Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece

What Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece does

The Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG; École suisse d'archéologie en Grèce) is a Swiss non-profit academic research foundation founded in 1964 and headquartered at the University of Lausanne, with operational offices in Athens and Eretria, Greece. It is the only permanent Swiss archaeological project outside Switzerland, conducting excavations, regional surveys, and museum studies focused primarily on the island of Euboea — including the ancient city of Eretria and the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos — and on underwater sites such as the Antikythera shipwreck and the Eretria harbour. ESAG disseminates findings through the ERETRIA publication series (27 volumes since 1968), the newly launched AMARYNTHOS series (from 2024), annual reports in Antike Kunst, guidebooks, and exhibition catalogues distributed via InFolio (Switzerland), Melissa books (Greece), and Schwabe Verlag.

ESAG's core technology stack consists of established archaeological methodologies — geophysical survey, dendrochronology, photogrammetry, underwater drones, and ancient DNA sampling in collaboration with university biology departments — combined with digital field documentation using ArcGIS Survey123 on iPads and an Adobe-based interactive 3D tour experience hosted on the Agora educational platform (agora.esag.swiss). There is no indication of proprietary AI/ML systems; tooling is productivity- and visualization-oriented.

The institution operates a grant-funded, non-commercial business model. Primary revenue streams are research grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), direct funding from the Swiss Confederation, contributions from partner Swiss universities, and private donations from individuals, foundations (Evangelos Pistiolis, Stavros Niarchos, Sandoz Family, Octopus, Ceramica, Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim), and corporates. A secondary stream consists of one-time publication sales through co-publishing partners. ESAG's "customers" in a functional sense are Swiss university students and scholars (field training), Greek school groups (educational outreach — 470+ students in 2025-2026), and Greek archaeological authorities (permit-issuing and joint-research partners). Operational leadership is provided by a small core team of eight (Director Sylvian Fachard since 2021, Scientific Secretary Tamara Saggini since 2025, Administrative Secretary Daphne Vlandi since 2021, plus an Outreach Manager), with seasonal field teams of 70+ archaeologists, students, conservators, and specialists.

Name

Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece

Legal name

École suisse d'archéologie en Grèce

Website

https://esag.swiss

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swiss non-profit archaeological research foundation founded in 1964 and based at the University of Lausanne, operating as the only permanent Swiss archaeological project outside Switzerland. Conducts excavations, surveys, and underwater research in Greece, publishes academic series, and trains Swiss university students while engaging Greek school groups through outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Archaeological Research and Academic Publishing

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Historical Sites (712120), Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Field Schools & Experiential Academic Programs (Archaeology, Ecology, etc.) (EDAIAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage, Arts & Archaeology Service Programs (EDAIAGAH), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), University & College Study Tours (THAKAGAC)

Keywords

• Archaeological research services
• Academic publication series
• Field excavation services
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Archaeology education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: Primary funding from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), Swiss Confederation, Swiss universities, and private donors (individuals, foundations, companies). The Foundation of the Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece is the regulating body.
2. Publication Sales: Revenue from selling publications including the ERETRIA series (27 volumes), AMARYNTHOS series, Eretria Guide, and exhibition catalogs through co-publishing partners like InFolio and Melissa books.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG) is a non-profit archaeological research institution that conducts field excavations, regional surveys, and museum studies in Greece (primarily at Eretria, Amarynthos, and underwater sites). It disseminates findings through long-running academic publication series (ERETRIA and AMARYNTHOS), trains archaeology students from Swiss universities in field methods, and runs public outreach via the Agora educational platform and documentary films.

Product overview

The Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece (ESAG) operates primarily as an academic research institution rather than a commercial product company. Its offerings consist of: (1) publication series including ERETRIA (27 volumes since 1968) and AMARYNTHOS (new series from 2024) for archaeological research dissemination; (2) the Agora Platform - an educational outreach web application featuring interactive 3D tours, quizzes, and learning materials about the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos; (3) documentary film 'À la recherche du temple perdu'; (4) guidebooks and exhibition catalogs; and (5) annual public reports. The core product is the academic research and publication program, with the Agora Platform serving as the main technology-enabled educational offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ERETRIA Publication Series Long-running academic monograph series publishing excavation results from the ancient city of Eretria, covering architecture, pottery, inscriptions, funerary practices, and urban development. Sold to academic libraries, scholars, and researchers through partner publishers InFolio (Switzerland) and Melissa books (Greece).
• AMARYNTHOS Publication Series Academic publication series presenting the final research findings and discoveries of Swiss and Greek archaeologists at the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos. Targeted at the academic research community.
• Eretria Guide Illustrated guidebook to the ancient city of Eretria, published by InFolio, tracing the history of the site with photographs, plans, and drawings. Aimed at visitors, students, and the general public interested in the site.
• Exhibition Catalogs Printed catalogs accompanying international exhibitions of artifacts from ESAG's archaeological sites, such as the 2010 'cité sous terre' exhibition featuring nearly 450 objects from ancient Eretria. Sold via Schwabe Verlag.
• Agora Educational Platform Online educational outreach platform enabling teachers and students to explore Greek archaeology through learning activities, 3D interactive tours, quizzes, and educational resources focused on the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos.
• Interactive 3D Tours of the Sanctuary of Artemis Multilingual 3D interactive virtual tours of the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos, built on Adobe XD, providing immersive illustrated exploration of the archaeological site for the public and educators.
• Documentary Film: 'À la recherche du temple perdu' Documentary film documenting the discovery of the Sanctuary of Artemis at Amarynthos through testimonies of archaeologists and students, broadcast on RTS and Arte channels and available via the Agora platform.
• Antike Kunst Annual Field Reports Annual field reports and thematic articles published in the Antike Kunst journal documenting ESAG's archaeological activities and findings, dating from 1964 to the present.
• Annual Public Reports Annual public reports documenting ESAG's scientific activities and fieldwork, published since 2015 in Greek-English and French-German bilingual versions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 26 volumes published in the ERETRIA series since 1968
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, major, core and minor.

