Otherwise, Without the Prior Written Permission of the Copyright Owner

ERRATA ANALECTA PRAEHISTORICA LEIDENSIA XIV p- 16 fig.9 ; stratigraphical drawing of the SW-NE section p- 26 fig.11; add: scale 1 p- 38 fig.12; add: scale 1 p- 42 fig.13; add: scale 1 p- 44 fig.14; add: scale 1 p- 57 ; VI.3.The plain of Larlsa, to the Northwest of Sesklo p.114 fig.25; legend as below

Isopachen des Plio-Pleistozans Synsedimentare Verwerfung

POSTALPINE SEDIMENTE J Quartar Esa Neogen

SUBPELAGONISCHE SERIE Oberkretazische Kalke und Flysch, jurasische Schiefer

PELAGONISCHE SERIE li'i'i'i'il Marmor von Ossa und Mavrovounion Marmor der Mittelthessalische Kristallinzone Gneis Ophiolith

ANALECTA PRAEHISTORICA LEIDENSIA XIV

PUBLICATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE OF PREHISTORY UNIVERSITY OF LEIDEN

M.H.J.M.N. WIJNEN

THE EARLY NEOLITHIC 1 SETTLEMENT AT SESKLO: AN EARLY FARMING COMMUNITY IN THESSALY, GREECE

1981

LEIDEN UNIVERSITY PRESS IV

ISBN 90 6021 499 4 (this volume) ISBN 90 6021 450 1 (series)

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

Printed in the Netherlands V

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 1

Chapter 1 Introduction 3

Chapter II The excavation at Sesklo 1. The excavation by Chr. Tsountas 7 2. The excavation at Sesklo by D.R. Theocharis 10 2. 1. Section C, excavation and stratigraphy 16

Chapter III Analysis of the Early Neolithic I pottery from Sesklo 1. Technology 21 1. 1. The clay 21 1.2. The non-plastic inclusions 22 1.3. Colour and firing conditions 22 1. 4. Forming and finishing techniques 24 2. Pottery typology 27 2. 1. Very coarse and crude ware 28 2. 2. Coarse ware 28 2. 3. Medium ware 30 3. Correlation 31 3.1. Introduction 31 3. 2. Relationship to building phase 32 3.3. Relationship to vessel form 34 3. 4. Colour - oxidising core 34 4. Subdivision of Early Neolithic I 34 5. Outline of Early Neolithic II and III pottery from Sesklo 35

Chapter IV Finds other than pottery 1. Chipped stone 39 1.1. Obsidian 39 1. 2. Chert implements 40 2. Miscellaneous stone artefacts 40 2. 1. Polished stone tools 41 2. 2. Grinding and pounding tools 41 2. 3. Other stone artefacts 43 3. Bone implements 43 4. Figurines 45 4. I. Ceramic figurines 45 4. 2. Stone figurines 46 5. Ornaments 46 6. Miscellaneous ceramic objects 47 7. The problem of Pre-Pottery Neolithic 48 8. Some notes on the chronology of the Early Neolithic period 48 Notes 49 VI CONTENTS

Chapter V Reconstruction of the settlement 1. Dwellings and settlement 50 2. Location and physical environment 50 2. 1. Climate 51 2. 2. Vegetation 51 2. 3. Fauna 52 3. Subsistence pattem 53 4. Raw materials 54

Chapter VI Early Neolithic sites in Thessaly 1. Geography 56 2. The plain of Almyros 57 3. The plain of Larisa 57 3. 2. Magoula Gioulberi 58 3.2. Karamourlar 59 3. 3. Argissa 59 3. 4. Otzaki Magoula 60 3.5. Soufli Magoula 61 3. 6. Gendiki 62 3.7. Nessonis 64 4. The plain of Karditsa 65 4. 1. Achilleion 66 4. 2. Prodromos 67

Chapter VII Early Neolithic sites in Greece beyond the Thessalian region 1. Macedonia 69 1.1. Servia 71 1. 2. Nea Nikomedeia 72 2. Epiros 74 3. Boeotia 74 3. 1. Elateia 75 3. 2. Halae 76 4. Attica 77 4. 1. Nea Makri 77 5. The Argolid 78 5.1. Franchthi Cave 79 5. 2. Lema 81 5. 3, Nemea 82 5. 4. Corinth 83 6. Messenia 85 7. The islands 86 7. 1. Sidari 86 7. 2. The Sporades 87 7. 3. Kythnos 88 7. 4. Knossos 88 8. Final remarks 90 Notes 91 CONTENTS VII

