About Vassilis Politakis

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The Ceramicist Vassilis Politakis

Biographical note

1.Study, Reproduction, Promotion of Minoan pottery

Relevant Collaborations

1.Study of original ancient pottery and bibliography at the British archaeological school( BSA), at the American Study Center (INSTAP) and the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.

2.Experimental Archaeology in collaboration with the Hellenic Research Center of Material Science ( Demokritos) , the University of Kent , the University of Venice, Dr Celine Murphy, Dr Ilaria Caloi, Dr Simona Todarro, Dr Anna Simandiraki-Grimshaw

3.Presentations  at international archaeological congresses:

a: 6th international congress about the Near East , Rome , May 2008 . The Minoan potter’s wheel.( Dr Don Evely)

  1. Third meeting about the archaeological work in Crete, international congress at Rethymnon- Crete, 5-8 / December 2013. Demonstration of a study of  a Roman firing pit.( Calliope Galanaki, archaeological services of Heraklion).
  2. International archaeological meeting EMAC, Barcelona 16-18 / 9/ 2019. The use of the slow potter’s wheel during the Protopalatial period in Phaestos ( Dr Ilaria Caloi , University of Venice)

and the manufacture of pottery without a wheel   during the Protopalatial period in Phaestos ( Dr Simona Todarro, university of Catania)

  1. International archaeological congress of AIA ( Archaeological Institute of America) , January 2020. The use of the slow potter’s wheel during the Protopalatial period in Phaestos ( Dr Ilaria Caloi , University of Venice)

4. Seminars, presentations, lectures addressed to post graduate students of archaeology and classical studies, in collaboration with BSA. 

5. Collaboration with the cultural institute  “The Athens Centre”: educational programs, lectures and presentations for students of the following universities:

  1. Evergreen University, in Olympia, Washington DC
  2. The University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon, USA
  3. The Pennsylvania State University, in University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
  4. The City University of New York/Hunter College, NY, USA
  5. University of Richmond, Virginia , USA:

1. Lecture titled “Minoan Pottery and the Positive Aspect of Life” given on November 18, 2004, at the university and classes for the students.

  1. Display of Vassilis Politakis’ ceramics in the Ancient World Gallery of the University of Richmond in Richmond to help students of Classical Studies understand the pottery of the Aegean Bronze Age.
  2. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill :

Lectures and demonstrations since 2003 up to 2007 in Vassilis Politakis’ workshop and by the Minoan type kilns at the village Kyparissi.

These lectures were presented to summer study abroad students as part of the program of Dr. W. J. McCoy, Professor of Ancient Greek History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

8.Museum of Natural History, University of Crete:

Construction of Minoan ceramic cooking vessels for the museum , which are used during educational programs at the museum.

9.Museum of Medical School, University of Crete:

Reproduction of Minoan ceramics relevant with the medicine of those ages. These ceramics are exhibited at the museum.

10.Collaboration with the Greek ministry of culture:

Exact museum copies and pottery for use inspired by the Minoan period , available at the museum stores all around Greece (2014 -2021).

11.University of Humboldt- Berlin

 Partcipation in the project ‘Replica Knowledge Archaeology of the multiple past’, September -March 2018 ( Felix Sattler, Dr Anna Simandiraki-Grimshaw , Tieranatomishes Theater )

12. St Louis Community college – Meramec

 October 2018. Visit to STCC , seminars , presentations, workshops to the members of the college .

13. Italian Archaeological School

2018-2019. Study on Minoan pottery techniques with and without a potter’s wheel ( University of Venice and Catania).

2. Educational programs,  other activities

  1. Greek Ministry of Education Award in 2011 , for pioneering  educational pottery program , dedicated to pupils of primary school
  1. University of Crete, Department of Pedagogical Psychology, 2013 Pupils with and without the ability of sight worked together. Collaboration with  two public  primary schools, the union of the blinds in Heraklion , the Municipality of Heraklion ,and  the university of Crete in a program for blind kids and teenagers , lecture at the university about the methodology and the results of such projects.
  1. Nikos Kazantzakis Museum,2012-2013 Pottery program with pupils of the 6th class of  the 36th public primary school  of Heraklion. The words of the famous Cretan poet-writer  N. Kazantzakis were transformed into clay works .
  1. Therapeutic Centre for Drug Abuse (KETHEA Ariadne) Hyacinth Festival, Anoyia 2011 Clay Activity with members of KETHEA , in public appearance , with the theme: “Exploiting Memories”
  1. Elderly Care Centre of Poros, Heraklion ,September 2011 Old  ladies and gentlemen expressed themselves through clay manufacture.
  1. Ethnographic project in Gonies Malevisiou- Crete (University of Kent ) Wishing to share the knowledge of the archaeological research with the local inhabitants, a workshop was organized in collaboration with the Cultural Association of Gonies.
  1. Cultural camp – Astritsi, Crete , 2010-2018 Among the volunteers offering seminars  to students- participants in the camp was Vassilis Politakis, who tried to use clay as a means of expression for philosophy and fun.
  1. Matala festival 2011- 2012 Activity with raw clay open to the public, for kids and adults .
  1. Carnival activities 2008 -2017 Face painting, games of the lost treasure, performances ,  for the municipality of Heraklion
  1. Puppet theater 1997- 2001 Scriptwriter, doll maker, stage designer, general director, and actor, creating  one play for each of these five years.