Classical Studies

Maya Parfitt, "The Melanes Monolith: Insights from a Holistic Analysis of an Ancient Architectural Block"

Ben McClarty "Shifting Center Stage: Ancient Contexts for the Performance of Greek Drama"

Session II

Maya Parfitt, "The Melanes Monolith: Insights from a Holistic Analysis of an Ancient Architectural Block"

Renowned in antiquity for its marble quarries, the island of Naxos was crucial to the development of monumental sculpture and architecture in ancient Greece. In June 2025, the Naxos Quarry Project (NQP) investigated a colossal marble architectural block from the island’s Melanes Quarry, abandoned in antiquity. The NQP team sought to pinpoint the block’s extraction point, intended function, and reason for its puzzling desertion. Using a combination of traditional and cutting-edge archaeological field methods, the first full-scale technical study of the block was produced. While assessing its intended purpose, the team explored a likely relationship between the block and Naxos’ most famous landmark: the unfinished “Portara” temple on Palatia islet. This poster details benefits of holistic archaeological documentation, offers insight into the ancient workers who produced and transported the block, and demonstrates how the analysis of the block’s potential relationship to the “Portara” necessitates a re-examination of the temple itself.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Classical Archaeology

Advisor: Dr. Jessica Paga

Video Presentations

Ben McClarty "Shifting Center Stage: Ancient Contexts for the Performance of Greek Drama"

This project examines the performance history of ancient Greek drama, with a specific focus on the continued stagings and revivals of classical Athenian drama during the Hellenistic period. After an initial literature review and a close study of the major primary sources for attested postclassical performances, the main focus of this summer's work was to analyze the well-attested performance events of one classical play: Euripides' Heracles. This case study has resulted in an ArcGIS StoryMap which situates this play's script within three different performance contexts. Different audiences viewing the same play will naturally experience the play differently because of the different social, political, religious, and spatial environments. This case study examines the remarkable synergies -- and difficulties -- between the action onstage and the historical moments behind these three performances. The StoryMap was intended for a general audience and is available for anyone to view via a QR code at the end of the video presentation.

Student Major(s)/Minor: Classical Studies

Advisor: Dr. Jessica Paga

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