We invite you to join us as we explore the

archaeological heritage of Northern Greece,

April 26 - May 10, 2019, with noted

archaeologist, Dr. Ken Sheedy!

We will explore the homeland of Alexander

the Great, and King Philip II of Macedon, and

the ancient cities of Northern Greece. We will

see tombs which were discovered in the last 60

years, including the famous Macedonian Tomb

from the late 4th century BC, and others in the

3rd century BC.

At Aegai, we will see the spectacular Museum

of the Royal Tombs of Aegai which is

underground and is extraordinary. It is

believed to be the royal tomb of King Philip II.

Elsewhere we will see superb Byzantine

architecture and artifacts from the Paleolithic

to the Roman period, the ancient Royal Palace

of Pella, and ancient cities of Therma, Olynthus,

Archaeological Heritage of

NORTHERN GREECEApril 26–May 10, 2019

Argilos, and Stagira, the birthplace of Aristotle,

as well as the historic city of Thessaloniki.

To the east, we will explore ancient Kavala

and Philippi, the “small Rome,” and the ancient

forum on the island of Thasos, all with the

superb leadership of Ken Sheedy. Dazzling gold

objects from these sites are found in the

excellent archaeology museums on our route,

plus so much more!

We hope you will join us as we delve into this

fascinating heritage of Northern Greece!

Best Regards,

Margaret M. Betchart

President, Betchart Expeditions Inc.

for AAAS, Sigma Xi, ACS &

The Planetary Society

Days 1/2 Depart USA for Greece

Depart the USA for Athens, Greece, arriving on the

morning of Day 2. Transfer to the Herodion Hotel (2

nights) for rest and leisure. Depart by metro in late

afternoon for the Byzantine and Christian Museum.

Have an introduction to Byzantine art at the finest

Byzantine art museum in the world.

Day 3 Acropolis & New Acropolis Museum

National Archaeology Museum

This morning we will visit the Acropolis and the

Parthenon. The height of the Golden Age of Athens

is displayed on this hilltop. The Acropolis will give

you a feel for the artistic beauty, richness, and

importance of ancient Athens, the empire that ruled

the Eastern Mediterranean. We will also visit the New

Acropolis Museum. This afternoon explore the

collections at the National Archaeology Museum.

Welcome dinner. B,D

Day 4 Athens to Kastoria

This morning we will fly from Athens to the

coastal city of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece,

and then drive to the lovely city of Kastoria in the

northwest of the Greek region of Macedonia.

ITINERARY

Beautifully situated on the shore of Lake Orestiada,

in a valley surrounded by limestone mountains,

Kastoria is renowned as a rare example of

Byzantine churches and post-Byzantine traditional

houses built in the 17th to 19th centuries. Hotel

(1 night). B,L

Day 5 Kozani & Veroia

This morning, we will visit the important

Archaeological Museum in Kozani, and enjoy great

views of the Pindos Range.Many antiquities from the

prehistoric to the Byzantine period have been

unearthed here. The museum includes artifacts from

the Paleolithic to the Roman period. We will then

explore Veroia, where important Byzantine

monuments and post-Byzantine churches are found.

We will then arrive at modern Lefkadia, where the

famous Macedonian Tomb from the late 4th century

BC was found in 1954. Arrive in the Greek port city of

Thessaloniki. Hotel (5 nights). B,L

Day 6 Ancient Masterpieces in Thessaloniki

Today, we’ll explore the Archaeological Museum of

Thessaloniki which includes masterpieces of ancient

Greek art from prehistoric times to late antiquity.

LEADERSHIP Leading this expedition will be Dr. Ken

Sheedy, Director of the Australian Centre for

Ancient Numismatics at Macquarie University in

Sydney, Australia. Formerly with the British

Museum and the Australian Archaeological

Institute in Athens, Greece, Ken is an archaeologist

whose special focus is the Greek world.

Ken is an authority on Greek coins and has a

particular interest in the archaeology of the

Cyclades Islands in the central Aegean. He has

published papers on many Greek archaeology

topics and has participated in excavations on Paros

and the Greek mainland.

Ken is an experienced

lecturer and is a popular

leader of many past Aegean

Odyssey Expeditions for

Sigma Xi and AAAS. He

looks forward to sharing

his love of Greek history

and archaeology, and his

enthusiasm for the culture

and people of Greece

with you.

ALBANIA

BULGARIA

PELOPONNESE

GREECEAEGEAN

SEA

IONIANSEA

Mt. Olympus

Pindos Range

Athens

KastoriaThessaloniki

Kavala

Island ofThasos

Chalkidiki

PhilippiKomotiniXanthi

Abdera

Kozani

MACEDONIA

Archaeological Heritageof Northern Greece

Thessaloniki 1917

We’ll see the stunning finds from the royal tombs of

the Macedonian kings, plus the Dervini Krater, a

spectacular gold container discovered in 1962 in the

Derveni cemetery. Also of special interest at the

Museum are the Aravissos Hoard, 5 spectacular

prehistoric gold pendants from 4,500 - 3,200 BC, and

the Petralona Hoard of bronze tools from the Early

Bronza Age (3rd millennium BC).

The Derveni Papyrus (dated from 340 to 320 BC)

is the oldest surviving book in Europe, and was also

found in the Derveni cemetery. In the afternoon,

we will explore Roman and Byzantine monuments

and churches in Thessaloniki. B

Day 7 Vergina (Aegai) & Dion

& Royal Tomb of King Philip II

This morning we will depart for the ancient site of

Aegai, the capital of Macedon until it was superseded

by Pella. We’ll see the recently discovered royal tomb

of King Philip II (the father of

Alexander the Great, who left

Aegai and changed the history of

Greece and the Western world).

We’ll visit the spectacular

Museum of the Royal Tombs of

Aegai which is underground (the

tombs are extraordinary). This

afternoon explore Dion, the

sacred town of ancient Macedon, and the Dion

archaeological site. B,L

Day 8 Pella Royal Palace & Kilkis Ancient City

We’ll travel this morning to the royal city of Pella,

birthplace of Philip II and Alexander, and explore the royal

city of Pella and museum. The city of Pella is built on the

former island of Phacos, a promontory which dominated

the sea to the south in the Hellenistic period. Pella was

once a harbor. The palace is situated on the central hill

and covered an estimated 60,000 sq metres. Pella’s

pebble-mosaic floors are famous and now are seen in

the museum. Afternoon visit to the Museum of Kilkis. B,L

Day 9 Chalkidiki: Therma, Olynthus

& Potidaea

Today we will visit ancient Therma, founded by the

Eretrians in the 7th century BC. It was located on the

Thermaic Gulf on what was swampland, and was later

renamed Thessalonica. By that

time, the port of the previous

capital of Macedonia, Pella, had

begun silting up, so Cassander

took advantage of the deepwater

port to the NW of Therma to

expand the settlement.

We’ll continue to Olynthos

(“fruit of the wild fig tree”), a very

important and powerful Greek

city in the 4th century BC, built on

two hills at the Gulf of Torone. It

was destroyed by Philip II and

deserted. Excavation under the

American School of Classical

Studies at Athens uncovered

more than 5 hectares of the city. It

is an important site for the study of

urban planning and we’ll visit the

archaeological museum.

The colony of Potidaea from

around 600 BC lies at the

narrowest point of the peninsula

of Pallene. While besieged by

the Persians in 479 BC, the

town was saved by the earliest

recorded tsunami in history,

which is reported by

Herodotus. B,L

Day 10 Argilos,

Stagira &

Amphipolis

En route to

Kavala

We’ll depart for Kavala

this morning. Our first

stop will be Argilos, a

Greek colony on the

Strymona. The literary

tradition dates the

foundation of Argilos to

655/654 BC, which makes

it the earliest Greek colony on the Thracian coast.

Argilos occupied a privileged area and benefitted from

the trading activities along the Strymona and probably

from the gold mines of the Pangeion. It is now being

excavated by a team from Canada.

We will then visit Stagira, the birthplace of Aristotle.

It was founded in 655 BC by Ionian settlers from the

Cyclades island of Andros. We’ll have lunch near

Amphipolis, whose impressive remains date from both

Greek and Roman times. There was a famous battle

here between the Spartans and Athenians in 422 BC.

Alexander’s wife Roxane and their small son Alexander

IV were exiled and murdered here. There is a huge

burial mound to visit as well as an important

archaeological museum. Kavala Hotel (4 nights). B,L

Day 11 Kavala (Neapolis) & Philippi

This morning we will visit the archaeological

museum of Kavala and tour the ancient town. We’ll

see prehistoric artifacts found in Neapolis (old Kavala,

the port of Philippi), marble stela and statues, and

many pots and figurines. We’ll then explore the site

of Philippi, founded by Philip II of Macedon in 356 BC.

Philippi developed into a “small Rome” after the Battle

of Philippi in 42 BCE. The Hellenistic city was

supplemented by Roman public buildings and

became a center of the Christian faith in 49-50 CE. We

will see the theatre and stroll around parts of this

extensive site, including the early Christian basilica

and the Roman forum. B,L

Day 12 The Island

of Thasos

We’ll take the ferry to

the island of Thasos this

morning and then

explore the ancient

forum within the main

town and climb up the

wooded slopes to

admire its Hellenistic

theatre, the well-

preserved city walls

and the ancient

acropolis. Return ferry

to Kavala. B,L

Day 13 Thrace - Komotini - Xanthi

We will explore Thrace today, often called the

breadbasket of Constantinople. Its Ottoman and Greek

heritage is reflected in the towns, which have people

with Turkish and Greek backgrounds. We’ll visit Abdera,

a colony of the city in Asia Minor, Klazomenai, 654-544

BC. We’ll continue to the town of Xanthi, famous for its

distinctive architecture, combining many Byzantine

Greek churches and neoclassical mansions of Greek

merchants from the 18th and 19th centuries. We’ll visit

the important archaeological museum.

We’ll then depart for Komotini, a 4th century AD

city, with Byzantine churches, Ottoman mosques, and

neoclassical mansions. We’ll visit the excellent museum

The

Dervini

Krater

Yes! I/we want to join the Archaeological Heritage of

Northern Greece Expedition, April 26-May 10, 2019,

offered by AAAS Travels, Sigma Xi, ACS, and The

Planetary Society. Please reserve ____ space(s). As a deposit,

I/we enclose a check for $_____________ ($1,000 per person)

payable to Betchart Expeditions Inc. Trust Account.

Name(s) _______________________________________ Age_________

_______________________________________ Age_________

Address _____________________________________________________

City ________________________________ State ____ Zip ____________

Phone: Home (________) ______________________________________

Work (________) ______________________________________

Email Address ________________________________________________

Membership: ___ AAAS ___ Sigma Xi ___ ACS ___ Planetary Society

Accommodations Preference:

___ Twin ___ Single Twin Share: ___ with a friend or

___ Nonsmoker ___ Smoker ___ assign a roommate

Signature ___________________________________ Date ____________

Signature ___________________________________ Date ____________

Please Mail To: Northern Greece 2019

Betchart Expeditions Inc.

17050 Montebello Road

Cupertino, CA 95014-5435

RESERVATIONS #1538

Betchart Expeditions Inc., the American Association for the Advancement of

Science (AAAS), Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, the American Chemical

Society (ACS), and The Planetary Society act only as agents for the passenger with

respect to transpor tation and hotels, and exercise every care possible. However, we

can assume no liability for injury, damage, delay, loss, accident or irregularity in

connection with the services of any airplane, ship, motor coach, or any other

conveyance used in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. We cannot accept

any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air

or other services, sickness, weather, strike, war, quarantine, terrorism, acts of God,

or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne

by the passenger, as tour rates pro vide for arrange ments only for the time stated. We

reserve the right to substitute another leader of similar expertise or reserve the

right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case the entire payment will be

refunded with no further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to

decline to accept or retain any per son as a member of the tour. No refund will be

made for the unused portion of any tour unless arrange ments are made in

sufficient time to avoid penalties. The price of the program is based on current

tariffs and rates, and is subject to change. Any tariff, exchange rate, or fuel

increases will be passed on to participants. Baggage is carried at the owner’s risk

entirely. It is understood that the air ticket when issued shall constitute the sole

contract between the passenger and the airline concerned. The airlines concerned

are not to be held responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time

passengers are not on board their plane or conveyance.

©2018 Betchart Expeditions Inc. All rights reserved.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia.

Map by April Milne. CST# 2036304-40

• SIGM

A XI • AC

S • The Planetary SocietyTH

E SCIEN

TIFIC R

ESEAR

CH

SOC

IETY

RESPONSIBILITY

which has collections which explore the heritage of

Thrace, Roman coins, gold wreaths, ceramics, and clay

figures. B,L

Day 14/15 Kavala to Athens

Today, we’ll return to Thessaloniki for our flight to

Athens. Transfer to our hotel. Farewell dinner. On Day

15, take return flights home. B,D/B

Trip Fee: $4,295 per person twin share for 15 days, plus

air fare of approximately $1,695 from New York to Athens,

round trip and in tour flights Athens/Thessaloniki, $295 RT.

Expedition Fee Includes: Land transport; group airport

transfers; accommodations in first class and country style

hotels which reflect the cultural heritage of Greece; some

meals; tips to drivers and guides; group entrance fees;

baggage handling; leadership, administration.

Expedition Fee Does Not Include: International air fare

and in tour air (quoted separately); some meals; independent

airport transfers; gratuity to expedition leader; personal

items such as alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls,

bottled water, snacks, passport, personal insurance.

What to Expect: This expedition is planned for the travel

enthusiast who would enjoy exploring and learning

about the fascinating archaeological heritage and history

of Northern Greece, the land of Alexander the Great!

Explore archaeological sites and superb museums, ancient

cities, and tombs!

COSTS & CONDITIONS Travel is by motorcoach, with daily outings on foot of

1 to 2 miles at a leisurely pace suitable for exploring

archaeological sites and museums. Exploration requires

some walking up and downhill. Please be prepared to

actively explore on foot. This expedition is a

tremendous experience for travelers with an appetite for

adventure and discovery who would like to explore sites of

ancient Greece with an excellent leader. (No smoking in

vehicles, during lectures, or meals, please.)

Accommodations: Are in first class or country style

hotels which reflect the charm and heritage of Greece,

and are well situated for visits to archaeological sites and

museums. We encourage singles to register on a “twin share”

basis. Limited singles are available for a supplement of $895.

Reservations, Deposits, & Payments: Please mail a

deposit of $500 per person with the completed reservation

form to:

Heritage of Northern Greece 2019

Betchart Expeditions Inc.

17050 Montebello Road

Cupertino, CA 95014-5435

The balance is due 60 days before departure.

Questions: Please call Terri Stevens at Betchart

Expeditions Inc.

Telephone: (800) 252 4910 (USA)

or (408) 252 4910 (International)

Fax: (408) 252 1444

Email: betchartterri@gmail.com.com

Look on the web: www.betchartexpeditions.com

Cancellations & Refunds: The initial deposit is refundable

up to 60 days before departure, less a handling fee of $100

per person. There is no refund for any cancellation after

the 60 day period unless your space can be resold; then a

$100 per person handling fee applies. No refunds are made

for unused services

FIRST CLASS

AAAS Travels

ACS & Sigma Xi Expeditions

The Planetary Society

BETCHART EXPEDITIONS Inc.

17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014-5435

Discover the

Archaeological Heritage

of Northern Greece

April 26-May 10, 2019