Greece - Korina Miller [9]
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NORTHERN ANTIQUITIES
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Make Thessaloniki your base and seek out some of the lesser-known but no less spectacular sites of the sprawling regions of Epiros, Macedonia and Thrace. This itinerary is best accomplished with your own transport.
Revel for a day or two in the vibrant nightlife of Thessaloniki and visit its numerous museums, then head west to the ancient Macedonian capital of Pella, where you can admire the ruins of Alexander the Great’s home base. See the stunning tomb of Alexander’s father Phillip of Macedon at nearby Vergina, the north’s singularly most impressive archaeological site. Cross the looming Pindos Mountains to Ioannina from where you can easily visit the splendid amphitheatre and oracle of Dodoni, the eerie underground site of ancient Hades at the Nekromanteio of Afyra, close to the Epirot coast, and the Roman-era settlement of Nikopolis. Cross back to Macedonia and take another breather in Thessaloniki before heading east. The first stop will be Philippi, a Roman site where Christianity was first accepted in Europe and close to the busy port of Kavala with its archaeological museum. Do not miss out on the spectacular Sanctuary of the Great Gods on the island of Samothraki where the Winged Victory of Samothrace was found (now on display in the Louvre in Paris).
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History
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PREHISTORY
ARTISTIC & CULTURAL LEGACIES
WAR & CONQUEST
FOREIGN RULE
INDEPENDENCE
THE MODERN GREEK NATION
TIMELINE
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PREHISTORY
The discovery of a Neanderthal skull in a cave on the Halkidiki peninsula of Macedonia confirmed the presence of humans in Greece 700,000 years ago; and bones and tools from as far back as Palaeolithic times (around 6500 BC) have been found in the Pindos Mountains.
Pastoral communities emerged during Neolithic times (7000–3000 BC), primarily in the fertile region that is now Thessaly. These well-organised people grew barley and wheat; bred sheep and goats; and used clay to produce pots, vases and stylised representations of idols as figures of worship.
By 3000 BC settlements had developed into streets, squares and mud-brick houses. The villages were organised around a large palacelike structure that belonged to the tribal leader. The most complete Neolithic settlements in Greece are Dimini (inhabited from 4000 to 1200 BC) and Sesklo, near Volos.
Around 3000 BC Indo-European migrants introduced the processing of bronze into Greece and from there began three remarkable civilisations: Cycladic, Minoan and Mycenaean.
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Greece Before History, by Priscilla Murray and Curtis Neil Runnels, is a good introduction to Greece’s earliest days.
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ARTISTIC & CULTURAL LEGACIES
Ancient Civilisations
CYCLADIC CIVILISATION
The Cycladic civilisation – centred on the islands of the Cyclades – comprised a cluster of small island communities that relied primarily on Neolithic farming methods and fishing. However, their society developed a sophisticated artistic temperament.
The most striking legacy of this civilisation is the carving of the statuettes from Parian marble – the famous Cycladic figurines. The statuettes depicted images of the Great Mother (a form of early worship, Click here for more details). Other remains include bronze and obsidian tools and weapons, gold jewellery, and stone and clay vases and pots. Cycladic sculptors are also renowned for their impressive, life-sized kouroi (marble statues),