Aikaterinh Balla Source: C.E.T.I. © Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

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An unfortified settlement dating from the mid (610-1057) and late Byzantine period (1057-1453) was found in a mountainous area close to the modern village of Paterma. The settlement is situated at the southern slope of the east mountain range of Rodopi, next to a road extending from Gratinoupolis towards the eastern mountain range of Rodopi and the upper valley of Evros river.
A single-aisled church with a gabled tiled roof, a narthex and an apse, which is three-sided on the exterior, was excavated in the area. The distinctive floor, paved with marble and stone slabs, is preserved intact. The church bore wall-painting decoration. Two construction phases are visible as well as three layers of wall paintings. The first two layers belong to the first construction phase of the church while the third layer is from the second phase. A small fragment of a wall painting with a dragon’s scaly body that probably formed part of the representation of St George belongs to the first layer. In the second layer, some simple linear patterns are preserved along with the feet of the full-figure saints on an upper part and some remnants of four more figures. A merely small fragment of a built iconostasis survives on the third layer. Wall paintings are elaborated in a linear flat style, sharply outlined, and the figures are highly detailed. The folklore monastic style is indicative of the social and cultural character of the region. In the site of the church and the surrounding area, numerous graves were revealed together with lamps and many partially glazed vessels, mostly cooking pots and storage jars. A miniature steatite icon of St Nicholas with a 12th century inscription was also found; it must have been an heirloom, or keimelion, of some inhabitant of this settlement. In addition, three types of metal crosses-encolpia were found. Two of them bear representations of martial saints and they were obviously worn by soldiers. The other one formed part of a double encolpion that included relics or pieces of the Holy Cross decorated with the representation of the Crucified. The church was founded in the 11th century and underwent additional construction phases in the 13th century. It was apparently abandoned and destroyed between the 15th and the 17th centuries.
The luxurious imported personal and family heirlooms demonstrate that in spite of the absence of mercantile activity, this settlement was not isolated within the region of Rodopi but maintained strong ties with the cities of the plain and coastal Thrace and therefore could be in contact with Constantinople and other Byzantine centres.