Achilleion

About

Achilleion is an early Neolithic site in Thessaly, Greece. It was partly excavated in the 1970s.

Description: Achilleion is a stratified Early and Middle Neolithic tell of 200 x 260 m. Excavations were led by archaeologist Marija Gimbutas in cooperation with D. Theocharis and yielded valuable information on the mounds stratigraphy, chronology, settlement phases, architecture, material culture and environment. The Sesklo site is best known for the large number of figurines recovered at the site.

Excavation: The excavation was funded by UCLA with additional support from the National Science Foundation, the Samuel H. Kress foundation and American INVS-Co. 40 american, greek and international students and scholars participated in the excavations, that proceeded in the months of August and September 1973 and 1974. The site was investigaed through four trenches on the mound, supplemented by additional test trenches in the surrounding area. Its chronology has been divided into four phases with further subdivisions, based on gradual changes in architectural and ceramic styles. It covers the complete Sesklo sequence. The well-preserved material culture of Achilleion includes all find...