Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T17:02:51.487Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The lowest levels at Dikili Tash, northern Greece: a missing link in the Early Neolithic of Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Laurent Lespez ,
Zoï Tsirtsoni ,
Pascal Darcque ,
Haïdo Koukouli-Chryssanthaki ,
Dimitra Malamidou ,
René Treuil ,
Robert Davidson ,
Georgia Kourtessi-Philippakis  and
Christine Oberlin
Laurent Lespez
Affiliation:
1Geophen Laboratory-LETG UMR 6554, CNRS University of Caen, Esplanade de la Paix, BP 5186, 14032 Caen Cedex, France (Email: [email protected]; [email protected])
Zoï Tsirtsoni
Affiliation:
2UMR 7041 (Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité), Maison R. Ginouvès, 21 Allée de l'Université, 92023 Nanterre Cedex, France (Email: [email protected], [email protected]; [email protected])
Pascal Darcque
Affiliation:
2UMR 7041 (Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité), Maison R. Ginouvès, 21 Allée de l'Université, 92023 Nanterre Cedex, France (Email: [email protected], [email protected]; [email protected])
Haïdo Koukouli-Chryssanthaki
Affiliation:
3Chalkidos 4, 65004 Kavala, Greece (Email: [email protected])
Dimitra Malamidou
Affiliation:
418th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Er. Stavrou 17, 65110 Kavala, Greece (Email: [email protected])
René Treuil
Affiliation:
2UMR 7041 (Archéologies et Sciences de l'Antiquité), Maison R. Ginouvès, 21 Allée de l'Université, 92023 Nanterre Cedex, France (Email: [email protected], [email protected]; [email protected])
Robert Davidson
Affiliation:
1Geophen Laboratory-LETG UMR 6554, CNRS University of Caen, Esplanade de la Paix, BP 5186, 14032 Caen Cedex, France (Email: [email protected]; [email protected])
Georgia Kourtessi-Philippakis
Affiliation:
5Department of Archaeology, University of Athens, Campus Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece (Email: [email protected]
Christine Oberlin
Affiliation:
6Lyon Radiocarbon Laboratory-UMR 5138 (Archéométrie et Archéologie), University of Lyon 1, 40 Bd Niels Bohr, 69622 Villeurbanne, France (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Tells famously capture the historical sequences of the earliest farmers—but digging them is not easy. With a depth of strata of 17m at Dikili Tash, the earliest occupation was out of reach of a trench. But our researchers got there by coring, extending the date of the first occupation back 1000 years, and deducing, from small samples, the changing environment and possible connections with Anatolia.

Keywords

GreeceMacedoniaEarly Neolithictell settlementcoring
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 87 , Issue 335 , March 2013 , pp. 30 - 45
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ammermann, A.J., Efstratiou, N., Ntinou, M., Pavlopoulos, K., Gabrielli, R., Thomas, K.D. & Mannino, M.A.. 2008. Finding the early Neolithic in Aegean Thrace: the use of cores. Antiquity 82: 139–50.Google Scholar
Andreou, S., Fotiadis, M. & Kotsakis, K.. 1996. Review of Aegean Prehistory V: the Neolithic and Bronze Age of Northern Greece. American Journal of Archaeology 100: 537–97.Google Scholar
Balkan-Atli, N. 1994. La Néolithisation de l'Anatolie. Paris: De Boccard.Google Scholar
Berger, J.-F. & Guilaine, J.. 2009. The 8200 cal BP abrupt environmental change and the Neolithic transition: a Mediterranean perspective. Quaternary International 200: 31–49.Google Scholar
