Nea Nikomideia
Nea Nikomideia
Νέα Νικομήδεια | |
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UTC+3 (EEST ) |
Nea Nikomideia (
Village
Originally, the village was named Braniata (Μπρανιάτα) and was settled in 1922 with
Neolithic settlement
The
It was excavated extensively in three phases (in 1961, 1963 and 1964) by R. J. Rodden and his team.[5][6] The site, covering an area of about 1,690 square metres (18,200 sq ft), has square dwellings measuring 12 by 12 metres; the houses at Nea Nikomideia were constructed—as were most structures throughout the Neolithic in northern Greece—of wattle and daub on a timber frame.[5] Items unearthed at the site include "flint blades, stone adzes, clay figurines with cruciform eyes and beak-shaped noses, seals for the adornment of the body, a frog-shaped pendant from steatite as well as clay spindle whorls for spinning wool, and bone tools."[5] Archaeologists excavating the ancient town also discovered clay sculptures of plump women with phallic heads and folded arms.[7] Pottery, especially large vessels, have been found at the site, some as tall as 60 cm and with a capacity as high as 85 litres.[8] The site was originally situated on the shores of the Thermaic Gulf or possibly a lake or lagoon. As recently as the 1930s, the marsh of the Giannitsa Lake covered much of the area.[2]
History
Nea Nikomideia is the largest excavated Early Neolithic settlement in area, and consists of a mound of 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) height (composed of both natural soil and also debris of habitation). The excavations cover some 1,690 square metres (18,200 sq ft) from a total mound area of about 24,200 square metres (260,000 sq ft). They were carried out by the anthropologist R.J. Rodden and his team in three phases in 1961, 1963 and 1964. The excavations were significant in determining the early European way of life especially in farming and potential links and influences between the
Dwellings
Two types of building were identified during the excavations, both reflecting the agricultural and stock-raising vocations of the settlers. In the first phase, the houses were of square shape, measuring 8 metres (26 ft) on each side with wooden columns made of thin tree trunks, spaced at 1.2–1.9 metres (3 ft 11 in – 6 ft 3 in). The walls, built with thin branches and reeds, were plastered over, both externally and internally, with
Economic activity
The economic activity was basically of the subsistence level of farming and livestock. Carbonized botanical and animal remains were found which also indicated the subsistence economic activities practiced by the settlers. The crops grown were cereals and pulses such as naked-six row
Tools and tackles
The tools and tackles found consisted of 118 fragmented and 75 complete ground stone implements, found polished. Some of these are
It is also surmised that the findings at Nea Nikomideia could be for many daily uses and even for production of early period stone artifacts. About 140,000 material pieces were also unearthed from the small excavated area, which included 1,115 vessels indicative of pottery as a major activity with an estimated annual production rate of 25-90 pots.[5][6]
Figurines
Images of human figures made of clay and adorned with frog-shaped pendants were found. The eyes of the figures were in a
References
- ^ a b "Αποτελέσματα Απογραφής Πληθυσμού - Κατοικιών 2021, Μόνιμος Πληθυσμός κατά οικισμό" [Results of the 2021 Population - Housing Census, Permanent population by settlement] (in Greek). Hellenic Statistical Authority. 29 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "Nεολιθικός οικισμός της Ν. Νικομήδειας" (in Greek). Imathia Regional Unit official website. Archived from the original on 17 February 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2012.
- ISBN 9781441966339. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
- ^ R.J. Rodden and K.A. Wardle, Nea Nikomedia: The Excavation of an Early Neolithic Village in Northern Greece 1961–1964, Vol I, The Excavation and the Ceramic Assemblage, British School at Athens Supplementary Volume 25, 1996
- ^ a b c d e f g "Nea Nikomedeia". Foundation of the Hellenic World. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-521-83689-0. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-520-01995-9. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-415-21598-5. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
External links
Media related to Nea Nikomedeia at Wikimedia Commons