The Greek and Balkan Pre- and Protohistory Programme

The Programme’s main objective was to study the peoples of Greece and the Balkans during Prehistoric and Protohistoric times through the evidence provided by archaeological research. Due to their geographical position, these regions largely determined European prehistory, as they were the first beneficiaries of innovations, which for various reasons developed earlier in the eastern Mediterranean.

Within this framework, the Programme’s research focused on:
• the social, cultural, technological, and ideological development of prehistoric communities in Greece and the Balkans during the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Bronze Ages, their mutual relations, degree of interaction, and influence on the development of the rest of Europe.
• the identification and analysis of social, cultural, and ideological elements that, during Protohistoric times, led to the formation of the various peoples of Greece and the Balkans, as well as the extent of their interaction.

Short History of the Programme

The Programme was founded in 1985 by Academian M. B. Sakellariou as “Programme for the Study of Palaiobalkan Peoples and Cultures” to promote research of the prehistory and protohistory of southeastern Europe through archaeological evidence. It was for many years the only research programme in Greece active in this field, and the Center — later Section of Greek and Roman Antiquity/ Institute of Historical Research / National Hellenic Research Foundation became the first Greek institution to conduct excavations abroad devoted to Balkan prehistory.

Members

The Programme was headed by Ioannis Aslanis, Director of Research.

Projects

Within the framework of the Programme, intensive research activity was developed, which included the following projects:

 The Chalcolithic Age in Greece

Launched in 1992, this became one of the Programme’s major research projects. Research focused on the development of prehistoric communities in Greece during the 5th and 4th millennia BC—a time period that many prehistorians in Greece still consider part of the Neolithic. However, numerous innovations in social, economic, and technological organization during this period differentiate these communities and place them within the Chalcolithic framework that prevailed in surrounding regions (the Near East, Asia Minor, and southeastern Europe).

Key research topics included:
• the Chalcolithic as an autonomous evolution period and the features that differentiate it from the preceding Neolithic and succeeding Bronze Age.
• the discontinuity observed in the evolution of Chalcolithic communities from the 5th to the 4th millennium and its causes.
• the transition process of prehistoric communities from the Chalcolithic to the Bronze Age, including local variations and their causes.

Greek–Bulgarian Excavation Project “Promachon–Topolnica”

This project included (a) excavation of the Neolithic settlement of Promachon–Topolnica (early 5th millennium BC), crossed by the Greek–Bulgarian border line, and (b) joint publication of the findings from both the Greek and Bulgarian sectors of the site. Collaborating institutions: 17th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Archaeological Institute with Museum in Sofia, and SGRA/IHR/NHRF.

The aims of the project included:
• clarifying the cultural development in the area of the middle Strymon valley during the 5th millennium BC.
• publishing results in a monograph.
• organizing an exhibition of the finds.
• creating a database with material from the Late Neolithic of the middle Strymon valley, based on excavation data from both sectors of the Promachon–Topolnica settlement.
• disseminating the results through participation in international and local conferences, public lectures, exhibitions, and publications.

Excavation Project “Agios Mamas of Nea Olynthos” [Prehistoric Olynthos]

The Programme participated in the excavation of the Toumba at Agios Mamas, Nea Olynthos (Chalkidiki), led by Prof. B. Hänsel, between 1994 and 1996,.

Collaborating institutions: Freie Universität Berlin, German Archaeological Institute at Athens, and SGRA/IHR/NHRF.

The aim of the project was to investigate the prehistoric settlement of Agios Mamas, which according to all indications is Prehistoric Olynthos, and to study cultural developments in northern Greece during the Middle and Late Bronze Age.

SGRA/IHR/NHRF contributed by:
• supporting the excavation during 1994–1996.
• studying the Middle Bronze Age material.
• presenting the research results through international conferences, public lectures, and publications.

Greek–Bulgarian Excavation Project “Yunatsite”

This was the first excavation conducted by a Greek research institution in the Balkans. It began in 2002 as a collaboration between SGRA/IHR/NHRF, the Archaeological Institute with Museum (Sofia), and the District Historical Museum of Pazardzhik. The project aimed at excavating the prehistoric settlement of Yunatsite, near Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, focusing on the organization and function of the settlement during the Chalcolithic period. The project’s results contributed significantly to our understanding of the western part of Thracian plain during this era.

Collaborations

The Programme collaborated with:
• The 17th and 28th Ephorates of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities
• The Archaeological Institute with Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Freie Universität Berlin
• The German Archaeological Institute at Athens
• District Historical Museum (DHM) – Pazardzhik, Bulgaria