The Polish Archaeological Mission to Ptolemais has been conducting research at the site since 2001. The December mission marked the first resumption of work after a 14-year hiatus, following interruptions caused by events in the region, including the Arab Spring and the fall of Gaddafi.  

Paweł Czernic during the mission in Ptolemais, photo by Szymon Lenarczyk

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The entire project is conducted under the auspices of the Faculty of Archaeology at the University of Warsaw, with Piotr Jaworski, PhD, leading the team. Paweł Czernic, a representative of the Warsaw University of Technology, is participating in the Acropolis subproject, which is led by Szymon Lenarczyk, PhD. Researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology have previously supported the University of Warsaw team, particularly in the field of photogrammetry. The December mission involved five researchers from Poland.

“This was the start of the Acropolis project, planned for several seasons, mainly involving non-invasive geophysical research and terrain mapping. We managed to accomplish everything we had planned, and even more. Further work is also planned for the upcoming seasons, especially focused on the previously unexplored area of the city's acropolis,” says Paweł Czernic.

During the December mission, an archaeological survey was conducted, which involved walking through the studied area and mapping significant movable artifacts. Paweł Czernic supported this task by providing expertise in mobile GIS applications. The team also created photogrammetric products using UAVs, including orthophotomaps and digital terrain models. They conducted geospatial analyses on the collected data to identify anthropogenic structures that were not immediately visible. Additionally, beyond the original plan, the team managed to develop an orthophotomap (with a ground pixel resolution of 10 cm) of the entire site, covering an area of 6 km².

The team also created photogrammetric 3D models of two artifacts uncovered in previous seasons.

"One of them is a sculpture’s head, which archaeologists believe could represent Apollo or Dionysus. The model was created to meet the archaeologists' need for a replica to conduct further research in Poland. Transporting the original or even a replica made on-site is not feasible due to border restrictions," explains Paweł Czernic. 

A photogrammetric 3D model of the sculpture's head

We encourage you to follow the mission's Facebook page, where interesting facts and updates from the research area are regularly shared. The researchers plan to continue the mission and work at the site in Ptolemais. However, the implementation of the research plans is dependent on the geopolitical situation in the region.