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In Greece many thousand years ago, long habitation was known in the east east south. Due to the fertile arable soil, abundance of water, and direct access to both the sea and mountains. Using their strategic location, Sesklo excelled during the neolithic age.

The prehistoric settlement of Sesklo is situated near the modern village of the same name, 15 kilometres to the southwest of Volos, in Thessaly. Excavations have been dated to the pre-pottery neolithic, or about 9000 years ago. To the late neolithic 4500 BC, (or, about 6500 years ago)

Located a few miles apart, is another similar neolithic settlement called Dimini Both settlements included a large central megaron building, surrounded by smaller houses and buildings, and walls. They provided, access to both the Pelion mountains, and sea of the Gulf of Pagassai.

The people of Sesklo (and, Dimini) built their villages on hillsides near fertile valleys, where they were able to grow an abundance of wheat and barley. They kept herds of mainly sheep and goats, although they also had cattle, swine, and dogs.

Initially, settlements were discovered in the 19th century, and the first excavations were made by the Greek archaeologist, Christos Tsountas. (1)

Over time, archaeologists have debated a retaining wall function
Not just for protection but to mark habitational spaces; as animal enclosures, or for ritual purposes. (2) Though regardless, they reinforced the distinction between the inner settlement, and outside world. (3)

Over 2500 years, Sesklo had phases:
Pre or proto Sesklo; aceramic, or, pre-pottery phase 6800–6500 BC;
The oldest fragments researched show a development of the culture as far back as 7510 BC to 6190 BC.
Findings show advanced agriculture and very early use of pottery. It is believed may rival use in near east.
It is believed this early known neolithic culture of Europe, helped spread, establish and inhabit other early cultures. Such as the ones in other parts of Thessaly, Macedonia, and others.

Initially, at Sesklo, a small settlement of the pre-pottery neolithic was limited to a central area. It consisted of subterranean huts with corner posts and make shift walls. It grew to the west of the hill l, and what is known as called ‘Sesklo B and C’. The inhabitants grew from sub-terranenean 4 post huts. To four sided, one roomed buildings with stone foundations, and mudbrick walls.

Free spaces were filled, and all kinds of economic and social activities were organized
They had neighboring households. They enjoyed cooking, pottery making, carving, and trading.

6500-5800 BC Early neolithic
In the early period, Sesklos houses were still small. Still with one or two rooms, and built of wood or mudbrick. Construction techniques evolved later in this period, becoming more homogeneous, and with, eventually all homes being constructed of stone foundations and adobe.

The first houses with two levels begin. And, were found clearly indicating an intentionally that urbanism existed

The lower archaeological levels of proto-Sesklo lacked pottery
But the Sesklo people soon developed very fine-glazed earthenware. They begin decorating it with geometric symbols of red and brown colors. These new types of pottery were incorporated in the early neolithic Sesklo period, and helped it expand.

They may have also domesticated cattle during this period
Domestication of cattle as early as 6300bc was found nearby at Argissa. (4) And, bone fragment pieces have been found dating to this area. Helping with agriculture.

5800-5300 BC Middle neolithic
During the middle Neolithic, the settlement covered Kastraki hill (“citadel” or Sesklo A), and, further (Sesklo B and C). It probably accommodated 200-300 inhabitants

This middle neolithic, is also called: ‘Sesklo culture’. Since it was here that for the first time, different cultural achievements were characterized in Thessaly.

It was during this period when a denser habitation was observed
More rectangular buildings with stone foundations; walls of mud-bricks; and, gable or hipped roofs were found. It became a main practice of Greek neolithic architecture.

Buildings usually had one room, on the ground floor, while there was indications of existence of a second story

Their interior included hearths and constructions for storing goods, and sleeping

The arrangement of the houses at the “citadel” differed from that of the so-called “city” The “citadel” followed a free-standing arrangement. Homes were at a short distance from each other. While in the “city” they were built one next to the other. Forming clusters at some distance, one from one another. In both cases though, there was great effort to ensure as great building space as possible was manifest. In the “citadel” curvilinear retaining walls were built. It created terraces for buildings on the west slope.

Characteristic painted pottery, red on light brown, continued into the middle Neolithic They were unearthed at the “citadel” of Sesklo but it was not found in the “city” of Sesklo. Which could be attributed to some economic and social inequality.

By 5000BC its believed they were 5000 people, 20 hectares and 500-800 houses (5)(6)

Late neolithic I 5300–4800 BC; &, late neolithic II 4800–4500 BC
Some professors believe an “Sesklo invasion theory”. Stating that Sesklo culture lasted until around 5000 BC. When it was violently conquered by people of the nearby Dimini culture.

The Dimini and Sesklo culture had many similarities, but in this theory it is considered different from that found earlier at Sesklo. Because they were fighting. An alternative theory states, they lived and worked together a number of centuries, before turning on each other.

One thing is for sure. Around 4400 BC this thriving settlement was destroyed by an earthquake, followed by fire. (7) It was the case with other Thessalian settlements too.

