Following a ‘remarkable decade of fieldwork’ (Catherine Morgan in AR 59 [2012–2013] 1) and the increasing application of technologically advanced methods in archaeological investigations, emphasis appears now to have shifted from excavation to the analysis of the data collected. The present volume aims to strike a balance between articles that discuss exciting new discoveries (as is customary for the Newsround section and the Director's report of the work of the British School at Athens) and features that offer synthetic overviews on methodologies (Jill Hilditch, Jamieson C. Donati and Apostolos Sarris), specific regions (Chryssanthi Papadopoulou, Stavroula Sdrolia) or fields of study (Sylvian Fachard, Holger Baitinger). It will be clear from this description that I intend to continue the thematic organization Archaeology in Greece adopted several years ago in this edition, my first as editor.

The School's research programme in 2015 was once again extensive, including archaeological fieldwork in six sites or regions and study at a further seven, as well as the work of the Fitch Laboratory and the Knossos Research Centre (see Map 1). Other activities of the School span many other disciplines: history, anthropology, philosophy and the fine arts, including music, for example, represented by a successful conference held in May in Athens in collaboration with the Athens Conservatoire and Kings College London on music and identity (Fig. 1a). Research, of course, demands publication and, as noted last year, the School has now overhauled its publication arrangements. In addition to the Annual of the BSA and Archaeological Reports, we continue to collaborate with the French School on AGOnline (http://chronique.efa.gr/index.php/); our Supplements series also continues, as a vehicle for the publication of BSA fieldwork projects. The inaugural volume in the new Ashgate (now Routledge) series, British School at Athens Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies, appeared in December 2015 (Couroucli and Marinov 2015) (Fig. 1b). Two further volumes in this series will appear in 2016 and the first publication in the new Cambridge University Press series, British School at Athens Studies in Greek Antiquity, will appear in late 2016 (Kiriatzi and Knappett forthcoming).

Returning for its third year, the Newsround section offers a platform for new data which do not appear within the specialist contributions of this year's Archaeological Reports, but which nevertheless warrant emphasis, either as a result of their particular characteristics or for the contribution they make to broader archaeological narratives.

This section is not intended to be exhaustive, but is designed, rather, to highlight recent discoveries in a way which complements digital content made available through AGOnline. The very varied nature of this material has meant that, for the most part, it has proven preferable to organize this section chronologically, although dedicated sections are provided for the inclusion of both marine archaeology and archaeological survey.

Since 2009 Greece has faced one of its most challenging phases in modern history; the financial and social crisis has affected all sectors of society and spending for cultural activities has been significantly cut. Although there have been museum closures and funds for research or even day-to-day needs are in short supply, nevertheless, very serious and creative work is being produced quietly, often with the aid of European Union co-funded projects, through the so-called ΕθνικόΣτρατηλικό Πλαίσιο Aναϕοράς (EΣΠA), or National Strategic Reference Framework. The schedule and deadlines for such projects are very tight and working conditions challenging, but the results have often been exceptional in quality, revealing hard work, effective management of people of various specialisms and scholarly expertise. The period 2015–2016 has seen the opening of many new major museums, the result of many years of planning and hard work, and the organization of temporary exhibitions, through which the finds of the last decade have become accessible to the wider public. In this feature I concentrate on a brief presentation of the new museums that have opened this past year, news that will interest not only students and academics, but also other visitors to Greece. Colleagues in the various relevant ephorates of antiquities have been very generous in providing information, and so I have decided to leave their texts largely unchanged. I begin with a brief presentation of new museums, before moving on to discuss temporary exhibitions and a few key archaeological sites.

Geophysics has emerged as a significant and primary tool of archaeological research in Greece. It is no longer marginalized to a supporting role for excavations and pedestrian surveying, but has developed into a fundamental method of investigating layers of cultural heritage in its own right. This can be explained varyingly, from the increasingly holistic nature of archaeological fieldwork, to a broader appreciation of the diverse applications of geophysics to characterize historical contexts, the unique range of site assessment offered by geophysics and the capacity of geophysics to explore the subsurface in challenging conditions. Technology too plays a vital role. New generations of equipment have the ability to map archaeological features in high resolution, in rapid sequence and oftentimes in 3D. Geophysics along with other non-invasive methods, like satellite and airborne remote sensing, has also gained wider traction because of concerns about the costs, impacts and time horizons of traditional fieldwork practices. This brief report highlights some of the recent developments and applications of geophysical survey in Greece. It is not meant to be an inclusive account or an evaluation of each geophysical technique; instead, it emphasizes current trends in this important and expanding field of research and touches upon its future prospects in the country.

