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Neolithic settlement of Thermi 2008- 2009

• Παππά, Μαρία
• Αντωνάρας, Αναστάσιος
• Βλιώρα, Ευαγγελία
• Νανόγλου, Στράτος

The flat Neolithic settlement which is located at the NW edge of the modern town of Thermi, in the vicinity of Thessaloniki, has been excavated since 1987. During 2008 and 2009 two neighboring building grounds were investigated and yielded structures situated in the periphery of the Neolithic settlement, along with part of the cemetery of the historical period, dating from the 4th century to the late Byzantine period.Of specific importance was the cemetery, which, according to the grave construction and the placement of the dead, was identified as a Muslim cemetery (flg.l). Two unique finds date the cemetery to the early Ottoman period at the late 14th century.In a lower level lie the prehistoric depositions which were interrupted by sparse graves dating from the Archaic to the Roman period. Most important was the limestone sarcophagus which included grave goods of the third quarter of the 4th century B.C. (fig. 2-4).The Neolithic settlement was situated on the clayish sterile ground and constituted of successive and contiguous pits that formed a wide communal structure, which was interrupted to the east by a ditch (fig. 5 and 7). In places there were stone paved areas, a practice widely used in the settlement ofThermi (fig. 6). During the Neolithic all structures were covered by gray layers that are interpreted as the remnants of their use. New pits of cylindrical shape cut through these gray layers and contained the refuse of a later Neolithic phase (fig. 8 and 9). Finally, a phase of rectangular walls was located, also dating to the Neolithic period (fig. 10).The chronology of the Neolithic layers is based on pottery. The oldest phase of the communal structure and the gray layers is dated to the LNI period and is characterized by the presence of three pottery wares: black burnished (fig. 11), white topped (fig. 12) and brown burnished ware, while other wares appear in small amounts (fig. 13). The cylindrical pits contain large quantities of coarse pottery with few sherds of local black on red ware (fig. 14-17), which date this phase to the LNII period. The rest of the finds include large quantities of ground stone tools and parts of spit-stands. The quantity of chipped stone tools is less in comparison to these found in neighboring areas of the settlelement and this constitutes a clue on the location and differentiation of activities of the Neolithic inhabitants of Thermi.

• History and Archaeology

• Ανασκαφές (Αρχαιολογία)

Νεολιθική εποχή, Θεσσαλονίκη, συνέδρια

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