Excavation at the Piraeus Municipal Theatre

The Ephorate of Antiquities of Western Attica, Piraeus and Islands of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture has jurisdiction over a major part of the Attiko Metro S.A. project “Expansion of Line 3: Haidari–Piraeus section” (total length: 7.6 km). To date, an area of approximately 25,000 m² has been investigated archaeologically, including rescue excavations covering around 7,000 m². At the “Municipal Theatre” station, excavations brought to light approximately 115 underground structures associated with the water management system of the ancient city of Piraeus, constituting the largest excavation conducted within its urban limits. The architectural remains were documented through the combined use of conventional and advanced recording techniques, including photogrammetry, the integration of spatial data within a unified georeferencing system, and three-dimensional scanning based on point cloud methodology.

The interdisciplinary research team —comprising archaeologists, architects, and conservators— undertook the evaluation, correlation, and interpretation of the collected data through spatial analysis. This process enabled the formulation of conclusions regarding both the social organization and the urban structure of ancient Piraeus, in relation to the Hippodamian system of urban planning. Particular emphasis was placed on the precise documentation and reconstruction of the Hippodamian grid, as well as on the definition of the scale and spatial organization of the ancient city. This was achieved through the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), combined with the synthesis and analysis of historical excavation data from a broader area within the modern urban fabric of Piraeus, including earlier plot-based investigations and excavation grids.