Blogs from the field
Between 24th and 26th October, David Gundry travelled to northern Greece to make the first site visit to WMF’s new project near Thessaloniki. The project is concerned with the analysis and consolidation of an ancient subterranean tomb (Tomb “C”, c. 330BC) near to the old city of Pella, capital of the kingdom of the ancient Macedonians and one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece.
Pella, Greece
Day 1
Getting up at 6.30am is easy when such an attractive visit awaits! First job was to meet Ms. Vanta Vasiliki Kyriakou, President of CICOP-Greece, the organisation with which WMF is working at this site, for coffee and to introduce ourselves. After this I set off from central Thessaloniki and drive the 60Km north-west to the ancient city of Pella. I was due to meet Dr. Pavlos Chrysostomou the Archaeologist responsible for excavating tomb “C” in 1994 and who represents the Greece Ministry of Culture in this area of the country.
Pella is a remarkable site, with much of the city’s layout still clearly discernable. It is famous for the quality of its surviving mosaics and pavements, which are preserved both in-situ and in the site museum alongside the incredible other finds that have been made since the work began in the 1950s. Dr. Chrysostomou gives us a fantastic tour, patiently answering my frequent questions, describing the extensive work that is currently going on to partially reconstruct areas of the site and to protect other fabric that has been exposed by excavations. My Greek is poor and much worse than Dr. Chrysostomou’s English and so some information is lost through translation, but I leave concerned about the level of reconstruction being undertaken at the site.
Next I drive the few kilometres to tomb “C”. After construction, these tombs were covered by a tumulus and so one has to walk down to the façade, but one is instantly rewarded with a wonderfully well preserved and well-proportioned Doric entrance-way surmounted with pediment and still vibrant polychromy. The longer the tomb is exposed, the more damage will be done - but our findings here will contribute to the conservation of a unique cultural landscape of over 100 similar sites.
Like the vast majority of Macedonian tombs, easily identified from the surface by the covering tumulus, this tomb was desecrated within a couple of hundred years of construction and the likely valuable contents were stolen. Inside the tomb you can see where the robbers forced a way in through the barrel vault, a powerful connection to the past.
After discussing the various aspects of the project I make my way to Vergina, approximately 30km south of Pella, the location of the royal necropolis and the tomb of Phillip II. This was another wonderful experience – the tumulus above the tomb has be totally removed and replaced with a shelter, preserving the external ground levels as found, and the space that has been created inside is now the location of a museum that exhibiting the contents of Phillip’s tomb. I can only say that anyone who happens to be in this area should certainly not miss this museum as it really does take your breath away!
Pella, Greece
Day 2
The following day, I start a bit later and travel south to the mountain village of Ambelakia. I am told that it is the location of the world’s first co-operative, dating from c.1770. It’s cold and wet outside and, walking through the village, it seems that people are gearing up for the winter months now that the tourist season is over. I say “good morning” to a man in the square and he replies “where else can I go?!”
Historically, the trade was in dyed wool and it evidently was a lucrative business, judging by the large mansions, or “Archontiko”, that the merchants built themselves. Internally, they are decorated with panelled timber and painted naively with naturalistic scenes and imagined views of Constantinople. Some conservation work has been completed in the past, but clearly there is much wear to the soft pine floor boards from visitors like myself and evidence of extensive water damage to the wall paintings. I am told that conservation work is “temporarily” halted due to a lack of funds.
On the last day, I have another meeting with Vanta to review the progress of the project and to determine next steps, and then it’s off to the airport and home; a busy but enjoyable introduction to Greek Macedonia. There is a lot to do in the area and I can certainly recommend it as a destination.
