Panticapaeum. Hidden in the Depth. The project of musealisation of the territory of the ancient settlement of Panticapaeum

Politecnico di Milano, Polytechnic University of Milan, School of Design

Project idea

The soil massif conceals the layers of history that were once inhabited, but nowadays have faded into oblivion. One of such places is Panticapaeum, an ancient Greek settlement on Mount Mithridates in the city of Kerch, traces of which are partially conserved on its slopes. From this perspective, a return to research and public activity to this territory is necessary, backed by proper conditions for the preservation of the remains and excavation sites and by introducing the historical context of the Panticapaeum.
The principles of working with the soil stratum and its relief were taken as the starting point. In order to create a bond between the Past and the Present, the project gives a special role to the interaction of Aboveground with Underground. Excavating processes are the mean needed for both architectural and archaeological interventions. By creating voids, tunnels and rooms the excavations initiate the relationship between the historical, exploratory and socio-cultural aspects, adapting to the archaeological investigation of the site. The project refers to the soil massif as the protagonist, the material of memory. Through the depths of the earth, it looks for ways to express archaeology and history through the architecture and natural conditions of the site. In addition to its symbolic meaning, the project also explores the massif of earth as a tool for archaeological knowledge in its physical and scientific meaning.
Thus, in the project, excavations become an architectural language of uniting the aboveground and the underground, the Hidden and the Open, the Past and the Present. By creating voids, excavations become spaces, findings and ruins appear as its core. Just as the layers of history overlap in the thickness of time, hiding events beneath themselves, so underground architecture volumes obtain a news deeper meaning on the archaeological site of Panticapaeum.

Project description

The relief of the territory is a strong determining factor in the project concept. In this regard, the principles of working with the soil stratum and its relief were taken as the starting point for the understanding of the territory and creating the links between Past and Present of the settlement. The above aspects are addressed by the project through fragmentary intervention with minimal impact on the existing relief, creating links between the historical layers and placing the viewer on the ruins level and above. The excavations are done in the places reported to contain the traces of the history according to the archaeological data. This is aimed to provoke the reviving of the archaeological activity and bring the expositional value to the created voids. The excavations are reached by the trenches of the reversed perspective which refers to the architecture of ancient mounds of Panticapaeum. The trenches penetrate the stratum from four sides from the city and lead the visitors in the depth of the site. Thus, the system of Above ground and Underground paths is formed creating the continuous experience of the ruins and their modern context. Gradually, the system can be modified and broaden with more paths or the rooms according to the aboveground ruins and new excavations.
In this way, by transmitting the entity through the visibility and accessibility of history, the project suggests a way of seeing architecture as a mediator between the Past and the Present, returning historical traces to modern space in a new cultural and social dimension.

Technical information

In compliance with the scientific data about the depth at which the remaining were found, the reported thickness of the layers covering the site through the centuries and the construction periods of the settlement, the approximate depth of the project excavations was suggested. It is assumed that the earliest buildings lie at a greater depth relative to buildings of more recent periods.
The levels of the project excavations were designed accordingly to this principle. It is necessary to accept the depth as the one of a fairly rough approximation and that the actual depth should be redefined on the real site excavations taking into account the relief of the territory and geological condition of it.
The drawings and the models were developed basing on the archive materials and the drawings provided for this project by the team of archaeologists and topographers to survey and catalogue the monuments of the European Bosporus.