On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, students from the European School visited the ILSP division in Xanthi and were given a tour of the building. They visited the laboratories and infrastructure of the building, while they were informed about the activities and research projects taking place, including those of the Department of Culture and Creative Industries
On the 9th of March, 2026, Dr. Despoina Tsiafaki, director of Research and Head of the Department of Culture and Creative Industries, will give a lecture entitled “Mountains Without Borders: Exploring the Archaeology of Southern Rhodope,” in Hall 2 of the Rectorate of Sofia University.
This lecture will present a synthetic review of archaeological sites identified in the southern Rhodope mountain range, with the aim of bridging the research gap between various archaeological datasets produced on different sides of modern national borders. Although the Rhodope has often been treated as a marginal upland zone, archaeological evidence reveals a dense and varied record of sites, routes, and activity areas from the Archaic to the Imperial period.
By bringing together published and newly documented material (e.g., settlements, fortifications, infrastructure, landscape features), the lecture explores how mountain environments structured mobility, communication, and cultural contact between Aegean and inland Thrace. Methodological approaches from landscape archaeology and spatial analysis will be discussed as tools for integrating fragmented regional data.
Drawing partly on ongoing work within the THRACE-CONNECT project (https://thraceconnect.athenarc.gr/en/main-page/), the talk highlights the value of cross-border and landscape-scale perspectives for reconstructing ancient connectivity and regional interaction.
For more information, visit the site: https://uni-sofia.bg/index.php/bul/novini/kalendar/publichna_lekciya_na_d_r_despina_ciafaki_mountains_without_borders_exploring_the_archaeology_of_southern_rhodope
On Sunday, October 26, Despoina Tsiafaki, director of Research and Head of the Department of Culture and Creative Industries, will participate with the presentation “Clay among Gold and Silver: The Role of Attic Pottery in Thracian Prestige Economies (6th–4th c. BC)” in the session “Forms of Wealth in Thracian Contexts” of the international colloqium “40 Years of the Rogozen Treasure – 60 Years of Mogilan Tumulus. Rethinking Gold, Silver, and Power” which will be held at the Vratsa Regional History Museum
For the second consecutive year, on Friday 26 September, the Department of Culture and Creative Industries participated in the Mediterranean Researcher’s Night, at the Athena Research Center building, in Xanthi. The members of the department presented the ECHOES and DATAPOT projects, as well as the work of the Archaeological GIS Laboratory (AeGIS Athena) and informed interested visitors about the goals and results of the department’s activities.
The kick-off meeting of the THRACE-CONNECT project was held on 12/6/2025, with the participation of the members of the ATHENA RC team (Despoina Tsiafaki, Vassilis Evangelidis, Yiannis Mourthos, Melpomeni Karta, Kostas Stavroglou, Maria Topalidou), in the ILSP department of Xanthi. The research project “Unraveling Connections between Aegean and inland Thrace via the Rhodope mountains, through archaeological exploration and spatial technology (THRACE-CONNECT)” is implemented in the framework of H.F.R.I call “3rd Call for H.F.R.I.’s Research Projects to Support Faculty Members & Researchers” (H.F.R.I. Project Number: 23755).
THRACE-CONNECT explores the ancient communication networks linking Aegean Thrace to its inland regions via the Rhodope Mountains, from the Archaic to the Roman period. By integrating archaeological, historical, and geospatial data, the project investigates the Rhodope as a transitional zone and cultural crossroads. Utilizing GIS technologies and advanced visualization techniques, it aims to reconstruct ancient routes and uncover the socio-cultural dynamics that shaped the region.
