Coordinator: Anna Lambropoulou
Team members: Ilias Anagnostakis,Angeliki Panopoulou, Anastasia Yangaki
External research associates: Voula Konti

The Programme is a continuation of the Greek participation (on the part of the National Hellenic Research Foundation) in a European Science Foundation wider European project which began in October 1979 with a view to studying ''Greek Coastal and Island Region in the Byzantine Era (7th-13th c.)''. Since May 1980, research has been focused on the Byzantine Peloponnese and the islands lying off its coast, as well as Eastern Macedonia and Thrace. In April 1981, the research project was incorporated into the former Institute for Byzantine Research as a programme focusing on the ''Historical Geography of the Greek Territory''.

Research project
The Programme aims to study and examine the Byzantine sources and archaeological remains with a view to the publication of historico-geographical and archaeological studies. Team members systematically document written sources and archaeological data relating to the areas in question. At the same time, they collaborate with archaeologists in order to examine archaeological evidence and gain access to unpublished material. More specifically, the team focuses its attentions on the following research fields:

• Historical Geography of the Byzantine Peloponnese (Anna Lambropoulou, Ilias Anagnostakis, Voula Konti, Maria Leontsini, Angeliki Panopoulou).
• Historical Geography of Crete and the Southern Aegean (Voula Konti, Angeliki Panopoulou).
• Parnon and Monemvasia (Ilias Anagnostakis, Voula Konti).
• Byzantine and Western Ceramics from the Peloponnese and Crete (Anastasia Yangaki).
• Examples of the Minor Arts from the Byzantine Peloponnese (Anastasia Yangaki).

The Programme hosts international symposia and conferences on the historical geography, archaeology, topography, administration, and social and religious life of the areas in question. It also participates in workshops on relevant topics. Programme collaborators take part in international specialist groups and programmes for the study of Historical Geography and Archaeology as well migrations, such as the Slavic penetration. Their latter collaboration resulted in the inclusion of papers by Anna Lambropoulou and Christina Katsougiannopoulou in the collective volume Foreigners in Early Medieval Europe. Thirteen International Studies on Early Medieval Mobility, ed. D. Quast [Monographien des Romisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums 78], Mainz 2009, 197-217, 219-231.

European programmes
Three year European Culture 2000 Programme (2002­2005) on the topic of Foreigners in Early Medieval Europe. The 13 European nations participating were coordinated by Dieter Quast (RGZM); Greece was represented by the IBR/NHRF Historical Geography Programme entitled Οι Σλάβοι στον Ελληνικό χώρο από τον 7ο μέχρι και τις αρχές του 9ου αι. / The Slavs in the Greek region from the 7th through the early 9th c. (Coordinator: Anna Lambropoulou; internal collaborators: Anna Lambropoulou, Ilias Anagnostakis; external collaborators: Natalia Poulou- Papadimitriou, Christina Katsougiannopoulou, Anastasia Yangaki).

Fieldwork
Team members conduct on-site research in the areas under examination with a view to locating and identifying sites, installations, monuments, roads, ports etc. Archaeological expeditions to the Peloponnese (Patras, Ancient Messene, Kalavryta, Olympia, Nafplio et al.) and Crete have been organised to document and study archaeological material.

Parallel activities
• Collection of historical material on olive cultivation and the production and transportation of olive oil from the Early Byzantine period to the period of Frankish and Venetian rule (with an emphasis on the Peloponnese) (Ilias Anagnostakis, Voula Konti, Anna Lambropoulou, Angeliki Panopoulou). The material was used in the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil set up in Sparti by the Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation.
• Participation in the 21st International Congress of Byzantine Studies, London 21-26 August 2006, Panel II. 4 Burial. Burials in Byzantium (La ville de Patras et son développement par rapport à ses nécropoles pendant la période paléochrétienne, Anna Lambropoulou).
• Participation in the IX Congresso Internazionale sulla Ceramica Medievale nel Mediterraneo dell'AIECM2, Venice, 23-29 November 2009 (Anastasia Yangaki, Angeliki Panopoulou).
• Participation in the international collective volume published in the context of the ''Byzanz-Pracht und Altag'' exhibition, Bonn 2010: A.G. Yangaki, ''The Scene of 'The Holy Women at the Tomb' on a Ring from Ancient Messene and other Rings bearing the Same Representation'', in: Byzanz - das Romerreich im Mittelalter, vol. 1, Welt der Ideen, Welt der Dinge, eds. F. Daim - J. Drauschke, Mainz 2010, 267-282.

