November 12, 2012

Did Neolithic Greeks build their homes entirely of stone?

Wall remains at Koutroula Magoula
It has been generally assumed that ancient Greek farmers from the Neolithic period built their homes of mudbrick on stone foundations. However recent research at Koutroula Magoula (Phthiotis) has found some stone walls as high as one meter, suggesting that maybe the whole structure was built with this material.


The site is a magoula or tell, a hill created by the piling up of one town above the remnants of the previous, typical from West Asia and the Balkans, belonging to the Middle Neolithic period. This means Early Dimini culture, similar to Vinča in pottery style and other cultural traits. However, while Starčevo and Vinča farmers from Serbia and surroundings built their homes as wooden structures closed with mudbrick (a method also used further North in the Danubian Neolithic), their Greek relatives erected at least the foundations on stone since the times of Sesklo (i.e. the very first European Neolithic known). Now it may end being that it was not just the foundations but the whole walls which were built with such materials. 

4 comments:

  1. I hate to say "I told you so" but ... I did.

    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did you? I'm sorry not to remember having a discussion on this with you nor anybody. I really do not remember having discussed Greek Neolithic architecture ever. You must be thinking someone else.

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stay on topic. If you wish to argue with me, you can email me.

      Delete

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