The prehistoric settlement Dikili Tas (which means “standing stone” in Turkish) is located in the southeastern part of the Philippi plain, on the outskirts of the present-day town of Krinides, in the municipality of Kavala
One of the most important prehistoric settlements in northern Greece, the Dikili Tas, after the unanimous decision of the Central Archaeological Council (KAS) for the construction of a modern protective dome and the highlighting of the award-winning excavation project, which has been carried out in recent years.
The prehistoric settlement of Dikili Tas (which means “standing stone” in Turkish) is located in the southeastern part of the Philippi plain, on the outskirts of the present-day town of Krinides, in the municipality of Kavala.
It is less than 2 km from the center of the famous ancient city of Philippi and the archaeological site of the same name. The Roman-era marble tomb monument, from which the toponym Dikili Tas derives, was erected next to the ancient Egnatia road (the road known to have connected Durrës with Constantinople), which crossed the city of Philippi, following roughly the same route as the current provincial road, which leads to the city of Kavala.
“Based on the results of excavations and cores (carrots), the habitation at the site of Dikili Tas developed continuously from the middle of the 7th millennium until 1,100 BC, while remains of habitation from the Archaic, Hellenistic and Roman times were also found, as well as the ruins of a Byzantine tower at the top of the hill” explains to APE-MBE the Superintendent of Antiquities of Serres and co-director of the excavations Dr. Dimitria Malamidou.
Dikili Tash is evaluated as a particularly important archaeological site thanks to the cognitive, social and material values ​​that characterize it. The residential remains found are abundant and in an excellent state of preservation that make them easily readable by the public. The variety and quality of the finds are of high value and indicate that this is a vital prehistoric settlement. The earliest evidence of wine production in it, not only in Greece but also in the whole world, is remarkable.
Protection of Neolithic dwellings
The shelter proposed by the study team of the excavation and received the unanimous approval of the KAS will allow visitors to come into contact with prehistoric architectural remains that can rarely be found in archaeological sites, in order to discover and understand an unknown distant past. “The roof”, notes Ms. Malamidou, “will offer adequate protection of the Neolithic houses from the weather, while at the same time it is considered compatible with the archaeological site and does not create confusion regarding the morphological characteristics, materials and construction method of the Neolithic houses residential units”.
However, beyond the vaulted canopy, the study also includes a series of other projects, which will contribute to the highlighting of the prehistoric settlement, will make it visitable and, in combination with the archaeological site of Philippi, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, will create a unique monumental ensemble.
Among other things, the proposal includes: The creation of an entrance and visitor service infrastructure, the creation of visitor paths with user-friendly materials, suitable for the disabled, and in absolute harmony with the environment, the creation of stopping areas with the appropriate urban equipment, the information to visitors with the appropriate information signs and the provision of space for a future museum installation and space for experimental archeology laboratories.
The award from the French Institute
In 2020, the archaeological research team of Dikili Tas was awarded by the French Academy with the Archeology Grand Prize of the Simone and Cino Del Duca foundation, in recognition of the scientific quality of the team and the importance of the excavation work in the prehistoric settlement.
The head of the Antiquities Authority of Serres, archaeologist Dimitria Malamidou, has been co-directing the excavation program since 2008 together with the honorary Antiquities Authority Haidos Koukoulis – Chrysanthaki, both members of the Athens Archaeological Society. On the part of the French School of Athens, the program is co-directed by Pascal Darcque and Zoe Tsirtsoni.
“It is remarkable,” Ms. Malamidou continues, “that in the so-called “house 1”, of the prehistoric settlement dating back to around 4200 BC, the oldest evidence of winemaking in Europe was found so far. Chemical analyzes of organic residues in clay vessels showed the existence of chemical compounds that safely indicate a fermentation process of grapes for wine production.
The set of finds that have seen the light of the archaeological hoe so far include, among others, a series of jewelry items. The most interesting, according to Ms. Malamidou, are a series of wild boar tusks as raw material, as well as the finished decorative tiles made from them. “Hundreds of necklace beads, stones and bones were also found, while four gold leaves, wrapped around one or more beads in the same necklace, are made of pure gold,” notes the Serres Superintendent of Antiquities.
The historical evolution of the somersault
The tumble of Dikili Tas, with a height of 16 meters of man-made embankments, is one of the largest tumbles in the Balkans. The lowest point reached by the excavations inside the settlement is about 5 meters higher than the natural ground, i.e. the original level of the plain.
“At this point,” emphasizes Ms. Malamidou, “we are around 5500 BC, at the beginning of the New Neolithic period, according to current archaeological terminology, which means that the first settlement must have been several centuries earlier . The investigations confirmed that at the base of the hill there are anthropogenic deposits of the Early Neolithic, which can be safely dated to the second half of the 7th millennium BC.”
The site was inhabited almost without interruption until 1,200 BC. approximately, at the end of the so-called Bronze Age. Remains of this period have been found very close to the top of the mound, some 15-16 meters above the original ground. The area continued to be inhabited, but more sporadically, also during the historical years. In the 10th century, a building with solid foundations and walls, a tower, was built on top, apparently connected to the neighboring Byzantine citadel of Philippi. Before the arrival of the archaeologists, the mound had been uninhabited for centuries and the site was cultivated with tobacco, like most other fields in the surrounding area.
The Greek-French investigations in Dikili Tash
The first test sections were made in 1920 by the French archaeologist L. Renaudin. However, the first systematic excavations began forty years later, in 1961, by the French professor J. Deshayes and the Greek D. Theocharis, then Superintendent of Antiquities.
Their work, which lasted until 1975, brought to light hundreds of remains of houses from various periods and revealed most of the so-called “stratigraphic sequence”, i.e. the order of succession of the layers of habitation.
After 1986, two more research programs followed, by the French Sorbonne professor R. Treuil and the then Antiquities Superintendent of Kavala, Haidos Koukoulis-Chrysanthakis. These programs yielded important data on the organization of the settlement and the way of life of the inhabitants.
In 2019, a fourth cycle of research began, in a new Greek-French collaboration. Research at Dikili Tas is always carried out under the auspices of the French School of Athens and the Athens Archaeological Society, with the support and supervision of the Ministry of Culture
Source :Skai
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