Chapter VIII Relationships with Asia Minor 1. Introduction 92 2. 1. Pre-Neolithic and Pre-Pottery occupation 92 2. 2, Domestication of plants and animals 93 2. 3. Possible contacts bet ween Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe 94 2. 4. Western Anatolia and the western coast of Turkey 95 2. 5. The artefactual data 95 3. Final remarks 98 Note 98

Chapter IX Summary and discussion 99

Appendix I Petrographic thin section and X-ray diffraction analysis of pottery from

Seskio and Achilleion (C.J. Overweel) 105

Appendix II The fauna from the Early Neolithic I phase at Seskio (CA. Schwartz) 112

Appendix III The geology of Eastem Thessaly (Th. Doutsos) 113

Tables 115

Bibliography 137

List of figures 145

List of tables 146

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Coming to think of it, it is hardly credible that barely sity, Ohio), the late V. Milojcic (Heidelberg, Insti- ten years ago the name "Sesklo" did not mean tut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte), S. Miller (Univer much to me; it was just one of those Neolithic sites in sity of California, Berkeley), the Hon. C.C. Ridley Greece. A chance meeting with D.R.Theocharis, (Stockton, England), J. Sakelarakis (Nat. Museum, when visiting the site on a holiday trip, changed this Athens), R.J. Rodden (Saffron Walden, England), entircly. With a long discussion on Greek and Euro- K.D. Vitelli (Indiana University, Bloomington), pean prehistory, Dutch 17th century painting and Saul S. Weinberg (University of Missouri). cigars. all while enjoying one of the wonderful Faunal and botanical remains were identified by Sesklo cocktails, of which only Theocharis knew Charles A. Schwartz (Los Angeles) and by H.H. the secret, the base of a fruitful cooperation was Kroll (University of Kiel). laid. It would end only too soon with Theocharis Geological Information was provided by Th. untimely death in december 1977. At that moment I Doutsos (Geological Service, Larisa) and by H. was already a good deal on my way with the study in Schneider (University of Saarbrücken). For all help precipitation of the present book. Although Theo in technical analysis of the ceramic material 1 am charis had enriched my knowledge of Greek pre indebted to H.J. Franken and A. van As (Institute of history enormously (without him the entire study Ceramic Technology, Leiden) and C.J. Overweel would have been impossible) he had still left many (Institute of Prehistory, Leiden). I owe to F.E. Tjon questions to be answered. Many of the practical Sie Fat (Institute of Anthropology, Leiden) that sta- ones have been solved with the help of his wife, tistics did not remain a world of complete darkness. Mrs. Maria Theocharis-Papadopoulou (Athens) In the preparation of the manuscript 1 was assisted who gave me full access to all excavation notebooks by J.P. Boogerd (Institute of Prehistory, Leiden), and plans, both of Sesklo and of other Early Neoli who prepared the drawings and by Glynis Jones and thic sites excavated by Theocharis. Paul Halstead (both University of Cambridge) who In the museum of Volos practical and intellectual undertook the task of removing the many errors support was provided by G. Hourmouziades, Mr. from the English text; in earlier stages they had and Mrs. E. Kakavoyannis (Rodos), Mr. and Mrs. always been willing to discuss the many problems B. Intsesiloglou, Mrs. Z. Malakassiotis, Mrs. V. involved while enjoying some tsipouro me mezedes Sismanis, Mrs. G. Michou, M. Nikolorakis, by my or a dinner at the "Skala of Milano". fellow Sesklo-authors K. Kotsakis (Thessaloniki), Without all these people (and the many I forgot to Miss A. Christopoulou (Athens), Mrs. F. Risopou- mention) and without the always encouraging sup lou-Egoumenides (Cyprus), Mrs. A. Moundrea port of my parents this thesis would never have been (Athens) and by the draughtsmen S. Hatzis and Mrs. finished. Th. Makris. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! For permitting me to study all material from other sites I owe much to K. Gallis (Larisa), John L. Caskey (University of Cincinnati), Mrs. M. Gim- butas (University of California, Los Angeles), Th.W. Jacobsen (Indiana University, Blooming- ton), John C. Lavezzi (Bowling Green State Univer Fig. 1 Map of Greece with regions, most important cities, islands and islandgroups.