Focus and Scope

The annual Symposium of the Christian Archaeological Society (SymposiumChAE) is held in Athens in April or May. The programme and abstracts of major papers and communications are published and made available during the Symposium. Papers are original and constitute a scientific contribution to the field of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine archaeology and art. One day is devoted to a special topic, with relevant papers. Due to the large number of applications, the Board of the Christian Archaeological Society encourages prospective applicants to present their research in the alternative form of a poster. Posters are particularly suitable for the presentation of excavation results, restoration works, and conservation of works of art or monuments. The official language of the Symposium is Greek. Alternatively, participants may submit their abstracts and make their presentations in English or French.

Along with the abstracts' printed version, the present electronic edition offers open access to a significant number of its past issues, taking advantage of the possibilities offered by the latest open-source online technologies. The electronic edition aims to strengthen research and the overall improvement of scholarship. The electronic edition of the Symposium is published in collaboration with the National Hellenic Documentation Centre, which provides consulting services on electronic publishing and on organizational aspects of the electronic edition, as well as the e-infrastructure, the hosting of the abstracts' online version, and technical support.

Peer Review Process

Submitted abstracts are evaluated on the basis of their subject-matter, contribution to scientific research, and relevance to Early Christian, Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art. As decided by the Administrative Board, papers concerning monuments that postdate 1830 will not be considered. The submission of two papers by the same speaker will not be accepted, even if one of these is in collaboration with another speaker.

The Board of the Christian Archaeological Society reserves the right to reject or propose changes to abstracts which: 

• are not original or do not constitute a scientific contribution in the field
• are submitted after the application deadline
• are not relevant to the fields of the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art
• include personal attacks.

Publication Frequency

The programme and abstracts of the major papers and communications  of the Symposium of the ChAE is published on an annual basis in a single volume each spring. Each electronic volume is published in PDF format and accompanied by brief note including information concerning the place and date of the Symposium, the members of the organizing committee, and information concerning the printing.

Open Access Policy

The annual Symposium of the Christian Archaelogical Society provides direct open access to its contents on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.

Collaborators in the transition to the online edition of the Symposium

Christian Archaeological Society (ΧΑΕ): Sophia Kalopissi-Verti and Maria Panayotidi, Professors Emeritae of University of Athens, assumed the overall coordination and supervision of the work. Anna Takoumi and Kelly Tassogiannopoulou, PhD Candidates at University of Athens recorded the metadata and offered managerial assistance.

National Hellenic Documentation Centre (EKT): Evi Sachini was the project lead and assumed general supervision. Victoria Tsoukala coordinated the process. 

Image Credits

Header: From a liturgical codex of the 17^th c. Collection of the Christian Archaeological Society [ΧΑΕ 85 (6485), now in the Byzantine and Christian Museum of Athens, no. ΒΧΜ 01621], fol. 1v and 2r.

Sources of Support

The printed edition of the programme and abstracts of major papers and communications of the annual Symposium of the Christian Archaeology Society is sponsored by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. The ChAE is grateful to the Byzantine and Christian Museum for providing facilities for the Symposium.

The development of this online edition of the annual Symposium of the ChAE is made possible through the project 'National Information System for Research and Technology, Phase IV - Social Networks', implemented by the National Hellenic Documentation Centre (ΕΚΤ). It is financed by the program "Digital Convergence" of the National Strategic Reference Framework Programme for Development 2007-2013, co-funded by the European Union - European Regional Development Fund and the Greek State.

• Υπουργείο Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού / Ministry of Culture and Sports
• Βυζαντινό και Χριστιανικό Μουσείο / Byzantine and Christian Museum
• Εθνικό Κέντρο Τεκμηρίωσης / National Hellenic Documentation Centre

Journal History

The first Symposium of the Christian Archaeological Society on Byzantine and post-Byzantine Archaeology and Art, entitled "Recent Finds-Recent Research", was organized in Athens in April 1981. Since then the Spring Symposium has been held each year in Athens, except in 1985 when it took place in Thessaloniki.