Darcque, P. & Tsirtsoni, Z.. 2010. Evidence from Dikili Tash (Eastern Macedonia, Greece) and the tell issue, in Hansen, S. (ed.) Leben auf dem Tell als soziale Praxis, Beiträge des internationalen Symposiums in Berlin vom 26-27 Februar 2007 (Kolloquien zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte 14): 55–69. Bonn: Rudolf Habelt.Google Scholar
Darcque, P., Koukouli-Chryssanthaki, H., Malamidou, D. & Tsirtsoni, Z.. 2009. Rapport sur les travaux de l'École française d'Athènes en 2008: Dikili Tash. Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 133: 529–41.Google Scholar
Demoule, J.-P. & Perlès, C.. 1993. The Greek Neolithic: a new review. Journal of World Prehistory 7: 355–416.Google Scholar
Efstratiou, N. 2007. The beginning of the Neolithic in Greece: probing the limits of a ‘grand’ narrative, in Antoniadou, S. & Pace, A. (ed.) Mediterranean crossroads: 123–38. Athens: Pierides Foundation.Google Scholar
Erdoğu, B. 2011. A premilinary report from the 2009 and 2010 field seasons at Ugurlu on the island of Gökçeada. Anatolica 37: 45–65.Google Scholar
Fedoroff, N. & Courty, M.-A.. 2002. Paléosols et sols reliques, in Miskovsky, J.-C. (ed.) Géologie de la Préhistoire: 277–316. Perpignan: Presses Universitaires de Perpignan, Géo Pré.Google Scholar
Görsdorf, J. & Bojadžiev, J.. 1996. Zur absoluten Chronologie der bulgarischen Urgeschichte. Eurasia Antiqua 2: 105–73.Google Scholar
Higham, T.F.G., Ramsey, C. Bronk, Brock, F., Baker, D. & Ditchfield, P.. 2011. Radiocarbon dates from the Oxford AMS System: Archaeometry datelist 34. Archaeometry 53: 1067–84.Google Scholar
Karamitrou-Mentesidi, G. 2009. in Adam-Veleni, P. & Tzanavari, K. (ed.) 105–26. Thessaloniki: Ministry of Culture & University of Thessaloniki.Google Scholar
Karul, N. & Avci, M.B.. 2011. Neolithic communities in the eastern Marmara region: Aktopraklik C. Anatolica 37: 1–15.Google Scholar
Kotsakis, K. 2001. Mesolithic to Neolithic in Greece: continuity, discontinuity or change of course? Documenta Prehistorica 28: 63–73.Google Scholar
Kotsakis, K. 2007. A bridge too far, essentialist concepts in Greek archaeology, in Antoniadou, S. & Pace, A. (ed.) Mediterranean crossroads: 109–21. Athens: Pierides Foundation.Google Scholar
Kotthoff, U., Pross, J., Müller, U.C., Peyron, O., Schmiedl, G., Schulz, H. & Bordon, A.. 2008. Climate dynamics in the borderlands of the Aegean Sea during formation of Sapropel S1 deduced from a marine pollen record. Quaternary Science Reviews 27: 832–45.Google Scholar
Koukouli-Chryssanthaki, C. & Treuil, R.. 2008. Dikili Tash, village préhistorique de Macédoine orientale. Recherches franco-helléniques dirigées par la Société archéologique d’Athènes et l'école française d'Athènes (1986-2001) (Bibliothèque de la Société archéologique d'Athènes 254). Athens: Société archéologique d'Athènes.Google Scholar
Kourtessi-Philippakis, G. 2009. Lithics in the Neolithic of Northern Greece: territorial perspectives from an off-obsidian area. Documenta Praehistorica 36: 305–12.Google Scholar
Leshtakov, K., Todorova, N., Petrova, V. & Kacarov, G.. 2011. Google Scholar
Lespez, L., Dalongeville, R., Noirel-Shutz, C., Suc, J.-P., Koukouli-Chryssanthaki, C. & Treuil, R.. 2000. Les paléoenvironnements du site préhistorique de Dikili Tash (Macédoine orientale, Grèce). Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique 124: 413–34.Google Scholar
Lichter, C. (ed.) 2005. How did farming reach Europe? Anatolian-European relations from the second half of the 7th through the first half of the 6th millennium cal BC: proceedings of the International Workshop, Istanbul, 20-22 May 2004 (BYZAS 2). Istanbul: Ege Yayinlari.Google Scholar
