How do Greeks view archaeology?

Nine in 10 Greeks regard archaeology as valuable, useful, fascinating and important in building a national conscience and identity, well above their peers in eight other European countries, according to a new study.

More than half of Greeks (55 percent) rank it very highly as a science and believe it plays an important role in defining Greek identity, yet 62 percent also think that it is often overlooked. Moreover, while 72 percent of Greeks think that the state is responsible for managing a country's archaeological heritage (well above the European average), 62 percent are disappointed by maintenance and promotion efforts, saying that there is a lack of efficiency in the field, particularly since the start of the economic crisis.

These and more interesting findings have emerged from the study by NEARCH, a project funded by the European Commission to research the...