Evidence from Dikili Tash (Eastern Macedonia, Greece) and the tell issue

Pascal Darcque & Ζοi Tsirtsoni In S. Hansen (ed.), Leben auf dem Tell als soziale Praxis, Beiträge des Internationalen Symposiums in Berlin vom 26.-27. Februar 2007 (Bonn 2010): 55-69

Από την εισαγωγή (στα Αγγλικά)

The tell of Dikili Tash is located in the southeastern part of the Drama plain, in eastern Macedonia, northern Greece. It is situated some 2.5 km East of the ancient town of Philippi, at the eastern edge of what is now the modern town of Krinides. The plain of Drama (also called plain of Philippi) extends some 50 x 15 km and is well known to geologists, for it holds one of the biggest turf and lignite deposits in southern Europe. It is a rather closed entity, surrounded on all sides by mountains, some of which are quite high (Phalakron in the North, 1450 m in height; Menikion in the Northwest, at 1880 m; and Pangaion in the Soutwest, at 1956 m). The only true opening to the plain lies in the West, where communication with the neighbouring Serres plain is easy through the Angitis river valley (a confluent of the Strymon river, which flows between the Menikion and the Pangaion mountains). But, of course, the role of mountainous passages in communicating with regions farther North or East, as well as with the coastal zone in the South, should not be underestimated. The absolute altitude inside the plain varies between 45 and 80 m above sea level (= asl). Until recently, much of this space was occupied by a large swamp (drained between 1931 and 1940), which covered the lowest parts of the plain (i.e. the centre and the Southeast), and whose presence also explains the existence of turf deposits in this area.