Tropis Conference Proceedings Online

I am deeply moved seeing the mosaic-like covers of our Tropis publications, volumes I-VII on this INA web page. When I opened the volumes and went through them, seeing again articles written by so many friends, for me this has been a voyage through time, which brought back memories of the past. Back in 1985, when I planned the first Tropis conference, I wondered whether George Bass, Peter Throckmorton, John Morrison, Honor Frost and other pioneers in the field of nautical archaeology would attend. They indeed did participate in the initial symposium and many more leading scholars became regular participants at our meetings.

I am thrilled realizing that the hundreds of articles amassed over two decades will now become available online for the benefit of scholars in general, and particularly for a new generation of nautical archaeologists. I believe that it is pointless to explain the insurmountable difficulties related to the present Greek reality that have delayed the publication of Tropis VIII-X and forced a stand-still to the symposia, however, the availability now of all the published proceedings on the INA website is a ray of optimism for the future of the ‘Symposia on Ship Construction in Antiquity.’

Harry Tzalas, President
The Hellenic Institute for the Preservation of Nautical Tradition