Dion Archaeological Park
In the Dion Archaeological Park ( Greek Αρχαιολογικό Πάρκο Δίου Archeologikó Párko Díou ), a spacious area immediately east of the town of Dion , sanctuaries and buildings from the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods were found.
Before Leibethra , Methone , Makrygialos, Pydna , Louloudies and the Macedonian tombs of Katerini and Korinos , Dion is the most important archaeological site in Pieria , Macedonia and an outstanding representative of the history and archeology of Pieria .
location
Dion is located in Greece on the northeastern edge of Mount Olympus . It is five kilometers from the sea, 15 kilometers from Katerini and 17 kilometers from the ancient Leibethra. In Hellenistic times , the distance to the sea was only 1.5 kilometers. Dion is connected to the Thermean Gulf by the once navigable Vaphyras River .
Archaeological facilities
The archaeological park
The park has an area of 150 hectares, of which almost 50 hectares are in the urban area and around 50 hectares in the sanctuaries. The remaining area has not yet been explored archaeologically. Residential houses, a market square, public buildings, churches, bathhouses, shops, workshops and toilet facilities have been found in the former urban area. Outside the urban area are the sanctuaries, the theaters and the cemetery.
The archaeological museum
Half a kilometer west of the archaeological park, in the modern town of Dion, is the archaeological museum built in 1983 . In it, the finds are exhibited sorted according to their location. On the first floor there are also exhibits from Pydna and other archaeological sites of Pieria . In a small cinema, visitors are informed audiovisually about excavations.
The archaeological library
A building was erected directly behind the museum on the western side especially for the exhibition of the Dionysus mosaic . On the upper floor, a gallery leads around the mosaic so that the visitor can see it from all perspectives. Exhibits recently found in Dion and the surrounding area are displayed in showcases.
history
424 BC BC Thucydides mentioned Dion as the first city that the Spartan general Brasidas , coming from Thessaly ( Tempi ), reached in Macedonia. Pausanias mentioned Dion as one of the places Orpheus is said to have lived.
In the Hellenistic period, Dion became the religious center of Macedonia . Zeus was worshiped there and the Olympic Games were held in his honor and in honor of the Muses . Responsibility for the majestic rituals in honor of Zeus lay with the royal court in Pella. The kings received foreign visitors at the festivities and celebrated with their court. The best actors were personally honored by Philip II. Alexander had a large tent erected for his entourage and personally looked after his officers during the festivities. The place of Dion gained a certain importance within Greece through the sanctuary and developed into a city. Alexander the Great made a sacrifice to Zeus in Dion before starting his campaign against the Persians. Later he had the respected sculptor Lysippus erect 25 bronze statues of the horsemen who fell in the battle of Granikos and set them up in the sanctuary of Zeus Olympios. In 148 BC BC the Roman L. Caecilius Metellus had these statues transported to Rome in order to adequately represent his victory over the Macedonians. There they were erected on Campus Martius in front of the Temple of Zeus and Hera .
In 219 BC Dion was destroyed by the Aitolians . Philip V had the city rebuilt, the Romans took it in 169 BC. A. Little by little, Roman settlers came to Dion and brought their official system, their dimensions and weight units with them. Octavian declared 31 BC. BC Dion became a Roman colony that was exempt from tax payments and had a certain degree of autonomy.
In the course of the changing owners, further sanctuaries were built over time. After the middle of the 3rd century AD, the decline initiated by raids by neighboring tribes, earthquakes, and floods began. In the 4th century AD, Dion ( Dium ) had a final bloom when it became a bishopric. The place was last mentioned as an administrative district of the Byzantine emperor Konstantinos Porphyrogennetos in the 10th century.
Research history
At the end of the 18th century, the French consul Felix de Beaujour visited ancient Dion, but without knowing what ancient site it was, which was abandoned and covered with the remains of buildings and columns.
