 sesklo () is a village near the city of volos, in thessaly (central greece), in the regional unit of magnesia. it is part of the municipal unit aisonia. nearby, a neolithic settlement was discovered at the end of the 19th century and the first excavations were made by greek archaeologist, christos tsountas. the neolithic settlement was covering an area of about 200,000 m2 in its peak period around 5000 bc and comprised about 500 - 800 houses with a population of perhaps up to 5,000 people.http://esrea2006.ece.uth.gr/en/local.phphttp://books.google.dk/books?id=rg4rtjo0ocqc&pg=pa146&lpg=pa146&dq=sesklo+settlement+2,000+people&source=bl&ots=xcbxopws0w&sig=ixyrcej5tz3jjo2i96y-jnkthxo&hl=da&sa=x&ei=s8wourzuii2qhafrric4dg&ved=0chuq6aewcq#v=onepage&q=sesklo%20settlement%202%2c000%20people&f=false ==sesklo culture== this settlement gives its name to the first neolithic culture of europe, which inhabited thessaly and parts of macedonia (greece). the oldest fragments researched at sesklo place the civilization's development as far back as 6850 bc with a +/- 660 year margin of error. the first settlements, which predate the 6th millennium bce, are known as proto-sesklo (main group) and pre-sesklo (secondary groups with differentiated characteristics) and they show an advanced agriculture and a very early use of pottery that rivals in age those of the near east. the peoples of sesklo built their villages on hillsides near fertile valleys, where they grew wheat and barley, also keeping herds of mainly sheep and goats, though they also had cows, pigs and dogs. their houses were small, with one or two rooms, built of wood or mudbrick in the early period. later the construction technique becomes more homogeneous and all homes are built of adobe with stone foundations. in the 6th millennium bce, the first houses with two levels are found and there is also a clear intentional urbanism. the lower levels of proto-sesklo lack pottery, but the sesklo people soon developed very fine glazed earthenware (cups and bowls) that they decorated with geometric paintings in red or brown colours. in the sesklo period new types of ware are incorporated. at the end of the period the decoration evolves to flame motifs. pottery of this 'classic' sesklo
Ancient_Greece Aromanian_settlements_in_Greece Neolithic_settlements_in_Thessaly Populated_places_established_in_the_7th_millennium_BC Populated_places_in_Magnesia_(regional_unit)