The HIEROTOPOI Project (Austrian Archaeological Institute – OeAI) is delighted to invite you to the inaugural session of our guest lecture series.
On Monday, September 14, 2026, we will be joined by Diego Chapinal-Heras from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) for a fascinating exploration of the dynamic religious landscapes of the ancient Macedonian kingdom.
About the Lecture: Religious Landscapes as Palimpsests
Religious landscapes are like palimpsests, providing deep insights into ancient social, political, cultural, and economic spheres. The construction of cult spaces reflects the beliefs of those who managed these sites and those who visited them. Sanctuaries were not static; they were highly dynamic sites where continuous negotiation conditioned physical and symbolic interaction with the structures and nature.
The case study for this talk will be Dion in Macedonia. Originally the main sacred center of the Macedonian kingdom from the Late Archaic to the Hellenistic period, it was later re-founded following the Roman conquest in the 2nd century BCE as the Colonia Iulia Augusta (Felix) Diensis under Augustus.
Archaeological excavations of the settlement have revealed a significant religious area to the south of the asty (the city proper), comprising at least five shrines dedicated to various deities and active over different time periods. The configuration of each temenos (sacred enclosure), the internal and external distribution of spaces, and its relationship with territorial elements—such as the Baphyras River and Mount Olympus—defined a variety of strategies to shape them.
This session will focus on how these sanctuaries evolved, offering an overall perspective of the religious landscape of Dion while identifying the specific peculiarities of each shrine.
Event Details
This event will be held in a hybrid format, allowing for both in-person attendance in Vienna and international online participation.
- Date: Monday, 14 September 2026
- Time: 18:00–19:30 CEST
- Speaker: Diego Chapinal-Heras (Autonomous University of Madrid – UAM)
- Location (In-person): Otto Wagner Postsparkasse, Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Seminar Room 2, 3rd Floor
- Location (Online): Zoom (Link provided upon registration)
- Organizer: OeAI, OeAW
- Contact: Ramón Soneira-Martínez
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