The archaeological fever that gripped various European countries in the nineteenth century could not fail to affect Athens. Excavations in the capital of the Greek kingdom would readily demonstrate the connection of the modern state to ancient Greece. The great Acropolis excavation in 1885-1890 shaped scientists’ perceptions regarding the city’s classical and subsequent character. A far more ambitious plan materialised in the ancient Agora in the twentieth century. The excavation necessitated the expropriation and demolition of an entire Athenian neighbourhood (Vrysaki). The Greek Archaeological Service and many foreign archaeological institutes brought to light ancient monuments and movable artefacts that enriched our level of understanding regarding ancient history. Unfortunately, not all researchers had pure motives, as evident in Lord Elgin’s case.