Valerios Stais (Greek: Βαλέριος Στάης; Kythira, 1857 – Athens, 1923) was a Greek archaeologist.
Biography
He initially studied medicine but later switched to archaeology obtaining his Doctorate from the University of Halle (Saale) in 1885. He worked for the National Archaeological Museum of Athens from 1887, eventually becoming Director of the Museum, a post he held until his death. During that period he organized or participated in excavations in Epidaurus, Argolis, Attica, Dimini, Antikythera and elsewhere. He wrote a lot on archaeological matters, published several papers, mainly in Archeologiki Efimeris (Αρχαιολογική Εφημερίς "Archaeological Newspaper"), and many books.
Valerios Stais also became the first to study the Antikythera mechanism from the lumps of archaeological material retrieved from a wreck found near the coast of Antikythera in 1900. He identified that one of the pieces had a gear wheel embedded in it.
References
- ^ Trimmis, Konstantinos (2016). "The forgotten pioneer: Valerios Stais and his research in Kythera, Antikythera and Thessaly". Bulletin of the History of Archaeology. 26 (1). doi:10.5334/bha-558. hdl:1983/01500056-c564-4c31-b1b6-0d1f0bf037f5.
- S. R. (1924). "Valerios N Stais". Revue Archéologique (in French). 20: 224. JSTOR 41031709.
- Petrocheilos, Ioannis (1992). Valerios N Stais (PDF) (in Greek). Athens: Athens Archaeological Society. ISBN 9607036123.
- "Aρχαιολογική Εφημερίς" (in Greek). Retrieved 2022-05-28.
- D. J. de Solla Price, "An ancient Greek computer", Scientific American June 1959: 60-67 "An Ancient Greek Computer". Archived from the original on February 18, 2006. Retrieved 2006-07-17.. In some later publications in that context, his name has been confused with that of Spyridon Stais, a politician.