Traditionally, the search for information from beneath
the modern surface has often disregarded the contemporary eco-system;
the Yeronisos Island Expedition seeks to preserve and protect the site' s
ecological integrity during the course of excavation. Island ecologist
Peter P. Blanchard III, of the Nature Conservancy, Mt. Desert, Maine and
the Trust for Public Lands, New York City, has therefore undertaken
surveys
such as those he has conducted on off-shore islands in the northeastern
United States. During two seasons of ecological survey (1990-1992)
Mr. Blanchard observed foliage and nesting patterns, undertook bird
counts,
collected, recorded and photographed plant samples and prepared an
ecological
map of the site. Plant specimens were taken to the herbaria at the
Center
for Agricultural Research, Nicosia, as well as to the Kew Gardens,
London,
for identification.
This work will continue throughout the course of excavation; we are now
examining
the regeneration of plant life in trenches backfilled after the 1992,
1993 and
1994 dig seasons.
Mr. Blanchard has developed a strategy for curtailing
disturbance of the wildlife and promoting an atmosphere of
"co-habitation"
for the archaeological team and the resident bird population.
This includes the scheduling of excavation between nesting seasons, the
wearing of clothing in earth tones and the camouflaging of the temporary
shelter, equipment sheds, and ascent. He will also prepare a plan for
the replanting of the site, if necessary, at the end of excavation.
