Carls in the Cyclades: Jesse Cogan ’27 and Bianca Lott ’26 join Alex Knodell for archaeological fieldwork in Greece

This year marks the final season of archaeological fieldwork for the Small Cycladic Islands Project (SCIP), a collaboration between Carleton, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, and the Norwegian Institute at Athens. The project has been surveying uninhabited islets in the Cyclades since 2019. This summer, Jesse Cogan ’27 and Bianca Lott ’26 had the opportunity to join Alex Knodell, associate professor and chair of classics and director of archaeology, on the team.

SCIP focuses on surveying the smallest, uninhabited islands in the Cyclades, an archipelago in the Aegean Sea. These islands, though tiny and isolated, hold clues to a long and complex human history that spans thousands of years. Since its inception, the project has surveyed 87 islands using a systematic, intensive surface survey method. Teams of people walk in parallel lines across these islands, collecting and cataloging artifacts such as lithics (stone tools) and pottery. The goal is to understand how these islands were used over time and to place them within the broader context of Mediterranean history.

“We are looking at the long-term history of each island individually and as part of a larger regional story,” said Knodell. “One of our big questions is how people use small islands and how their size influences that use.”

The project’s final season involved ground truthing data collected via LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a remote sensing method that uses light detection and ranging to map the landscape from the air. While LiDAR can reveal hidden features beneath the canopy or undergrowth, it cannot date them or provide detailed information on their use. This is where the on-the-ground survey work comes in, confirming and adding context to the aerial data.

For the students involved, a typical day in the field started early, with wake-up calls around 6 a.m. and boat departures by 7:30 a.m. They would travel to the day’s target islet, which could take anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours depending on its location. Once there, the team would break into smaller groups, each responsible for surveying a section of the island. The work was physically demanding, often conducted under the blazing sun with no shade. By 4:30 p.m., the team would be back on the boat, heading to their base for data processing and discussions about the day’s findings.

Cogan described the experience as “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” Despite the challenges, including the intense heat and the steep learning curve, Cogan found the experience deeply rewarding. 

“At the start of the project, I was like, wow, cool, I’m finding pottery,” Cogan said. “Then, as time went on, I started to understand the significance of what I was finding. It was exciting to learn how to identify the time period and function of the artifacts.”

Working on multiple small islands presented logistical challenges. 

“Doing fieldwork on 21 different islands this year was difficult to organize,” Knodell said. “You have to find rooms, secure a boat, stay within budget, and deal with things outside of your control like weather. It’s super fun and super challenging.”

However, the sense of community among the researchers made these challenges more manageable. Cogan emphasized the supportive environment of the project, noting how the more experienced team members were always willing to teach and guide the undergraduates. 

“Everyone was friends, and everyone got along really well. It was a ton of fun, and there was never a moment where you felt like you couldn’t ask a question,” said Cogan.

Although the fieldwork component of SCIP is coming to an end, the project is far from over. The next stages involve data analysis, academic publications, and the creation of a comprehensive three-volume monograph series that will detail the findings and make the data accessible to other researchers. There is also an emphasis on community outreach, with a website in both English and Greek to share the results with local communities and gather their input.

For the Carleton students involved, the experience has been transformative. 

“It’s given me a new perspective on archaeology and how much there is still to discover, even in places as well-studied as the Mediterranean,” Cogan said. “I’m excited to bring what I’ve learned back to Carleton and continue exploring these themes in my studies.”

As SCIP transitions from fieldwork to analysis and publication, the contributions of Knodell, Cogan, Lott, and the entire international team will ensure that the mysteries of the Small Cycladic Islands continue to be uncovered and shared with the world.