NOS News•
State archaeologists in Greece today quit their jobs in response to the violent attack on a fellow archaeologist.
Last week, archaeologist Manolis Psarros was attacked by two men on the island of Mykonos for an unknown reason. After the men beat the victim, they left him unconscious on the street. Later, the 53-year-old archaeologist was taken to hospital. The Association of Archaeologists spoke of a “mafia-like attack”.
According to Constantinos Koukas, the mayor of Mykonos, the incident is a “criminal and brutal attack that has shocked us all”. Archaeologists employed by the Ministry of Culture therefore took a five-hour work break. They were supported in this by employees of the Athens ministry and members of the National Association of Archaeological Conservators.
Pressure from commercial parties
While it is unclear why Psarros was attacked, Greek archaeologists see the incident as a result of pressure from commercial parties to expand tourism in Greece. Mykonos is one of Greece’s most popular holiday destinations and tourism is the island’s main source of income.
Local archaeological services are charged with the protection of the ancient heritage and therefore have a lot of influence on the issuance of building permits. In extreme cases, they can thwart the granting of a license with a veto.
