Adamantios Sampson


Adamantios Sampson is a Greek archaeologist. He worked as an Inspector of Antiquities for the Greek Administration of Antiquity. He is specialised in research on prehistoric Neolithic and Mesolithic sites in southern Greece. Among the sites he has studied are the "Cave of Cyclope" on the islet of Youra near Alonissos in the Νοrthern Sporades; the islet of Υali near Nisyros; the site Maroulas on Kythnos island; the site Kerame on Ikaria island; Sarakenos Cave on Boeotia; the cave "Skoteini" in Euboea; the "Cave of the Lakes" near Kalavryta in the Peloponnese and many other sites in Euboea and Dodecanese. Among his best-known finds are the so-called Youra Potsherds, prehistoric pottery fragments incised with markings that some people believe resemble letters of the Greek alphabet. Since 1999 professor in the University of the Aegean, Department of Mediterranean Studies, Rhodes.

Field experience

Director of archaeological surveys and excavations of both prehistoric and historic periods in open air sites and caves in Euboea, Thebes, Dodecanese, Peloponnese : 1973-1981.
Director of Rhodes project: 1977-1981.
Systematic surveys and excavations in caves and neolithic open air sites in Rhodes and the surrounding islands.
Director of Manika project: 1982-1990
Systematic excavation of an Early Bronze Age town and cemetery near Chalkis, Euboea. Systematic surveys and perspections. Grant from the National Geographic Society, 1986-1987.
Director of Kaloyerovrysi project: 1984-1991
Systematic excavation of a Bronze Age settlement and cemetery near Chalkis, Euboea.
Director of Yali project:
1986-1990: Systematic excavation of a Neolithic settlement and cemetery on the island Yali, near Nissiros, Dodecanese.
Ethnoarchaeological research 1992-1996.
Director of Skoteini Cave project, Tharrounia, Euboea: 1986-1991.
Systematic excavation and surveys in the cave, Neolithic settlement and cemetery. Ethnoarchaeological research.
Director of the Cave of Lakes project, at Kastria, Kalavryta, Peloponnese, 1992-1994.
Systematic excavation and survey in the cave and the surrounding area. Neolithic and Bronze Age deposits. Ethnoarchaeological research.
Director of the Cave of Cyclope Project, Youra, Northern Sporades, 1992-1996.
Systematic excavation in the cave and surveys on the nearby islands. Neolithic, Mesolithic and Upper Palaeolithic finds.
Director of the Cave of Sarakenos Project, Boeotia, 1994 ongoing
Systematic excavation in the cave containing deposits from Middle Palaeolithic to MBA. Systematic surveys in the caves at the edge of the former lake Kopais.
Director of the Mykonos Project, 1995–2003
Systematic excavation at Ftelia, a Late Neolithic settlement on the island of Mykonos
Director of the Maroulas Kythnos Project
Systematic excavation of the Mesolithic settlement and surface survey of the island
Director of Ikaria Project 2004 ongoing
Surveys and excavations in Mesolithic and Neolithic sites, ongoing
Director of the Wadi Hamarash, Jordan Project 2006 ongoing
Surface surveys and excavation in a PPNB settlement and in a PPNA site

Published works

40 books and 160 articles. Some of them are: