Luther College Professor to Lead Underwater Survey of Ancient Roman Harbor in Greece

Without local news, all we have are rumors. Keep facts alive — give now. DECORAH — Dan Davis, associate professor of classics at Luther College, will travel to Greece this summer to direct the underwater excavation of a Roman harbor town that has sat on the seafloor for more than 1,600 years. Six Luther students will join Davis for the four-week summer program. They will work alongside 50 college students from six U.S. colleges and universities and gain experience using advanced technologies in a program that combines exploration on land and at sea. The program runs May 22-June 21. "The classroom is good at building knowledge, but it cannot teach hands-on problem-solving," Davis said. "There is a moment on every project where a student faces a problem and has to figure out a solution. That's when you see students realize what they are capable of. That is the part I love most about taking students into the field." The Kenchreai Coastal and Marine Survey is a three-year archaeological campaign of the ancient harbor of Kenchreai, located near the ruins of Corinth in Greece. Davis will serve as underwater field director alongside project director Joseph Rife, associate professor of classical and Mediterranean studies at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. "At its heart, the Kenchreai Coastal and Marine Survey is exploring a lost Roman harbor town that is now underwater," Davis said. "Whole buildings, moles and all the infrastructure of a functioning Roman port have been sitting beneath the surface for centuries. We believe there is quite a lot down there that has never been explored or documented." The Luther students joining the expedition on land are Zoey Evans '27, Kira McCracken '28, Katelyn Wilson '28, Lauren Conner-Dieter '26 and Louis Breimhurst '27. They will gain experience in excavation, survey, artifact documentation and analysis, drone operation and geographic information systems. Benson Newhouse '27 will join the underwater fieldwork team. Some students will earn credit through Luther's experiential learning requirement. Conner-Dieter, of Madison, Wisconsin, said she is eager to gain field experience. "I hope to learn how large-scale excavations take place and use the skills I learned from Luther's anthropology program in practice," she said. "I am majoring in anthropology with an interest in archaeology, while also having academic interest in classical studies. This project includes both areas. I have not had as much field experience as I would have liked, and this will provide a great start to my career." The underwater team will use photogrammetry, sonar and magnetometry to map the site before excavation begins. An autonomous underwater vehicle will conduct a full survey of the harbor, with students trained in mission planning and data analysis. On land, the team will use light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, drones and ground-penetrating radar to locate and document buried structures without disturbing the ground. The data collected will be used to produce a 3D replica of the submerged harbor for continued study. Kenchreai served as the eastern gateway to Corinth, one of the most powerful cities in the ancient world. Ships from Egypt, Asia Minor and Cyprus arrived at the harbor to unload goods into waterfront warehouses. Some travelers stayed in the harbor town, while others traveled nearly 6 miles inland to the city. "The town as we know it was founded by the veteran legions of Julius Caesar. For centuries, it was a wealthy, internationally connected community," Davis said. Around A.D. 370, a massive earthquake sent the harbor infrastructure to the seafloor in a single event. Breakwaters, warehouses, temples and public buildings sank together. "The structures remain well preserved and will help tell the story of this important node in the Roman Empire's vast maritime network," Davis said. "Every time someone has looked seriously at this site, they have found something extraordinary." The Kenchreai Coastal and Marine Survey operates under a permit through the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The Explorers Club, of which Davis is a fellow, has recognized it as an official Explorers Club Flag project. Davis has been a faculty member at Luther since 2011. He holds the Orlando W. Qualley Chair of Classics and manages the classical studies minor within the history department. More information is available at archaeological.org/fieldwork/the-kenchreai-coastal-and-marine-survey. Your inbox, upgraded! Subscribe for free and enjoy handpicked stories, helpful advice, and local insights delivered weekly.