor like that posted on Hill I, and several shaded rest stations will be
provided for the visitors. A Visitor Center with interactive screens and a shop will be set up near the site entrance. Se- lected areas of the site will be planted with local plants as it already the case on Hill I. A few guards will be responsible for the security of the site and the safety of the visitors.
Archaeological research will continue by a future generation of archaeologists on the expropriated areas of the two Hills, always on an international and interdisciplinary basis.
Last, but not least I hope that a Petras museum will be created in Siteia to house 4,000 years of history.
SMCK: How could we make a bridge of inspiration by upda- ting ancient models for contemporary use? What is your ad- vice to designers inspired by Greek history and culture?
MT: Jewelry is, in all societies, a symbol of status and social class, but we also wear ornaments today because we like them and we like to express ourselves through them, inde- pendent of their price. I believe that the simple forms of the Minoan jewelry made of gold, silver, and polychrome semi- precious stones can be a great inspiration for modern artists to create original contemporary items.
www.petras-excavations.gr www.culture.academia.edu/MetaxiaTsipopoulou
The next step will be the unification of the sites on the two hills (Hill I: Minoan urban settlement, Minoan palace, and By- zantine cemetery; Hill II: Minoan ce-
“IT IS IMPERATIVE TO FINISH THE EXCAVATIO„N OF THE MINOAN CE- METERY.
30