Welcome to the Stelida Naxos Archaeological Project [SNAP], a geo-archaeological excavation of a chert source and associated early prehistoric stone tool workshops, conceivably first exploited as long as 260,000 years ago, with some of its early visitors likely including Neanderthals.
The project is directed by Dr. Tristan Carter of McMaster University, our work began in 2013, working under the auspices of the Canadian Institute in Greece.
This website provides you with background information on the site, our research aims and an overview of our results from the 2013 season, both archaeological and geo-archaeological. It also tells you about the team, and the various institutions and funding agencies that made our work possible.
One of the reasons for this site is to share our work and discoveries with as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Our project’s discoveries will hopefully have many audiences, not just our academic colleagues and community, but also the broader public, if you're a local to Naxos, a visitor to the island, or someone simply interested in the Aegean islands and/or the study of our prehistoric ancestors more generally.
Alongside this website we also hope to represent our work through public lectures, press coverage (see the News section for all updates), and popular science writing.
Thank you for your interest in the project—we hope to hear from you soon!