Sixty years ago, a team of archaeologists embarked on an exploration at the heart of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea to uncover a mystery dating back more than 4.500 years. COSMOTE TV and National Geographic present their first co-production in Greece, the documentary "KEROS: THE MYSTERY OF THE BROKEN FIGURINES", which will attempt to reveal how the island of Keros, the world’s first known maritime sanctuary, was the birthplace of a new way of life. The premiere is coming soon to COSMOTE HISTORY HD channel.
Fragments of marble figurines from Keros at the Archaeological Museum of Naxos (Early Cycladic period 3.200-2.000 B.C.).
The Archaeological Museum of Naxos is under the responsibility of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades. The archaeological site of the Keros island is under the responsibility of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades.
The documentary "KEROS: THE MYSTERY OF THE BROKEN FIGURINES " is based on the archaeological research and findings of the Cambridge Keros Project.
In collaboration with a team of experts and using state-of-the-art technology, archaeologist Dr. Kostas Paschalides (PhD Prehistoric Archaeology, Curator of the Collection of Prehistoric, Egyptian, Cypriot and Eastern Antiquities of the Archaeological Museum of Athens), will guide us on this unique exploration of the island of Keros, where hundreds of broken Cycladic figurines where found and have been the subject of long-lasting scientific study.
Study of marble figurines, part of the collection kept in Harvard University.
Seeking to unveil more, Dr. Costas Paschalides will meet Professor Colin Renfrew and Dr. Michael Boyd, co-directors of the Keros Project the University of Cambridge, who lead the multi-year excavation on the island of Keros. Professor Colin Renfrew, one of the world's leading archaeologists, National Geographic Explorer and member of the National Geographic Society, a member of the British Academy and the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, is one of the first archaeologists to have landed on Keros in 1963. Dr. Michael Boyd, is a Senior Research Associate at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge. His main research interests lie in the prehistoric Aegean where he has worked in the Peloponnese and Cyclades. He is also co-editor of the Keros publications series with Colin Renfrew. Researchers of the Cyprus Institute also participate in the excavations, among them the Institute's Assistant Professor in Archaeobotany and assistant director of the Cambridge Keros Project, Dr. Evi Margaritis, whose study of ancient seeds reveals details about the day-to-day activities of the Keros inhabitants.
Of particular interest are, also, the findings on Dhaskalio, an island, which in the past was connected to Keros by land. Dhaskalio is believed to be almost entirely covered by imposing buildings, marble staircases and complex drainage systems, signifying that it was one of the most important settlements of the Early Bronze Age. Through the use of advanced digital methods, Dr. Georgios Artopoulos, Assistant Professor at the Cyprus Institute, will create a three-dimensional representation of this unique settlement in all its glory.
"KEROS: THE MYSTERY OF THE BROKEN FIGURINES” is the first co-production between COSMOTE TV and National Geographic in Greece, inspired by the mutually shared vision of creating and delivering great storytelling.
The documentary is produced by Green Olive Films.
“KEROS: THE MYSTERY OF THE BROKEN FIGURINES”
COMING SOON TO COSMOTE HISTORY HD
About COSMOTE TV
COSMOTE TV is OTE Group’s pay TV service, currently holding the leading position in Greece, with over 550,000 subscribers. COSMOTE TV is a fully grown broadcasting unit, offering access to exclusive premium content through 17 COSMOTE branded channels (CINEMA, SPORT, HISTORY) and offering its linear and on demand services via Satellite and Streaming platforms. COSMOTE TV is also involved in the field of original content production (fiction and documentary), having participated as producer and co-producer in more than 120 Greek and international TV productions.
OTE Group is the largest technology company in Greece. It is one of the top three listed companies with respect to capitalization, in the Athens Stock Exchange. OTE Group offers the full range of telecommunications services: from fixed-line and mobile telephony, broadband services, to pay television and integrated ICT solutions. In addition to its core telecommunications activities, the Group in Greece is also involved in maritime communications and real-estate.
About National Geographic Partners
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between National Geographic Society and Disney, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivalled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild, Nat Geo Mundo, Nat Geo People) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of the world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 131 years, and now it is committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for consumers… all while reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month. NGP returns 27 percent of its proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com.