Lioutas, A., & Kotsos, S.. 2006. 20: 241–44.Google Scholar
Maniatis, G. 2002. in Grammenos, D. & Kotsos, S. (ed.) : 847. Thessaloniki: Archaeological Institute of Northern Greece.Google Scholar
Maniatis, G. & Fakorellis, G.. 2012. in Papadopoulos, S. & Malamidou, D. (ed.) 2003: 275–91. Thessaloniki: Ministry of Culture.Google Scholar
Maniatis, G., Kotsakis, K. & Halstead, P.. Forthcoming. Google Scholar
Mayewski, P.A., Rohling, E.E., Stager, J.C., Karlén, W., Maasch, K.A., Meeker, L.D., Meyerson, E.A., Gasse, F., Van Kreveld, S., Holmgren, K., Lee-Thorph, J., Rosqvist, G., Rack, F., Staubwasser, M., Schneider, R.R. & Steig, E.J.. 2004. Holocene climate variability. Quaternary Research 62: 243–55.Google Scholar
Papathanasiou, A. 2011. in G. Karamitrou-Mentesidi, (ed.) To 1, 2009: 257–74. Aiani: Ministry of Culture & Archaeological Museum of Aiani.Google Scholar
Perlès, C. 2001. The Early Neolithic in Greece: the first farmers in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Perlès, C. 2005. From the Near East to Greece: let's reverse the focus. Cultural elements that didn't transfer, in Lichter, C. (ed.) How did farming reach Europe? Anatolian-European relations from the second half of the 7th through the first half of the 6th millennium cal BC(BYZAS 2): 275–90. Istanbul: Ege Yayinlari.Google Scholar
Peyron, O., Goring, S., Dormoy, I., Kotthoff, U., Pross, J., De Beaulieu, J.-L., Drescher-Schneider, R., Vannière, B. & Magny, M.. 2011. Holocene seasonality changes in the central Mediterranean region reconstructed from the pollen sequences of Lake Accesa (Italy) and Tenaghi Philippon (Greece). The Holocene 21: 131–46.Google Scholar
Pross, J., Kotthoff, U., Müller, U.C., Peyron, O., Dormoy, I., Schmiedl, G., Kalaitzidis, S. & Smith, A.M.. 2009. Massive perturbation in terrestrial ecosystems of the Eastern Mediterranean region associated with the 8.2 kyr B.P. climatic event. Geology 37: 887–90.Google Scholar
Reingruber, A. & Thissen, L.. 2005. 14C database for the Aegean catchment (Eastern Greece, Southern Balkans and Western Turkey) 10,000-5500 cal BC, in Lichter, C. (ed.) How did farming reach Europe? Anatolian-European relations from the second half of the 7th through the first half of the 6th millennium cal BC (BYZAS 2): 295–327. Istanbul: Ege Yayinlari.Google Scholar
Renfrew, C., Gimbutas, M. & Elster, E. (ed.) 1986. Excavations at Sitagroi, a prehistoric village in northeast Greece volume 1 (Monumenta Archeologica 13). Los Angeles (CA): Institute of Archaeology at UCLA.Google Scholar
Roodenberg, J., Van As, A., Jacobs, L. & Wijnen, M.H.. 2003. Early settlement in the plain of Yenişehir (NW Anatolia). The basal occupation layers at Menteşe. Anatolica 29: 17–59.Google Scholar
Treuil, R. (ed.) 1992. Dikili Tash, village préhistorique de Macédoine orientale, I. Fouilles de Jean Deshayes (1961-1975) (Bulletin de Correspondance Hellénique Supplément 24). Athens: École française d’Athènes.Google Scholar
Tzanavari, K. & Filis, K.. 2009. in Adam-Veleni, P. & Tzanavari, K. (ed.) To 369–84. Thessaloniki: Ministry of Culture & University of Thessaloniki.Google Scholar
Van Andel, T.H. & Runnels, C.N.. 1995. The earliest farmers in Europe. Antiquity 69: 481–500.Google Scholar
Weninger, B., Alram-Stern, E., Bauer, E., Clare, L., Danzeglocke, U., Jöris, O., Kubatzki, C., Rollefson, G., Todorova, H. & Van Andel, T.. 2006. Climate forcing due to the 8200 cal yr BP event observed at Early Neolithic sites in the eastern Mediterranean. Quaternary Research 66: 401–20.Google Scholar