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John McEnroe's article, "The Final Palace at Knossos," was recently published by the Canadian Institute in Greece in Meditations on the Built Environment in the Aegean Basin. The volume presents the proceedings of a colloquium held in Athens to honor the eminent Canadian architectural historian, Frederick E. Winter. McEnroe is the John and Anne Fischer Professor of Fine Arts.

John McEnroe, the John and Anne Fischer Professor in Fine Arts, has returned to Crete for fifth season of the Gournia Excavation Project. As the excavation architect, he is working with Bridget Maguire '16 and Ianna Recco '16 to map the site in order to understand the history and social organization of this major town that flourished from 1900 BCE - 1450 BCE.

This summer, Mackenzie Leavenworth ’15 is living the dream of any classics major. With funding from an Emerson Foundation grant, she is working on an excavation in Gournia, Greece. In addition to uncovering information about the ancient site, she has the opportunity to explore Greece, undoubtedly making her the envy of many of her classmates.

Adriana Fracchia ’14 was awarded an Emerson Foundation Summer Research Grant to assist John and Anne Fischer Professor in Fine Arts John McEnroe in conducting one of only three officially sanctioned U.S. excavations in Greece. Fracchia is working to draft a topographical map of the ancient village of Gournia, on Crete, as a continuation of the work done by Caroline Morgan ’13 in 2011.

With the support of an Emerson Foundation Grant, Adi Fracchia ’14 worked with John McEnroe, the John and Anne Fischer Professor of Fine Arts, on a two-month study of the architecture of Gournia in Crete.

John McEnroe, The John and Anne Fischer Professor of Fine Arts, delivered a paper on the final phase of the Minoan palace at Knossos (Crete) at an international colloquium in Athens on June 22. The colloquium was organized by the Canadian Institute in Greece and held at the Italian School of Archaeology in Athens.

Six members of the Hamilton faculty were recognized for their research and creative successes with the Dean’s Scholarly Achievement Awards, presented by Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds at Class & Charter Day on Friday, May 4. The Awards recognize individual accomplishments, but reflect a richness and depth of scholarship and creative activity across the entire faculty.  The awards were made in three categories: Career Achievement, Early Career Achievement and Notable Year Achievement.

Archaeological sites offer a firsthand glimpse into the past. Specifically, working intimately with ancient artifacts allows researchers to piece together historical periods that could otherwise be lost.  Emerson Grant recipient Caroline Morgan ’13 is spending the summer working on- and off-site in Crete with Professor John McEnroe, the John and Anne Fischer Professor in Fine Arts, to uncover a Minoan ruin’s chronological past. Their project is titled “Excavating Minoan Crete: Uncovering Gournia’s Architectural Past.”

Last night I dreamt of Pacheia Ammos. Though it was still mid-summer, there was already a feeling of nostalgia in the air, and a chill wind blew along the seafront and through the empty cafés. I walked from one room to the next, searching for somewhere to stay, while Greek men pointed me in a different direction each time I asked. I climbed concrete stairs to the top of the Golden Beach Hotel, and watched the ferry boats in the distance, loaded with cars and bound for faraway places. Then I heard Greek music wafting up from the Taverna below, thought of dancing, and awoke.

When you tell people you are spending the summer on an archaeological dig, those who have any experience with excavations begin to tell you how it will affect your daily life.