All available evidence for architecture of the Neolithic
Period in Thessaly, Greece, is assembled and synthesized.
The traditional house-type concept used in previous
studies is reviewed and shown to contain a number of theoretical
and methodological weaknesses. A new theoretical
approach is developed, which treats Neolithic architecture
as an integral component of the overall cultural system,
reflecting climatic conditions, building technology, social
organization, household structure, religion and ideology.
The existence of a separate Aceramic phase in Thessaly
is questioned; the "pithouse" architecture of that phase is
rejected for lack of evidence. The earliest Early Neolithic
architecture appears to be a local development of rectilinear
houses of wood and clay; pise, mud brick, and stone
foundations were also used. Evidence for Middle Neolithic
architecture is more abundant, and takes the form of house
remains and clay house models. MN settlements consist of
detached but closely grouped houses separated by lanes and common courts. Houses are typically small, one-room structures
of square or slightly elongated plan. Mud brick on
stone foundations, and pitched roofs, are typical. Households
probably consisted of nuclear families.
The so-called "megara" of the MN period are shown to
be locally developed parched houses. The identification of
the "Tsangli houses" with similar structures from Can Hasan
2B in Anatolia, and the posited migration from there into
Thessaly, are rejected on the basis of an archaeological
comparison of the architecture of the two sites.
Limited data for the LN period suggest a shift to
smaller, more nucleated settlements. Houses seem to be
larger now than in the MN period; this may reflect either
occupation by extended families or the existence of status
distinctions. The traditional interpretation of LN Dimini
as the fortified palace of a king is reconsidered in light
of a discussion of the ''Homeric model" implicit in the original
excavator's reasoning, and on the basis of recent
excavations at that site. Remains of the Final Neolithic
are extremely limited; the existence of an apsidal house at
Rakhmani suggests affinities with the architecture of the
early phases of the Early Bronze Age in the region.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/48526 |
| Date | January 1982 |
| Creators | Elia, Ricardo J. |
| Publisher | Boston University |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | This work is being made available in OpenBU by permission of its author, and is available for research purposes only. All rights are reserved to the author. |
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