The Chronique des fouilles en ligne – Archaeology in Greece Online has recorded close to 300 field operations dealing with fortifications in the last decade. It is impossible to account for each of them in this brief survey, but the reader can effortlessly find them in the database (http://chronique.efa.gr/). Here, instead, I wish to focus on the main achievements of the last decade (2006–2016) by reviewing the major publications, recording current trends and research objectives, and suggesting future directions for the field of fortification studies.

Scientific, analytical or ‘archaeometric’ techniques for investigating ceramic material have been used within archaeology for over 50 years and now constitute an indispensable tool for archaeologists in the Aegean world (see Jones 1986 for a detailed summary of early work in Greece and Italy) and beyond (Santacreu 2014). This paper provides a brief historical overview of research themes investigated by ceramic analysis in Greek archaeology along with reports on a small number of recent studies, in order to demonstrate current methodologies and results. The narrative is not chronological, either by the date of analysis or the material analysed, but instead focuses on the types of archaeological questions that ancient ceramic analysis can address in order to shed light upon who produced, distributed and consumed the ceramics under consideration. Ceramic analysis investigates both the composition and technology of fired clay vessels, evidenced most frequently in the ubiquitous broken pot sherd, which can then be used to identify provenance, production sequence and cultural tradition, as well as to provide a relative date for production, in combination with typological and seriation techniques.

The ancient deme of Aixone coincides with the area of the modern Athenian suburb of Glyphada. An extensive, comprehensive study on this deme was published in 1990 by Eleni Konsolaki-Giannopoulou. Since then, new excavation data have come to light which support the conclusions of this study and provide us with even greater insights into the life of the deme. Another monograph on Aixone will be published by Delphine Ackermann in 2017, entitled Une microhistoire d’Athènes. Le dème d’Aixônè dans l’Antiquité.

Aixone, along with neighbouring Halai Aixonidai, belonged to the Kekropis tribe. In Classical and Hellenistic times the settlement extended from the west of Pirnari to the east of modern Leoforos Dimarchou Aggelou Metaxa, thus coinciding for the large part with the area of modern Glyphada. The deme centre lay near the Church of Agios Nikolaos, west of modern Vouliagmenis Avenue (Eliot 1962: 21). To the east of the settlement lay the deme's agricultural lands and to the west the port, salt lake and the salt pits.

Votive gifts from Sicily and southern Italy are most prominent among the objects discovered in Greek sanctuaries, especially Olympia, the most significant location for such material in Greece. Foreign objects from the west were an early focus of archaeologists working on Olympia (for example Karo 1937; Kunze 1951; Kilian 1977a; 1977b; von Hase 1979; 1997; Herrmann 1983; Moustaka 1985; Kyrieleis 1986; Söldner 1994; Strøm 2000; Naso 2000a; 2000b; 2006; 2011; 2012; Baitinger 2013; Aurigny 2016), in particular spectacular pieces with inscriptions, such as two bronze helmets of the central Italian Negau type (Fig. 84) (Egg 1986: 51–61, 198–99, nos 185–86, pls 108, 109a). The inscription confirms the dedication by Hiero I, the tyrant of Syracuse, following his victory over the Etruscans at the naval Battle of Cumae in 474 BC. As we know from Pindar's victory odes and from monuments dedicated at Olympia, the powerful tyrants of Sicily maintained strong links to the sanctuary (for example Philipp 1992; 1994; Giangiulio 1993; Di Vita 2005; Dreher 2013).

Archaeological works undertaken in the last decade – excavation, survey and conservation – prompted by major public works, combined with synthetic studies, have enhanced our knowledge of Thessaly in the Byzantine period. Key areas where our understanding has increased significantly include urban and rural fortifications, the Late Antique phases of occupation in Larisa and the harbour at Phthiotic Thebes (modern Nea Anchialos), religious and secular architecture, rural villas, industrial installations and the monastic community on Mount Ossa (‘Mountain of the Cells’).

This paper focuses on the region of Mount Ossa (later Kissavos), where the data resulting from recent investigations have revealed a vibrant Late Antique phase, characterized by dense habitation on the slopes of the mountain (Map 9).