Article by Nikos Kakagias
Cover photo by Nikos Kakagias
Edited by Harrys Pourouzidis
Unplanned outings hide surprises, and when Dimos suddenly threw out, “We’re off to Kilkis,” no one expected what followed. Karpi is a village perched on the wooded foothills of northeastern Paiko, northwest of Goumenissa. The surprise was deep green and crystal-clear in texture.
The waterfall offered exactly the kind of challenge every self-respecting photographer looks for, and the constant clicks of the cameras accompanied the concert of the orchestra hidden in the treetops. The landscape showed care and order, with wooden bridges and well-kept paths, an image that felt almost strange to us, since on our group outings we have grown used to neglect and scattered rubbish. Eye and camera alike filled with images, and the schedule continued with a visit a little farther south.
Evropos
Modern Europos is built on the plain that opens east of the slopes of Paiko, and something about it reminded me of a long, gruelling joint military exercise from the almost forgotten years of my army service.
Perhaps that also explains the quiet discomfort I felt when Demosthenes informed us that ancient Europos was also located there.
That impression changed completely, however, when we saw the well-kept enclosure surrounding the archaeological site and the small, tidy buildings providing support for both guards and visitors.
We were welcomed by the smile of the site guard, who guided us through the whole excavation area with genuine enthusiasm.
Only a small part of the site has been excavated so far, and what it may reveal in the future remains to be seen. Some of the finds, such as the only kouros in northern Greece, are housed in the Museum of Kilkis, while a golden wreath and bracelet are kept in the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, in the section “The Gold of the Macedonians.”
The ancient city was the birthplace of Seleucus I Nicator, who, after Alexander’s death, as one of his successors, would determine the fate of distant Mesopotamia. There he founded the city of Dura-Europos, in memory of his faraway homeland.
Our present homeland had more small surprises in store for us, thanks to the work and passion of the archaeological team of the region.
Toumba
The second stop was Toumba, an insignificant village lost in the plain of Paeonia, where a Macedonian tomb first saw the light of the archaeologist’s spade in the distant year of 1958, through the work of archaeologist Fotis Petsas. In the early 1990s, the villagers guarded the excavated tomb in shifts, fearing the opportunistic grave robbers who had appeared in the area.
The eyes of the most kind-hearted archaeologist sparkled as she told us the story of the place, and their reflection on the marble of the vaulted tomb stirred memories and an emotion that sent shivers down our necks. Someone mentioned Makrygiannis, and the heroic spirit of the race rose up within us. The images were few, but the emotion was abundant when we shook the archaeologist’s hand.
Palatiano
Perhaps it was the afterimage that kept everyone silent as we headed north through the regional unit, towards the place where the Kroussia begin and descend towards the shores of Doirani.
The sign read “Palatiano,” which meant absolutely nothing to us, the uninitiated.
Dimos’s astonishing memory placed the first pieces of the puzzle, which was completed by our tour of the well-kept active excavation site, under the guidance and kind contribution of two courteous site guards.
Ancient Ioron, one of the three cities that dominated the passage towards Crestonia and Mygdonia, was continuously inhabited from the eighth century BC to the third century AD.
The excavation field revealed the settlement’s development on two levels, on the slope facing the modern village of Palatiano to the east, and the structure of the settlement shows the variety of its inhabitants’ occupations.
The focus of our photographic interest shifted to the four replica statues from the funerary monument of Patraos’s family, standing glittering on their ancient base, tracing their mysterious mark along the path of history and leaving us with questions that, in turn, brought forth conjectures.
And yet these too remained suspended, carrying the mystery onward into the beyond.
Out of a certain respect, and as a small offering in return for their untold historical story, we deposit our modest, almost testimonial record.
The care shown to this archaeological site, as to the whole region, spoke emphatically of the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the archaeological team’s effort to bring to light a largely unknown aspect of the history of this land. For us, it left behind the obligation to reveal photographically what is taking place there, as a small recognition that there is still hope.
And although our little photo outing may have ended somewhere around here, our relationship with the people we met continued.
With great courtesy and kindness, they provided us with electronic printed material and gave us permission to share it with the friends and readers of Pixelscape. You can also watch three wonderful videos, which testify through their quality to the care and love these people have placed in their work and in the rediscovery of this land’s history.
We therefore provide the links so you can read more about Europos, Palatiano, and their history, as well as the links to the videos. They are worth your time.
We warmly thank archaeologist Dr Georgia Stratouli, Head of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Kilkis, and archaeologist Nektarios Poulakakis, MA, for providing the material; archaeologist Ioanna Zambounidou for the excellent tour of the tombs of Toumba; and all the site guards and staff we met, who welcomed us with a smile and made our outing more vivid.
