An unprecedented conceptual design; embodied in architectural excellence 
 
 Put the best of science, art and philosophy together in one creation and you have the definitive monument of human civilisation. UNESCO calls it the symbol of World Heritage. The world calls it the Athenian Acropolis! 
 
 The Acropolis of Athens is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site (UNESCO, 1987), 
 
 “[…] symbolizing the idea of world heritage” (UNESCO, 2006) 
 
 The history of the Acropolis of Athens is long, with moments when democracy philosophy and art flourished, leading to its creation. Then there were the times when its best standing pieces were removed and shipped away from the city, dividing the monument in two. Today, the international community wants to reunite all of the Acropolis sculptures in Athens and restore both its physicality and meaning. 
 
 The Acropolis, and the Parthenon in particular, is the most characteristic monument of the ancient Greek civilisation. It continues to stand as a symbol in many ways: it is the symbol of democracy and the Greek civilisation. It also symbolises the beginning of the Western civilisation and stands as the icon of European culture. The Parthenon was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of the city of Athens and goddess of wisdom. It was built under the instructions of Pericles, the political leader of Athens in the 5th century BC. The Parthenon was constructed between 447 and 438 BC and its sculptural decoration was completed in 432 BC. In 1987 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site (UNESCO, 1987). Uniquely, capturing the gravity of the Athenian Acropolis as a symbol, UNESCO recognises that “[…] the Acropolis, the site of four of the greatest masterpieces of classical Greek art – the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena Nike – can be seen as symbolizing the idea of world heritage” (UNESCO, 2006). 
 
 Despite the unique symbolic and cultural value of the monument, the issue of the removal of the sculptures from the Athenian Acropolis by Elgin continues to shadow their history. Today, more than half of the Parthenon sculptures are in the British Museum in London and their return to Athens, for their display in the Acropolis Museum together with the other originals, is a cultural issue awaiting to be settled. 
 
 It is recommended that you start your reading about the Parthenon and the Acropolis of Athens at the Acropolis of Athens page of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. You can also start from The Review of the Seizure of the Parthenon sculptures, or read The Memorandum of the Greek Government for The Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles. But there is more to discover. This website brings you the key concepts associated with the Acropolis sculptures and the reasons why they should be reunited in Athens. You can find links to official pages and initiatives about the issue, as well as resources for your research as a traveller, student or academic! Welcome to AcropolisofAthens.gr! 
 
 References 
 
 UNESCO. (1987). WH Committee: Report of 11th Session, Paris 1987. Paris: UNESCO / World Heritage Center. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/archive/repcom87.htm#404 
 
 UNESCO. (2006). Acropolis, Athens: (Cycle 1) Section II Summary. UNESCO / World Heritage Center. Retrieved from http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/404/documents/ ||||| Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period. ||||| Abstract 
 
 The small island of Astypalaia in the southern Aegean Sea has produced two first millennium BC cemeteries, one containing remains of individuals of all ages, the other exclusively newborn babies and young children. The sites have been studied by the 22nd Ephorate of the Greek Archaeological Service since 1996. Since 2000 there has been a formal collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology to study the human remains, first described in Archaeology International 2001/2002. Here the leading scholars involved in the project describe the work undertaken over the last eight years.
– Think phallic graffiti art exclusively belongs to the baseless present? Think again. An archaeologist has uncovered what the Guardian touts as the earliest erotic graffiti on the planet, found in Greece—and predating, in one case, even Athens' Acropolis. Since 2011, Dr. Andreas Vlachopoulos has been directing fieldwork on the Aegean island of Astypalaia, and the professor may have given the students working with him a little more insight than he'd at first intended when he happened upon extremely explicit erotica chiseled into the limestone rocks that line the cape. In one instance, dating back to 5th century BC, two gigantic penises are etched next to the name Dion; in another, dating to 6th century BC, one man boasted: "Nikasitimos was here mounting Timiona." "We know that in ancient Greece sexual desire between men was not a taboo," Vlachopoulos tells the Guardian. "But this graffiti … is not just among the earliest ever discovered. By using the verb in the past continuous [tense], it clearly says that these two men were making love over a long period of time, emphasizing the sexual act in a way that is highly unusual in erotic artwork." One theory is that soldiers were once stationed at this outpost overlooking the bay; other carvings include that of ships, daggers, and wave-symbolizing spirals. Either way Astypalaia, best known for what Archaeology International called "the largest ancient children’s cemetery in the world," with at least 2,700 infant burials identified in one place, can now add ancient porn among its claims to fame. (Meanwhile, in Italy, art restorers have been accused of scrubbing away the erotic...)