The archive of Friedrich Stählin and the urban topography of ancient Metropolis (Thessaly)

Journal article

In 2023, a previously unknown collection of archival material relating to the work of Friedrich Stählin (1874–1936) was donated to the Institute of Classical Archaeology of the Friedrich-AlexanderUniversität Erlangen-Nürnberg. This article offers an example of how this material can contribute to Thessalian archaeology, using the site of Metropolis (modern Mitropoli, formerly Paliokastron) as a case study. After offering an overview of the preserved archival material and a brief summary of more recent archaeological work at ancient Metropolis, the article explores the contributions of Stählin’s notes to our understanding of the site’s urban topography. In particular, the article focuses on three so-far unresolved questions (the extent of Metropolis’ city walls, the location of the so-called »Temple of Aphrodite«, and the findspot of several exceptionally rich graves), before examining the study’s wider implications for the history of ancient urbanism in the region of Thessaly.

Authors: Blomley, AM

• Publication status: Accepted
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Deutscher Verlag für Kunstwissenschaft
• Journal: Athenische Mitteilungen
• Acceptance date: 2025-11-25
• ISSN: 0342-1295
• Language: English
• Keywords: fortifications; Thessaly; Metropolis; archival archaeology; urbanism