The two-day ENDORAMA conference, which has been organized for the past seven years by faculty members of the Department of Medicine at the University of Patras, in addition to its purely scientific focus on the contemporary literature of endocrinology, is complemented by the CULTURAL ENDORAMA, a cultural initiative running parallel to the two-day conference, with a distinct thematic focus each year. This is an effort by the organizing committee to step beyond the boundaries of science, to “engage” with society, and to highlight activities and characteristics of the wider region. In previous years, the Festival was dedicated primarily to landmarks and characteristics of Western Greece and Patras in particular. Each year, exhibitions (visual arts, history, costumes, photography), recitations, music, and gastronomy come together to paint a picture of the chosen theme.
In 2015, POLITISTIKO ENDORAMA focused its main theme on an issue that preoccupied us greatly in 2014 and sparked a wide-ranging discussion on scientific ethics and methodology: The excavation of a burial monument on Kasta Hill in Amphipolis, Macedonia, captured the attention of the Greek and international public, strengthened the nation’s collective consciousness, sparked intense dialogue among archaeologists and historians around the globe, provided us with impressive findings, and managed to keep the interest of both scientists and the general public alive for months. At the same time, it also sparked a discussion about the methodology and ethics of an excavation, the challenges faced by archaeologists and the resources required, as well as the study and utilization of any discoveries.
Professor Emeritus of Archaeology Petros Themelis was invited to the conference’s opening ceremony; he has served and conducted excavations as a curator, curator, and museum director throughout the country: beginning in Northern Greece, where he worked at Vergina with Manolis Andronikos and became intimately familiar with the Amphipolis region and its first excavator, D. Lazaridis, he conducted research at archaeological sites large and small, more or less famous, and uncovered ancient cities and necropolises (Olympia, Delphi, the National Archaeological Museum, Euboea, Messenia, Sounion, Lavrio, Aetolia-Acarnania, Phocis–Locris, Crete, etc.), and became synonymous with the discovery of ancient Messene.
On behalf of “ENDORAMATOS,” we would like to thank everyone who supported us:
Petros Themelis, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, who readily accepted our invitation
Yiannis Pikramenos, the conference organizer
Androniki Chrysafi, a historian and archaeologist, who has served as curator of the “Cultural Endorama” since its inception.