In December 1806, ancient Dion was rediscovered by the English explorer William M. Leake . He identified the ruins of ancient Dion near the place Malathria, a small village inhabited by farmers and ranchers who called the ancient place "Kastro", castle. He recognized the ancient Hellenistic theater, the stadium and parts of the city wall under the vegetation. The French archaeologist Léon Heuzey confirmed the discovery in 1855. He mapped parts of the city wall, found the foundations of some towers and noted the inscriptions of some tombstones.
From 1912, the year Macedonia was liberated from the Ottomans, more attention was paid to ancient Dion. The archaeologist GP Oikonomos collected and published all the inscriptions that he found around Dion.
The rector of the University of Thessaloniki and professor of archeology, Georgios Sotiriadis , began the first excavations in June 1928 with the aim of finding the sanctuary of Zeus Olympios. He found and examined several of the tumuli within the city walls. A basilica from early Christian times was also discovered. The assumption that there was a temple under the basilica proved deceptive after digging five meters deep. The most important find of this first excavation period turned out to be a Macedonian grave vault from the 4th century BC. BC, which had been looted by grave robbers in ancient times. The excavations were stopped again in 1931.
Charalambos Makaronas found a second Macedonian grave in 1955. A third grave was discovered a year later.
From 1961 the work of Georgios Bakalakis was resumed. During the mapping of the excavation site known up to then, a large part of the city walls and the defense towers were discovered in 1962. During the excavation phase under G. Bakalakis, the Roman theater was located, which extends southeast of the Hellenistic theater. The excavations at the early Christian basilica were finished by Stylianos Pelekanidis.
From the summer of 1973, the work was continued under the direction of Professor Dimitrios Pandermalis (University of Thessaloniki). His first goal was to research the remains of two buildings south of the city area. The excavations brought the Demeter sanctuary to light. In the same year, finds of statues of Asclepius, Hygeia and Telesphoros testified that the Asklepios cult was also practiced in Dion. The armor and shields were exposed on the main road. In the following period the orchestra of the Hellenistic theater was freed from the layer of earth above. The theater dates from the 5th century BC. Chr .; the Bacchae of Euripides were premiered there.
In the summer of 1976 excavations were carried out in the south-eastern sector within the city walls. There you came across the great thermal baths. These had obviously been destroyed by an earthquake. The mosaic of a bull in the frigidarium had been divided into two parts, the lower part was 50 cm lower than the upper part. On the north side of the baths were statues of the children of Asclepius.
The excavation work on the Isis sanctuary was carried out under difficult conditions. Spring water and mud ensured that the trenches often collapsed again. In order to be able to continue the work, a dam was built. There, too, there were again signs of destruction by an earthquake with subsequent flooding. The excavations were completed in 1984.
In June 1987 the Dionysus mosaic was exposed and then protected from the weather by a roof structure.
The stadium was excavated in 1995 under the direction of Giorgos Karadedos. Several rows of clay seats were found next to the playing field.
During investigations of the site near the Roman theater, the sanctuary of Zeus Olympios was finally discovered in 2000.
After the Archaeological Park was flooded in 2002, in order to protect the Isis sanctuary, it was decided to relocate the Vaphyras river by a few meters in a westerly direction so that future floods can no longer damage the sanctuary. Little by little artifacts were found that ultimately led to the excavation of the sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistus, the Almighty God. As the work neared its end, the cult statue of Zeus Hypsistus was found in the mud.
From 2007, excavations will be carried out under the direction of Semeli Pingiatoglou with the aim of finding the oldest structures of ancient Dion.
The Dionysus mosaic was removed from its original location in 2015 and relocated to a specially built building (archaeological library).
The excavations continue to this day under the direction of the University of Thessaloniki .
The sanctuaries
Vaphyras
Although no special sanctuary was built for him, the river Vaphyras was considered a deity. Its source is around 100 m east of the park entrance. The sacred grove of the muses probably grew there. The head of a statue depicting the personified river was found in the headwaters. According to Hesiod, the Vaphyras rises from the cosmic river Okeanos , which is ruled by the primeval goddess Tethys .
