Marijki Gennady says goodbye to UvA, but continues excavating Satricum: ‘There is still much to discover’

I shall continue my excavations at the Satricum via the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome, where he began before. I take care of the finances myself’

How will the project continue in Satricum?

I will continue it through the Royal Dutch Institute in Rome, where it began before. You need a scientific institute authority to apply for an annual license from the ministry. I take care of the finances myself. In addition, I have a fairly good staff of people who work in commercial archeology and can free themselves during the summer months. In addition, there are the “workers”: local youth who are paid by the landowner. Plus there is a group of former students, now archaeologists, who return every summer. There’s a lot of love and volunteering involved, that’s what it comes down to.

You are literally the centerpiece of the Satricum project and your promoter Herman Brider has called you the “Queen of Satricum”. Can you pass on this title?

‘Which can.’ You shouldn’t be afraid to take your stamp, either. And of course I can’t stay in the field until I’m 100 years old. I like to impart practical and social knowledge and focus on publications. Then a younger generation could take over. There are also foreign universities interested in continuing research. We’re going to try this out for the first time this summer. Due to personal circumstances, he withdrew a little more and supervised it from a distance.

Does the UvA Regret Giving Up Excavations at Satricum?

I would put that in the article as a question mark. Of course, it would be a shame if your university no longer supported such a project. You expect a certain pride. It takes many years of investment, and there are hundreds of students who have been educated here. It is really a well-equipped machine. We have a school, a caring local council, a museum and a very caring landlord. And this is the news of the day, very soon the Italian Minister of Culture will arrive and he will immediately ascertain whether Satricum cannot be declared a heritage site. If they can open Satricum to the public, I think that’s very important.

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