ARISTEIA-IGEAN (Innovative Geophysical Approaches for the Study of Early Agricultural Villages of Neolithic Thessaly) project has been running for the past 3 years aiming (at?) the systematic and extensive geophysical exploration of Neolithic landscape of Thessaly. The research project has been focused in the study of the natural landscape and social dynamics of Neolithic settlements within the coastal environs of eastern Thessaly, Greece. The goal of the project was to offer a broad non-destructive remote sensing coverage of a number of Neolithic settlements in order to study habitation practices that are developed in various ecological niches and document their cultural and environmental characteristics.
The geospatial technologies employed satellite remote sensing images, aerial reconnaissance through the use of UAV, ground based geophysical surveys that engaged new generation prospection instrumentation and soil analyses. The manifold research agenda which was developed specifically to approach the particular archaeological questions proved effective for the detailed mapping of the natural properties of the soil that hindered the archaeological residues of the past occupation. The engagement of the specific methods was possible to capture both the horizontal and vertical extent of the cultural layers offering a more holistic image of the plan of the settlements.
The results of the methodology applied proved to be revealing in terms of the internal organization of space of the tells (magoules) and the usage of space in their vicinity, outlining at the same time details of the environmental settings of the Neolithic settlements. The intra-site distribution and clustering of dwellings, the structural differences of them (daub or stone made structures of variable sizes), the existence of ditches and enclosures demarcating the limits of the sites and the differentiation between habitation quarters and open spaces within the settlements, the existence of corridors and entrances within the enclosures are included among the various finds of the campaign.
Dealing with relatively small size mounds or much larger extensive settlements, the project revealed a large degree of variation in the occupation of the landscape and the usage of space. The study was able to capture an integrated image of the habitation settings and to highlight the large degree of divergence in the settlement patterns of these agrarian societies in Neolithic Thessaly.
Communities, Landscapes, and Interaction in Neolithic Greece
International conference 29-30 May 2015
