The Archaeology of Hellenism: Olympia and the Presence of the Past

Abstract Olympia holds a central place in conceptions of modern sport, Hellenism, and the Olympic Games. This article traces the concurrent development of the site and Panhellenism and Hellenism through its landscape, built environment, and its reception over the past 3,000 years. By tying together Pierre de Coubertin's Olympism to the physical landscape of ancient Olympia, this article argues that the site itself has contributed, through multiple permutations and through several key changes in the early Iron Age, Roman period, and nineteenth century to the global Hellenism that is at the foundation of the modern Olympic Games.