Knossos 2025 Project

After almost a century of activity, the BSA Knossos Research Centre needs urgent renovation and updating to meet the needs of 21st-century researchers. In close collaboration with the Greek authorities, the BSA has developed an ambitious plan: the Knossos 2025 Project will transform the Knossos Research Centre by providing world-class facilities for future generations of researchers, ensuring the best possible storage and conservation conditions for the precious archaeological materials, and attracting new academic and local audiences. We are delighted that best-selling author Victoria Hislop is the Knossos 2025 Patron.

The British School at Athens is thrilled to announce the successful conclusion of a major fundraising campaign for its Knossos 2025 Project.

The project has involved raising more than £2.6 million over four years. These donations will fund a complete redevelopment of the Stratigraphical Museum located at Knossos on the island of Crete, and equip the BSA’s Knossos Research Centre to the highest international standards. The BSA has received tremendous support from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports which will be its partner in the forthcoming construction project, and its departments, namely the Ephorate of Antiquities of Herakleion and the Central Archaeological Council.

We are proud to reveal that the major donor whose transformational pledge enabled us to move into the final stage of the appeal during summer 2022 was the Packard Humanities Institute. Informal discussions with the Packard Humanities Institute on a plan to build a new Knossos Museum remote from the site, go back more than ten years. Although this project did not come to fruition, we were delighted that the PHI offered to switch their support to our new project, providing more than half of the total cost. Their support really has been critical for the project.

Professor Rebecca Sweetman, Director of the BSA said “This is a very exciting time for Greek archaeology. I want to thank all of our supporters, both large and small, for their generosity and also our project patron, the author Victoria Hislop.”

Read more below about the project’s scope and what it aims to achieve.

Fundraising for the project is now complete but please consider donating to the BSA to support its work here: https://www.bsa.ac.uk/donate/

We have created a virtual flythrough of the new Knossos Stratigraphical Museum to help supporters visualise this exciting project.

When the Project is completed:

• scholars will enjoy state-of-the-art facilities for 21st-century archaeology, including laboratory space for ceramic analysis and bioarchaeological research.
• the Research Centre’s internationally renowned study collection – officially known as the ‘Knossos Stratigraphical Museum’, informally ‘the Strat’ – will have a new mezzanine floor offering over 700m² of study and storage space for researchers complementing the existing ground floor store.
• refurbished storerooms for architectural, ceramic and bioarchaeological finds will ensure the proper preservation of Knossos’ material remains.
• the collections will be digitised and become available online to researchers.
• the Knossos Research Centre will offer a rich programme of workshops, lectures, performances and other outreach events engaging scholars, visitors and the local community more directly with Knossos’ 9,000-year history.

More information about the Knossos 2025 Project can be found in the project brochure (also available in Greek). If you have any questions about the Project please contact:  bsa@thebritishacademy.ac.uk / +44 (0)207 969 5315.