Neolithic lakeside settlements were some of the earliest and most complex human settlements. These communities included multiple dwellings, animal corrals, and even communal buildings such as granaries or worship areas. Lakes and rivers provided an abundant source of food for the people and animals, as well as a reliable source of water. The proximity to water also allowed for the development of agriculture, allowing for larger and more stable settlements.
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Neolithic lakeside settlements in Europe have yielded a wealth of information about the lives of early humans, including their diets, their burial practices, and even their artistic expression. These settlements, which date back around 6,000 years, were home to some of the most advanced societies of the time, and they give us valuable insights into how humans evolved and adapted to various environments.
In particular, the discovery of intricate clay figurines at one site suggests that early humans had a strong interest in the arts, perhaps even as a way of exploring their spirituality and the mysteries of the natural world. Overall, the study of these ancient European settlements offers a fascinating window into the past and the diverse cultures that once thrived there.
Lake Orestiada or Kastoria Lake named after the town of Kastoria is located in Northwestern Greece. It covers an area of 28 sq. meters and sits at an altitude of 630 meters. Nine rivulets flow into the lake providing water all year round and drains into Aliakmon River Its depth varies from nine to ten meters and usually freezes during winter. The Kastoria Peninsula divides the lake into two parts, the larger to the north and the smaller to the south.
The town of Kastoria is well known for its Byzantine and Macedonian heritage as well as for its local production of furs and beans. Explore Kastoria with us the SKG BUS! For more information on our Kastoria tours click here or simply call Michael at +306976888113
There are so many worth visiting locations to explore both in Kastoria and around the lake as Byzantine churches and monasteries.
Dispilio is a picturesque lakeside village just before Kastoria and its archaeological site lies a Neolithic lakeside settlement.The lake settlement discovered during the dry winter of 1932, which lowered the lake level and revealed traces of the settlement. Professor A. Keramopoulos made a preliminary survey in 1935. Excavations began in 1992, led by G. Hourmouziadis, professor of prehistoric archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The site’s paleoenvironment, botany, fishing techniques, tools and ceramics published informally in the June 2000 issue of Εptakiklos, a Greek archaeology magazine and by Hourmouziadis in 2002.
A recreation of the lake dwellers’ settlement erected near the site to attract tourists from Greece and abroad. The site appears occupied over a long period, from the final stages of the middle Neolithic era (5600-5000 BC) to the Final Neolithic (3000 BC). A number of items found, including ceramics, wooden structural elements, seeds, bones, figurines, personal ornaments, flutes and a wooden tablet with markings on it, the Dispilio Tablet. Explore Kastoria and nearby region with us the SKG BUS! For more information on our Kastoria tours click here or simply call Michael at +306976888113