The Sphakia Survey was an interdisciplinary archaeological field project that focused on investigating the modern eparchy of Sphakia in southwestern Crete. With permission of the 25th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Chania, the survey was conducted between 1987 and 1992 under the direction of Lucia Nixon (University of Oxford) and Jennifer Moody (University of Texas at Austin).

Following a preliminary assessment of the region in 1986, the study area was systematically divided into eight regions and associated environmental zones. Each zone was then comprehensively surveyed in subsequent field seasons to document the long-term interaction between people and their environment in Sphakia. By the conclusion of the project, the number of recorded sites had increased dramatically (from just 20 to 315), representing all major chronological periods from roughly 3000 BCE to the end of the Turkish period. A significant methodological development during the project was the creation of a macroscopic fabric analysis program, which became central to constructing testable chronological sequences within the ceramic assemblage. By grouping ceramics according to fabric type and mapping their distribution, the team identified regional patterns of ceramic production and use across different time periods, allowing for a more nuanced reconstruction of Sphakia’s cultural and environmental history.

Select Bibliography

Francis, J. 2017. ‘Roman Influence on Greek Sphakia,’ 505–533. In From Maple to Olive. Proceedings of a Colloquium to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Institute in Greece, Athens 10-11 June 2016.  D.W. Rupp & J.E. Tomlinson eds. Publications of the Canadian Institute in Greece 10. Athens: The Canadian Institute in Greece.

Moody, J., H. Lewis Robinson, J. Francis, & L. Nixon. 2003. “Ceramic fabric analysis and survey archaeology: The Sphakia Survey.” Annual of the British School at Athens 98: 37-105

Moody, J. 2004. “Western Crete in the Bronze Age. A Survey of the Evidence.” 47-264. In Crete Beyond the Palaces: Proceedings of the Crete 2000 Conference. L. P. Day., M. S. Mook & J.D. Muhly eds. Philadelphia: INSTAP Academic Press.

Nixon, L., S. Price, O Rackham, & J. Moody. 2009. “Settlement Patterns in Mediaeval and Post-Mediaeval Sphakia: Issues from the Environmental, Archaeological and Historical Evidence.” 43–54. In Medieval and Post-Medieval Greece: The Corfu Papers. J. Bintliff & Hanna Stöger eds. BAR International Series 2023. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Nixon, L. 2012. “Building Memory: The Role of Sacred Structures in Sphakia and Crete.” 187-214. In Historical and Religious Memory in the Ancient World. B. Dignas & R. Smith eds. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Nixon, L. & J. Moody. 2017. “Cultural Landscapes and Resources in Sphakia, SW Crete: A Diachronic Perspective.” 485-504. In From Maple to Olive. Proceedings of a Colloquium to Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Institute in Greece, Athens 10-11 June 2016.  D.W. Rupp & J.E. Tomlinson eds. Publications of the Canadian Institute in Greece 10. Athens: The Canadian Institute in Greece.

For more, see https://portal.sds.ox.ac.uk/collections/The_Sphakia_Survey_Internet_Edition/6816405