Because of the fire. For approximately 500 years, it left behind abandoned ruins. Among them was a pottery workshop. Sealed off for centuries. It had some of the finest specimens of pottery, figurines; stone industry pieces; seals; and, jewelry from the period.

After the fire, only the “citadel” of Sesklo was re-inhabited. At its highest spot, a large megaroid house was built, with open porch and two closed rooms around 152 square meters (around 500 square feet)
This building became the most important of the settlement and was surrounded by stone enclosures. Similarly to those of neighboring Dimini. Around it, other homes and shops could be built reinforcing them.

Found in the near eastern regions. There were many similarities between Asia minor, and early Greek neolithic pottery
It has been acknowledged early Sesklo settlers could have migrated from Asia Minor, (and vice versa). However, such similarities seem to exist among all early pottery found in near eastern regions. And, Asia minor vessels had a few differences. The repertoire of shapes is not very different, but they seem to be deeper than Thessalian counterparts. Shallow, slightly open bowls are characteristic of the Sesklo culture.

There was both earthenware; and stoneware pottery found
Earthenware, is the simplest and oldest type. Its also the softest because it’s heated at the lowest setting (typically between 1000 and 1200 celsius). Stoneware is thicker, higher temperature fired (1100-1300c). And, typically covered with a powdered glass glaze mixture; then re fired.

The earliest appearance of figurines is different too
One significant characteristic is the abundance of women statuettes, often pregnant. It was probably connected to the widely hypothesized Gorgons, and prehistoric fertility cult theory. (8) Throughout many millennia, these sculptures of women were became present in all the Balkan cultures; and, most of the Danube civilizations.

At some point probably working for, or against each other. It is no doubt that Sesklo and the other cultures in east east southern Greece were an factor important factor in neolithic Europe. One thing that is for certain. The long habitation was known due to the soil, abundance of water; and, direct access to the sea and mountains. Making Sesklo an excellent location on the triptych during the neolithic age.

Cite: 1) C. Τσουντας, Αι Προιστορικαι Ακροπολεις Διμηνιου και Σεσκλου (1908 Athens)

2) Heath, Julian (2017). Warfare in Neolithic Europe. South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. pp. 1–10. ISBN 978 1 47387 985 0.

3) Demoule, Jean-Paul; Perlès, Catherine (1993). “The Greek Neolithic: A New Review”. Journal
of World Prehistory. 7 (4): 355–416. doi:10.1007/bf00997801 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fbf009
97801). JSTOR 25800637 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/25800637).

4) “Argissa-Magoula” (https://web.archive.org/web/20070210120522/http://www.mnsu.edu/emuse
um/archaeology/sites/europe/argissa-magoula.html). Archived from the original (http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/archaeology/sites/europe/argissa-magoula.html)

5) “History of Volos” (http://esrea2006.ece.uth.gr/en/local.php) on the web publication of the ESREA Life History and Biography Network’s 2006 Conference Transitional Spaces,
Transitional Processes and Research Volos, Greece, 2–5 March 2006.

6) Curtis Neil Runnels, Priscilla Murray: Greece Before History: An Archaeological Companion and Guide. Stanford University Press, Stanford/CA 2001, p. 146 (https://books.google.com/books?id=rg4rTjo0OCQC&dq=sesklo+settlement+2%2C000+people&pg=PA146): “Theocharis believed that the entire area from there to the upper acropolis of the site was filled with habitations and that Sesklo was a town of perhaps 5,000 people, rather than a village. Other archaeologists working at the site have reduced the population estimate to between 1,000 and
2,000, but either way, Sesklo was a settlement of impressive size in its day.”

7) Sesklo. (n.d.). http://www.fhw.gr/chronos/01/en/nl/mn/sesklo.html

8) The Language of the Goddess, February 1, 2001 by Marija Gimbutas (Author), Joseph Campbell (Author) ISBN-10: ‎ 0500282498, ISBN-13: ‎ 978-0500282496;

Bibliography: Liritzis, I (1981). Dating by thermoluminescence: Application to Neolithic settlement of Dimini. In: Anthropologika 2, 37–48 (in Greek with English summary).

Reingruber, Agathe and Thissen, Laurens (2005). Aegean Catchment Aegean Catchment (E Greece, S Balkans and W Turkey) 10,000 – 5500 cal BC (paper on CANeW 14C databases and 14C charts).

“Sesklo (Site)” (https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/artifact?name=Sesklo&object=site). http://www.perseus.tufts.edu.

Runnels, Curtis N.; Payne, Claire; Rifkind, Noam V.; White, Chantel; Wolff, Nicholas P.; LeBlanc, Steven A. (2009). “Warfare in Neolithic Thessaly: A Case Study”. Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. 78 (2): 165–194. doi:10.2972/
hesp.78.2.165 (https://doi.org/10.2972%2Fhesp.78.2.165). JSTOR 25622691 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/25622691).