An Artemis shrine discovered near the river is believed to be dedicated to the goddess Artemis Vapyria. She oversaw the transition of young girls to the marriageable stage.
The river Vaphyras is closely interwoven with Orpheus and the muses in Greek mythology . In the 2nd century AD Pausanias wrote that the upper reaches of the Vaphyras was named Helikon. The river ran underground for two thirds of its length before reappearing in Dion. According to Pausanias, it wasn't always like that. The residents of Dion claimed that the Helicon flowed past Dion above ground. But when the women who killed Orpheus wanted to wash the blood from their hands in the Helicon, the river dried up because he did not want to have any part in this act. Only in Dion did he reappear on the surface.
Demeter sanctuary
It consists of several temples and is dated from the Archaic Period to the Roman Empire. The sanctuary of Asclepius is in the immediate vicinity. The connection between the two sanctuaries can also be seen in other archaeological sites in Greece.
Liquid offerings were made to the goddess in an open, walled room. The oldest finds of the sanctuary come from there. End of the 4th century BC Two archaic temples were replaced by two Doric temples. Small temples (oikos) consisting of only one room were dedicated to the gods of the earth such as Baubo and Kurotrophos . It was hoped that they would produce rich harvests. Another temple was built in honor of Aphrodite . The believers hoped for increased fertility from her. In front of the temples were altars on which carnal offerings were made to the respective gods. Vegetable offerings, such as grain or fruit, were spread out on so-called cult tables. Archaeological finds and ancient records assign the water an important role in the Demeter cult. It was one of the priestesses' duties to ensure that clean water was always available. In addition to cleansing rituals, water was seen as a necessary good to enable the plants to grow. Two circular fountains are among the oldest structures in the temple.
In addition to the usual finds such as statues, pottery shards, jewelry, oil lamps, etc. there was a ring stone from the Mycenaean period. It dates to the 14th to 15th centuries BC. And shows a schematically represented lion in front of a tree. The artifact gives an indication of the earlier settlement of Dion. In 1990 the foundations of an altar were discovered east of the temple; at this point in 1973 the head of a statue of the goddess was recovered.
In late antiquity, kilns were operated on the site of the Demeter sanctuary.
Asclepius sanctuary
In the 4th century BC The Asklepion was built. A place where there was plenty of water was carefully chosen because it played a special role in the practice of the Asklepion cult. It served to heal the sick and was needed for cult activities. So far, the foundations of a building that consisted of two rooms have been exposed. The discovery of a toilet near the sanctuary indicates that people (pilgrims) stayed there for some time to cure their ailments.
Zeus Hypsistus Sanctuary
A holy road led to the sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistos (Greek Ζευς ὕψιστος Zeus the Supreme God). It was lined with small pillars on which marble eagles sat. These are offerings for the most holy of holies. The street led to a large square with a temple in which there were separate rooms. In the northernmost room, the Temple of Zeus, there was a statue of Zeus Hypsistus and the figure of a marble eagle. The floor was decorated with mosaic, of which the image of two ravens was preserved. The floor of the building above was also covered with mosaic. A white bull and double axes have been preserved there. There is a water basin on the western side. In front of the temple there is an altar with a metal ring attached to its base, which was used to tie the sacrificial animals. Both gods, Zeus Hypsistus and Zeus Olympios, were worshiped at the same time. While Zeus Olympios ruled the people from the summit of Olympus, Zeus Hypsistus ruled the sky, i.e. everything supernatural.