During the Symposium's three-day meeting, papers are presented on topics relating to the archaeology and art history of the Byzantine and the Post-Byzantine periods. One day is devoted to a special topic, with relevant papers.

The one-day colloquium during the Symposium with a special topic was inaugurated in 1988 and the first subject was "The Art of the 15th Century" (8^th Symposium). The special topics in subsequent years were:

• "Art During the Period 1261-1400" (9^th Symposium, 1989).
• "The End of Antiquity in the Cities and the Countryside  on the Basis of the Archaeological Evidence" (10^th Symposium, 1990).
• "Dominant Tendencies in 16^th-Century Art and Architecture" (11^th Symposium, 1991).
• "Dominant Tendencies in Art and Architecture During the  17^th and 18^th-Century" (12^th Symposium, 1992).
• "Christian Boeotia and Phokis" (13^th Symposium, 1993).
• "Mani and Its Monuments" (14^th Symposium, 1994).
• "Patronage as a Factor in the Evolution of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art" (15^th Symposium, 1995).
• "Archaeological and artistic evidence concerning death" (16^th Symposium, 1996).
• "Cities in Byzantium From the 5^th Through the 15^th century" (17^th Symposium, 1997).
• "Tradition and Renewal in 13^th-Century Art: the Influence of Foreign Suzerainty" (18^th Symposium, 1998).
• "Fortresses and Fortifications in Byzantium Before the Appearance of Cannons" (19^th Symposium, 1999).
• "Shrines: Their Influences on Art" (20^th Symposium, 2000).
• "Iconographic Cycles of Saints in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Art" (21^st Symposium, 2001).
• "Archaeological evidence of craft installations in the Byzantine Period, 5^th-15^th Century" (22^nd Symposium, 2002).
• "Clothing and Beautification in Byzantium: Archaeological and Artistic Testimony" (23^rd Symposium, 2003).
• "The Byzantine House and its Equipment, 4^th-15^th Century" (24^th Symposium, 2004).
• "Ecclesiastical Architecture" (25^th Symposium, 2005).
• "Women in Byzantium: Veneration and Art" (26^th Symposium, 2006).
• "Byzantine Textile: Art, Technique and Economy" (27^th Symposium, 2007).
• "Texts on Objects" (28^th Symposium, 2008).
• "Texts in Monuments" (29^th Symposium, 2009).
• "Painters and their workshops during the Byzantine and post-Byzantine period" (30^th Symposium, 2010).
• "The transition from Late Antiquity to Medieval Byzantium, 6^th-9^th century" (31^st Symposium, 2011).
• "Local cult of saints and cults of local saints: evidence from written sources, archaeological remains and iconography" (32^nd Symposium, 2012).
• "The Byzantine monastery: organization and function "(33^rd Symposium, 2013).
• "The birth, development,  and  future prospects for research in Byzantine archaeology and art in Greece: a  tribute on the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Byzantine and Christian Museum, and since the death of Georgios Lampakis" (34^th Symposium, 2014).
• "Byzantine Constantinople and its immediate environs:  topography, archaeology, architecture and art" (35^th Symposium, 2015).
• "Pilgrimage in the Byzantine World: Archaeological and Historical Evidence" (36^th Symposium, 2016).

The electronic edition of the Symposium of the ChAE has been implemented by the National Documentation Centre (EKT). EKT hosts and manages the online environment for the publication of the SymposiumChAE within its eInfrastructure and provides it support and graphic design services. EKT’s ePublishing team offers services that concern the overall processes and the dissemination of the Symposium, such as the standardization of the publication procedures, digitization, standardized presentation and dissemination of the metadata. Common goals of both organizations are the dissemination, promotion and preservation of the scientific content of the abstracts of the major papers and communications of the Symposium, the increase of access to it and the open access of its content for research and educational purposes to the international scientific community.