Pylos, in southwest Peloponnese, is an area famed for its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Home to legendary king Nestor, Pylos is unique for the large number of its antiquities, stretching from the dawn of prehistory to the end of the ancient world.  At the same time, thanks to its rich archaeological remains, Pylos lends itself to the study of the origin of states and government in the western world.  Today, many of these antiquities remain unexplored and are in serious danger of destruction by looting and uncontrolled development.

The Pylos Archaeology Foundation is a private non-profit organization (501c3) founded and based in St. Louis, Missouri.  Its mission is to advance  the systematic study of state formation and early government through the  investigation, protection, and management of the archaeological sites and cultural resources of the region of Pylos . The Foundation provides funding for significant and innovative archaeological fieldwork, for education, and for the dissemination of scholarly and scientific research relating to its mandate.