Afroditi Vlachou

Major: Classical Archaeology
University: University of Mainz

In a dramatically and rapidly changing world such as ours, the DAAD-Stiftung is doing its part to promote change by exchange. During my first months in Germany, I myself experienced how wonderful an international research visit could be.

I was delighted to meet Dr. Trumpf-Lyritzaki during an orientation seminar in Bonn shortly after arriving in Germany. This first meeting was very positive, and since then I’ve kept in regular contact with her.

Mainz, the place where I study, is a fantastic city which I strongly recommend to anyone who wishes to study abroad. It’s a wonderful thing to stroll through the historic city centre down a street lined with beautiful buildings that takes you to St. Stephen’s Church. St. Stephan’s is especially known for its brilliantly blue-coloured glass windows, designed by Marc Chagall. The windows by this Jewish artist are one of the main tourist attractions in Mainz – and the only ones of their kind in Germany. There are two museums worth seeing in Mainz: the Heiligtum der Isis und Mater Magna, located downtown, and the Museum of Ancient Seafaring. The museum is situated in a historic train depot dating back to the 19th century not far from the Roman Theater in the Südstadt district of Mainz.

Privat

Afroditi Vlachou on campus of Universität Mainz

But of course, the main reason I came to Germany was to conduct research. The topic of my dissertation that I’m working on is “The Sanctuaries of the Peloponnese during the 8th and 7th century BC.” My research work largely focuses on the religious rites in each respective region in connection with the residential area and social organisation at this time in history. My doctoral supervisor Prof. Dr. Heide Frielinghaus always offered me valuable advice regarding the themes of my dissertation. She herself participated in the excavation of the Zeus sanctuary in Olympia and wrote a dissertation titled, “The Helmets of Olympia: On the Votive Offerings of Weapons in Greek Sanctuaries”.

The main objective of my dissertation is not only to provide a comprehensive compilation of archaeological data along with corresponding excavation data, but also to create an index of all the religious sites in the Peloponnese that existed during the period of reference in my dissertation. This forms the basis for addressing a series of questions related to ancient religious rites, the establishment of the first sanctuaries and votive practices.

To develop my topic, I had to do extensive reading of the technical literature and for this reason, it was extremely important to gain access to the necessary bibliographical sources. I received a guest-student status at the university and had no problem working there and using the library. Being at the university not only allows you to write academic papers, but also offers you the opportunity to meet other researchers.

After a half a year, I slowly became aware that many things are organised very differently than in Greece. What I especially noticed was the reliability and organisation, which suits me very well and makes everyday life easier. With regard to being around Germans, it’s also very easy. Many of them try to speak what little Greek they know, like “ouzo”, “tzatziki”. The Germans are very friendly. I’ll definitely relate my wonderful impressions of Germany to everyone back at home.

I wish to extend my deepest thanks to the DAAD-Stiftung and above all to Dr. Trumpf-Lyritzaki who made my stay possible. It has played a vital role in the success of my research and has helped me immensely to gain important academic and intercultural experience which will accompany me in my future endeavours.

[Find information on Ms. Vlachou's publications.]