Living Ruins, Value Conflicts

Using monuments and ruins by way of illustration, this fascinating book examines the symbolic, ideological, geographical and aesthetic importance of Greek classical iconography for the Western world. It shows the ways in which archaeology and monumentality affect modern life, our notions of nationhood, of place, of self - and the limits and possibilities imposed by the need to ensure ruins are kept 'alive'.

Dr Argyro Loukaki is Associate Professor in the Department of Hellenic Culture, Open University, Greece and an architect in the Archaeological Service of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Greece.

Contents: Preface; Introduction; Part 1: Ancient Greece for modern Greece and the Western world; The social construction of monumentality: ancient monuments and the monumental in space; The aesthetics of protection of ancient architectural heritage; Landscaping archaeological spaces. Part 2: The organization of ancient heritage protection in Greece; The Central Archaeological Council; The Acropolis of Athens and its immediate environment: the defence of a myth by modern Greek society; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.