Conferences
• International Academic Symposium, Η εβραϊκή παρουσία στον ελλαδικό χώρο (4ος-19ος αι.) / The Jewish Presence in the Greek Region (4th-19th c.), Athens, 24-25 November 1993 (in collaboration with the Society for the Study of Hellenic Judaism).
• International Symposium, Πρωτοβυζαντινή Mεσσήνη και Oλυμπία. Aστικός και αγροτικός χώρος στη δυτική Πελοπόννησο / Early Byzantine Messene and Olympia. Urban and Rural Space in the Western Peloponnese, Athens, 29-30 May 1998 (in collaboration with the Society for Messenian Archaeological Studies).
• International Symposium, O Mοναχισμός στην Πελοπόννησο από τον 4ο μέχρι τον 15ο αι. / Monasticism in the Peloponnese from the 4th to the 15th c., Aigion, 5-6 May 2000 (in collaboration with the VI Ephorate for Byzantine Antiquities).
• International Symposium, Μονεμβάσιος Οίνος - Μονεμβασ(ι)ά - Malvasia / Monemvasian Wine - Monemvas(i)a -Malvasia, Athens, 19-20 May 2006 (in collaboration with IBR  Programme 'Everyday and Social Life in  Byzantium'.)

Publications
• Oι μεταμορφώσεις της Πελοποννήσου (4ος-15ος αι.) / Transformations of Peloponnese (4th-15th c.), Eιδικές Mορφωτικές Eκδηλώσεις EIE / NHRF Special Cultural Events, Athens, NHRF, 2000.
• Proceedings of the International Symposium, Πρωτοβυζαντινή Mεσσήνη και Oλυμπία. Aστικός καιαγροτικός χώρος στη δυτική Πελοπόννησο / Early Byzantine Messene and Olympia: Urban and Rural Space in the Western Peloponnese, eds. P. G. Themelis - V. Konti, Society for Messenian Archaeological Studies / IBR/NHRF, Athens 2002, pp. 286.
• Proceedings of the International IBR/NHRF Symposium, O Mοναχισμός στην Πελοπόννησο 4ος-15ος αι. / Monasticism in the Peloponnese from the 4th to the 15th c., ed. V. Konti [IBR/NHRF, International Symposiums 14], Athens 2004, pp. 347.
• Proceedings of the International IBR/NHRF and Society for the Study of Hellenic Judaism Symposium, Η εβραϊκή παρουσία στον ελλαδικό χώρο (4ος-19ος αι.) / The Jewish Presence in the Greek Region (4th-19th c.), eds. A. Lambropoulou - K. Tsiknakis [IBR/NHRF, International Symposiums 12], Athens 2008, pp. 256.

Books in preparation
• Iστορική Γεωγραφία της Bυζαντινής Πελοποννήσου (395-1204) / The Historical Geopgraphy of Byzantine Peloponnese, Part I:  H Bυζαντινή Πελοπόννησος ως το 1204 / Byzantine Peloponnese up to 1204 (Anna Lambropoulou).
• Iστορική Γεωγραφία της Bυζαντινής Πελοποννήσου (395-1204) / The Historical Geopgraphy of Byzantine Peloponnese, Part II: Oι βυζαντινές θέσεις / The Byzantine Locations (Voula Konti, Anna Lambropoulou, Ilias Anagnostakis, Maria Leontsini, Angeliki Panopoulou).
• Η Μητρόπολις Πατρών και ο μοναχισμός στην Αχαΐα μέχρι τις αρχές του 13ου αι. / The Bishopric of Patras and Monasticism in Achaia until the Early 13th c. (Anna Lambropoulou).
• Εφυαλωμένη κεραμική από την Ακροναυπλία / Glazed Pottery from Acronauplia (Anastasia Yangaki).