About Green Olive Films
Green Olive Films is an international production company specializing in the creation, development and production of high-quality content. It was founded in 1996 by director and executive producer Simos Manganis and has established offices in Greece and Cyprus. Green Olive Films has a dedicated in-house content development division for movies, series, documentaries, as well as TV shows, electronic and printed content, including books. Being one of the leading production companies, it has been actively promoting, since 1999, Greece and Cyprus as "filming destinations", while offering its high-quality production services to an international clientele. Hundreds of advertising campaigns, documentaries and feature films have been filmed in Greece and Cyprus, utilizing Green Olive Films’ services and experience, which succeeded in establishing the two countries as audio-visual/filming destinations. In the summer of 2019, the company took part in the production of the American film "Jiu-Jitsu", starring Nicolas Cage and Frank Grillo directed by Dimitris Logothetis, which was the first movie of its kind to be shot in its entirety in Cyprus. In addition, the company’s latest documentary "Keros: The Mystery of the Broken Figurines", produced in collaboration with National Geographic and Cosmote TV, is proof of the company’s valuable experience in creating, developing and producing original content, especially in the fields of archaeology, philosophy and culture. More information at www.greenolivefilms.com
FEATURED IN THE DOCUMENTARY:
KOSTAS PASCHALIDIS (Documentary Host)
Kostas Paschalidis was born in 1973 in Athens. He studied History at the Ionian University and Archaeology at the University of Ioannina, where he successfully composed his doctoral thesis on the Mycenaean cemetery at Clauss near Patras. Since 2002 he has held the position of Curator of Antiquities at the Prehistoric Collection of the National Archaeological Museum at Athens. Kostas Paschalidis has lectured and published studies on various topics related to Aegean burial customs, architecture and pottery, as well as on archival matters, i.e. the history of the Archaeological Service and the chronicle of the National Archaeological Museum. He has been a Peter Warren Visiting Professor at the University of Bristol (2018) and a Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies of Harvard University, in Washington DC (2019).
COLIN RENFREW (Co-director of the Keros Project, University of Cambridge)
Lord Colin Renfrew is an eminent British archaeologist, notable for his work on the radiocarbon revolution, the prehistory of languages, archaeogenetics, and the prevention of looting of archaeological sites. He is Professor Emeritus of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and was founding Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. He has excavated prehistoric sites in Greece and in the Orkney Islands, and is interested in archaeological theory including cognitive archaeology. Professor Renfrew was educated at St Albans School, Hertfordshire and from 1956 to 1958 did National Service in the Royal Air Force. He then went up to St John's College, Cambridge where he read Archaeology and Anthropology, graduating in 1962. His PhD thesis "Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of the Cyclades and their external relations" was completed in 1965. He was appointed lecturer in the Department of Prehistory and Archaeology at the University of Sheffield. Renfrew's significant work led to his election as a Fellow of the British Academy in 1980. In 1981 he was elected to the Disney Professorship of Archaeology in the University of Cambridge and served as Master of Jesus College from 1986-1997. He was appointed Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research in 1990, and was awarded a life peerage in 1991, and chose the title "Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn". He retired from the University in 2004 but continues to enjoy the study and interest of archaeology.
MICHAEL BOYD (Co-director of the Keros Project, University of Cambridge)
Michael Boyd is a Senior Research Associate at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge and co-director of the Cambridge Keros Project. His main research interests lie in the prehistoric Aegean where he has worked in the Peloponnese and Cyclades. He is co-director of the Keros-Naxos Seaways project, and co-editor of the Keros publications series. He has worked widely in Greece, Bulgaria and Albania. Since 2008 he has worked with Colin Renfrew on the publication of the Keros excavations of 2006 to 2008, of which he is co-editor. He is also editing the publication of the Keros Island Survey, carried out and completed in 2012 and 2013, and due to be published in 2020. His most recent book is From Stonehenge to Mycenae: the challenges of archaeological interpretation, co-authored with John Barrett.
EVI MARGARITIS (Assistant Director of the Keros Project, University of Cambridge)
Evi Margaritis is an Assistant Professor in the Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center of the Cyprus Institute. She studied Archaeology at the University of Athens in Greece, received her MSc in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy from the University of Sheffield and her PhD from the University of Cambridge. She has been engaged in dozens of research projects mainly in Greece and Cyprus being responsible for the study and publication of the archaeobotanical remains. She has published extensively and she is one of the leading experts in ancient agriculture in the East Mediterranean. She is also the PI of the “URBAN: the Antecedents of Urbanism in Europe” project, funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation of Cyprus, which focuses on the study and publication programme of Keros.
GEORGIOS ARTOPOULOS (Cyprus Institute)
Georgios Artopoulos is an Assistant Professor at the Cyprus Institute. He studied Architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, and holds a Master of Philosophy in Architecture and the Moving Image and a PhD, both from the University of Cambridge. He is conducting research and has published extensively on immersive and virtual environments, urban modelling and digital simulation for the study of built heritage and historical cities, in the context of the projects he is coordinating, under ENI-CBC-MED, and Cyprus Research and Innovation Foundation Integrated frameworks, his role as a co-Head of Virtual Competency Centre e-Infrastructure of the DARIAH ERIC, and as a Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of JPI Urban Europe.
MYRTO GEORGAKOPOULOU (Archaeometallurgy)
Myrto Georgakopoulou is a specialist in the study of ancient metals and metallurgy. She was awarded a BSc in Chemistry from Imperial College in London and an MSc and PhD in Archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (UCL). She is currently Research Affiliate at the STARC of the Cyprus Institute. She was previously employed as Scientific Research Officer at the Fitch Laboratory of the British School at Athens and subsequently as Lecturer in Archaeological Materials Science at UCL Qatar.