The Ministry of Culture proceeds to the integrated protection and promotion of the prehistoric settlement of Sesklo A and B in Aisonia of Magnesia. The design includes proposals for the overall enhancement of the archaeological site, through interventions to fix the ancient remains, improve accessibility and visitor management, as well as flood protection projects for the particularly important archaeological site. The settlement of Sesklo has been damaged both by the 2023 fire and by Daniel.

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, said: “The archaeological site of Sesklo, in Thessaly, is one of the most important and oldest Neolithic settlements in Greece and Europe. It developed on the Kastraki hill and the surrounding area, near the present-day village of Sesklo and dates from the beginning of the Neolithic Age (7th millennium BC) to the Middle Bronze Age (2nd millennium BC), with a peak in the 5th millennium BC during the Middle Neolithic period. This period coincides with the so-called ‘Sesklo culture’, during which the firing technique of earthenware and its written decoration was developed and significantly improved. As it is the oldest example in Greece where the architecture of buildings and the organisation of a settlement is recognised, it occupies an important place in the evolution of architecture. The preservation of the impressive Megaron and parts of the enclosures, which form the core of the building remains of the Late Neolithic period, offers a unique example of the evolution of settlements and the architecture of the period. The protection of the archaeological site, and specifically the walls and foundations of Sesklo A and B, is a difficult and multifaceted subject due to the importance of the finds, the fragility of the building remains and the pathogenicity of the earthen mound that covers the ancient remains. Protection works have been carried out in the past, but after more than twenty years since the last interventions, the fire and the floods of 2023, which affected the archaeological site, significant problems have been identified regarding the preservation of the building remains and the readability of the site. Our aim is to manage these problems as comprehensively as possible, improving the accessibility and visibility of the prehistoric settlement, as it has been steadily increasing visitor numbers in recent years. The main problems identified in the archaeological site are related to the undermining of some walls, the undermining of the foundations, the lack of understanding of the sites and building phases, the newer slate structures confused with the ancient structures, the erosion of the masonry and the management of rainwater. I thank the Hellenic Shipowners Association, President Melina Travlos and the members of the Board of Directors for their support to the Ministry of Culture for the restoration of the monuments affected by the catastrophic floods of 2023.”

The architectural study for the fixing, restoration and promotion of the building remains of the prehistoric settlement of Sesklo A and B had a coordinating role in all the studies, aiming to formulate solutions for the protection and restoration of the building remains, as well as the promotion of the site with mild interventions, compatible with the character of the site, in order to improve its visibility and visitability. The proposal to organise the site at Sesko A is to maintain the existing visitor route, which has been imposed by the geomorphology of the canoe and its remains. In order to make the site more readable by visitors, two distinct areas are formed, the mansion and the group of houses, where the visitor can perceive a characteristic image of the unique settlement that constitutes the period of the “Sesklo culture”. In the Acropolis, it is proposed to remove the slate structures of the 1970s and 1980s, which are often confused with the original structures, and to create a new tour route that allows wheelchair access. The route shall be constructed in the same location as the existing route. A rainwater drainage ditch will be constructed along the southern flank. The ascent route to the south-west of the Acropolis shall be removed. At the same time, maintenance work on the existing buildings (entrance, offices and warehouses) is being carried out. Outside the main entrance, work is under way to change the gradient of the road and to settle the water at the end of the road.

Based on the conclusions of the structural study for the fixing, restoration and enhancement of the building remains, the existing retaining wall is extended, the hill is restored in the location of the southern landslide and the underpinning of the structures is reinforced. The drainage study for the management of surface water from the building remains includes the protection of the archaeological site from flood runoff, the management of surface water runoff to the building remains of the prehistoric settlements as well as to the other sites. At the same time, a special horticultural study is being launched, which includes a plan for the management of native vegetation in the area of the building remains, with the aim of using species that protect against surface erosion and highlight the remains, as well as the addition of suitable ornamental vegetation that serves functional purposes such as shading in appropriate places, highlighting pathways and boundaries.

The archaeological site, with a total area of about 40 acres, includes the building remains on the hill Kastraki, the Acropolis (Sesklo A), and Sesklo B on the slope, which consist mainly of houses, densely arranged, made of stone foundations and brick superstructure, beams and chimneys. The settlement had known other phases (Sesklo C, D and E). The settlement was destroyed by fire at the end of the 5th millennium BC, but was re-inhabited during the Late Neolithic period, but only in Kastraki. During this period the ‘megaron’ was built at the highest point, occupying the central part of the new settlement and surrounded by a system of circular stone enclosures. The settlement continued to be inhabited until the Early and Middle Bronze Age.