Conservation and research: new evidence on a long-living cult. The sanctuary of the Apollo Maleatas and Asklepios at Epidaurus

The conservation and presentation of archaeological sites developed in Greece in the 1970s as a major branch of archaeological work, and one could say, as a vital one. The reason for this development is the fact that we have become conscious of our responsibility for the deterioration of the remains in situ and that we have realised the educative potential of the ruins themselves. This kind of interdisciplinary work, aiming mainly to preserve and to present, is nevertheless the best way to study and promote older material and to check/detect deficiencies in our knowledge. In order to conserve and to present a monument one has to know it thoroughly and with certainty; to dig further, to remeasure, and to assess all data produced by modern methods.