As in 2023 we had some great student trainees on our team including students from Bologna, Bristol, Oxford, Crete, Paris-Sorbonne and Athens, and some very active, interested leavers from Winchester College.

During 2023 and 2024 we ran two one-month study and documentation seasons on finds at the INSTAP Study Center for East Crete, bringing the finds for study from the care of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Heraklion and returning them at the end of each season using a permit from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports. Some material stayed at the Center to be worked on by conservation and illustration staff (M. Tzari, K. Hall, D. Faulmann) and will return to Heraklion as soon as documentation is complete. Student trainees had an opportunity to visit the Center with us and explore the conservation and illustration process. 

Other specialist contributors to the project, C. Henkel (archaeobotany), M. Ntinou (wood charcoal) and D. Mylona (zooarchaeology) worked with us to produce initial reports on the relevant samples taken. Interesting insights were additionally gained on the metals assemblage recovered from the S storeroom of the MG1 hall building: including the perfectly preserved fibula, which proved by HH-XRF to have been bulked with 17.29 wt% lead as well as having exceptionally high tin at 26.6 wt%, and the crumpled bronze group or hoard, which proved to contain 13 different and varied pieces of scrap metal including part of a copper ingot.