It is one of the most important prehistoric settlements in Northern Greece Dickie bowlafter its unanimous decision Central Archaeological Council (KAS) for the construction of a state-of-the-art protective dome and highlighting the award-winning excavation project undertaken in recent years.
The prehistoric settlement of Dikili Tas (which means “standing stone” in Turkish) is located in the southeastern part of the Philippian Plain, on the outskirts of the present-day city of Krinides, in the municipality of Kavala. It is located less than 2 km from the center of the famous ancient city of Philippi and the ancient site of the same name. A Roman-era marble tomb monument, from which the place name Dikili Tas derives, was erected beside the ancient Egnatia road (known to have connected Durs with Constantinople), which crossed the city of Philippi on roughly the same route as the present-day provincial road leading to Kavala city.
Dikili Tas is valued as a particularly important archaeological site due to the cognitive, social and material values that characterize it. The residential remains found are abundant and in an excellent state of preservation, making them easily legible to the public. The variety and quality of the finds are of high value and indicate that this was a vital prehistoric settlement. In it, the earliest evidence of wine production, not only in Greece, but throughout the world, is remarkable.The shelter proposed by the excavation study team, which received unanimous approval from KAS, will allow visitors to interact with prehistoric architectural remains that are rarely found in archaeological sites to discover and understand the unknown distant past.
However, in addition to the vaulted canopy, the study also includes a number of other projects that will contribute to highlighting the prehistoric settlement, to its visitors and in conjunction with the Philippi archaeological site, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. , will create a unique monumental ensemble.
In 2020, the Dikili Tas archaeological research team was awarded the Simon and Cino Del Duca Foundation Archeology Grand Prize by the French Academy in recognition of the team’s scientific quality and the importance of the excavation work at the prehistoric settlement.