• Flux LaboratoryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Swiss cultural foundation co-located in the Swiss House of Culture, Research and Diplomacy building with ESAG and Swiss Embassy.
• Swiss Embassy in AthensflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Co-located in Swiss House of Culture, Research and Diplomacy with ESAG and Flux Laboratory.
• Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung LudwigmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Co-organizer of the 2010 international exhibition 'cité sous terre' featuring artifacts from Eretria.
• National Archaeological Museum of AthensmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Host venue for the 2010 international exhibition in Athens.
• University of LausannecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary academic host institution providing headquarters for ESAG. ESAG is based at the University's Institut d'archéologie et des sciences de l'Antiquité, Anthropole.
• Swiss Universities (Basel, Zurich, Bern, Fribourg, Neuchatel, Geneva)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner universities that enable students to participate in ESAG field projects and support research activities.
• Ephorate of Antiquities of EuboeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek archaeological authority collaborating on excavations at Eretria and Amarynthos.
• Ephorate of Antiquities of Piraeus and IslandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek authority collaborating on Aegina Hellanion Oros excavations and survey projects.
• Ephorate of Underwater AntiquitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreek authority collaborating on Antikythera shipwreck research and Eretria Harbour Project.
• University of Lausanne - Service for Science and Mediation (SCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Agora project providing science communication expertise.
• Canton Museum for Archaeology and History (MCAH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution for regional archaeological projects.
• HEP Vaud (Pedagogical University of the Canton of Vaud)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner for the Agora project outreach activities.
• University of Geneva (Unige)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead institution for the Antikythera shipwreck research program 2021-2025.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American School of Classical Studies at Athens: The ASCSA is the US counterpart foreign school in Greece, running excavations (notably the Athenian Agora), offering research fellowships, and training American graduate students in classical archaeology. Highly comparable to ESAG in mission, governance, and student-training pipeline.
• British School at Athens: The British School at Athens is the UK's foreign archaeological research institute in Greece, conducting excavations, research, and training across Greek sites. It is the most structurally similar peer to ESAG, sharing the foreign-school model, permit-based excavations, and training-of-national-students mandate.
• Finnish Institute at Athens: The Finnish Institute at Athens is Finland's foreign research institute in Greece, supporting archaeological fieldwork and training. Comparable to ESAG as a small foreign school with similar size, structure, and grant-dependent academic mission.
• Italian School of Archaeology at Athens (Scuola Archeologica Italiana di Atene): Italy's foreign archaeological school in Greece, conducting excavations and training Italian researchers in classical archaeology. Directly comparable to ESAG as a national foreign school with government backing and a publication series model.
• Dutch Institute at Athens (NIA): The NIA is the Netherlands' foreign archaeological institute in Greece, conducting research projects and supporting Dutch scholars. Comparable to ESAG as a small Northern European foreign school with similar scale and grant-dependent model.
• Swedish Institute at Athens: The Swedish Institute at Athens is Sweden's foreign research institute in Greece, supporting archaeological projects and Swedish-Greek research collaboration. Closely comparable to ESAG as a smaller Northern European foreign school with grant-based operations and training programs.
• French School at Athens (École française d'Athènes): The EFA is France's foreign archaeological school in Greece, conducting excavations (Delphi, Argos, Delos) and training French archaeology students. Directly comparable to ESAG as one of the oldest and most established foreign schools in Athens with similar permit-based research model.
• German Archaeological Institute at Athens (DAI Athen): The DAI Athens is Germany's foreign archaeological institute in Greece, conducting major excavations (e.g., Olympia, Kerameikos) and providing research infrastructure for German scholars. Comparable to ESAG in being a national foreign school with government funding and long-standing site permits.
• Norwegian Institute at Athens: The Norwegian Institute at Athens is Norway's foreign research institute supporting archaeological and classical studies in Greece. Comparable to ESAG as a small-country foreign school with similar size, mission, and Northern European academic network.
• Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI): The ÖAI is Austria's central archaeological research institution, conducting excavations in Greece (notably at Ephesus-related Austrian projects and elsewhere). Comparable to ESAG as a small German-speaking archaeological institution with Greek permit access and SNSF-comparable funding sources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/esag.swiss
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esag-swiss
• Instagraminstagram.com/esag.swiss

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swiss School of Archaeology in Greece