Guide of Eastern Macedonia & Thrace

The archaeological excavations carried out near the village of Paradimi in Komotini revealed 17 prehistoric layers of settlements. The layers are classified into five phases; the first four date to the Neolithic Age (around 5000 – 4500 BC) and the last one to the Bronze Age.

In the same area were found square houses built very close to each other. The walls are made with rows of piles interwoven with wattle branches and burnished with wax. Hearths, furnaces, garbage pits and storage rooms were uncovered in close proximity to the houses.

The finds of Paradimi include plain burnished pottery with mainly black tints of colour and incised linear decoration. Vessels often bear a black strip under the rim or, more rarely, they are black with reddish rims. Usually conical in shape, bottomless and with an angular outline, they have distinctive horn-like or button-shaped projections on the handles. According to Bakalakis, vessels from Paradimi must have followed some local or neighbouring tradition, still unknown. At a second period of Paradimi, pottery presents some innovative elements despite the absence, in general, of any painted decoration.

From the third period of Paradimi, except from pottery, some remarkable clay figurines were found. A Neolithic object bearing engraved decoration was found at the area together with a noteworthy clay vessel that dates to the same period of time (4000 BC) and has biconical body, high neck and one handle.

All finds are on exhibit in the Komotini Archaeological Museum.