Nonae Capratinae
After the conquest of Dion by the Romans, the Nonae Capratinae were held on July 7th of one year . At this festival, female slaves enjoyed certain freedoms, one of them receiving the rights of the agoranomos on this day. The agoranomos (composed of the Greek words Αγορά, agora market, and Νόμος, nomos law) supervised trade in the marketplace, set prices and had other tasks. The inscription of a statuette of an eagle found in the sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistus in September 2003 shows that Arura, the servant (probably slave) of Plutiades, was elected Agoranomos. This statuette is the first evidence that the Nonae Capratinae was also celebrated in the Roman provinces outside of Italy. The connection between the worship of Zeus Hypsistus and the Nonae Capratinae was probably made in honor of Jupiter Capitolinus, Jupiter Optimus Maximus .
Zeus Olympios sanctuary
In the Hellenistic period, a mighty temple was built on a sacred grove dedicated to Zeus . Gilded statues of the Macedonian kings were placed in this sanctuary. The 25 bronze statues of the riders who fell in the battle of the Cranicus, donated by Alexander the Great, were also in the Zeus Olympios sanctuary. A 22 m long altar took the central place within the area. The sacrificial animals were tied to metal rings. 100 cattle were sacrificed at the sacrifice celebrations ( hecatomb ), the most important part of the Zeus cult.
When the Aitolians attacked Dion, the sanctuary was destroyed. It was immediately rebuilt using the materials from the surrounding buildings. Parts of the wall that surrounds the site are still preserved.
The cult of Zeus in Dion
At the time of the rule of the Macedonian kings, the sanctuary of Zeus Olympios was the most important sanctuary in the city and the religious center of Macedonia. It has not yet been clarified whether the sanctuary received its significance from the Olympic Games initiated by King Archelaus or whether it had a central function for the region, perhaps inspired by Homer's Iliad. Deucalion claimed that the second oldest altar dedicated to Zeus was erected in Dion after the sanctuary of Zeus Lykaios. From the late 8th century BC Zeus was worshiped in various places in Greece. All these Zeus worship had in common that they took place on the top of a mountain or in the vicinity of a summit. Inscriptions, clay vessels and remains of charcoal from the Hellenistic and Roman times on the summit of Agios Antonios (2817 m) near Dion testify that the Zeus cult was not only practiced in Dion. The Macedonian kings used the temple complex for archiving their royal decrees. Some of them are on display in the Archaeological Museum of Dion.
Isis sanctuary
The youngest of the sanctuaries in Dion is the sanctuary of Isis . It was not erected until the 2nd century AD on the site of a former fertility sanctuary. The complex is of considerable size and is traversed by a canal that is supposed to symbolize the Nile. The main entrance is in the east, i.e. on the side facing the sea. A side entrance is on the north side of the sanctuary. The temple and altar of Isis Lochia (Isis as guardian of the child's bed) are framed in the western part of the complex by two smaller temples of Isis Tyche and Aphrodite Hypolympiada. A basin is set in the floor of the Temple of Isis Tyche. Sources still spring up in these temples. In the Isis cult, water was given sacred importance. Of two rooms in the north of the temple complex, one was used for healing sleep, in the other room figures of the supporters of the sanctuary were placed.
The Macedonian tombs
During the first excavations in 1929, a vaulted Macedonian grave with a Doric facade from the 4th century BC was found under a low burial mound. Found. The marble doors had been broken open, the grave had been robbed by grave robbers. What has been preserved is a marble grave bed depicting a battle of cavalrymen and parts of a frieze depicting lions.
A second grave was excavated in 1955. It contained a stone kline, the floor was covered with colored pebbles.
A year later, a third grave was uncovered. In addition to a stone kline, there were three stone bases.
The fourth grave was discovered in 1979. A grave bed with ivory inlays was hidden behind marble doors.
The last grave so far was found in 1988. Among the finds was a silver quarter drachm with the image of Alexander the Great and a golden Charon penny ( Charons Obolus), in which the name "Epigenis" is stamped.
Grave goods were gold jewelry, gold and silver coins, glass flacons that may have contained perfume, glass vessels and a copper mirror. Some grave steles are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum, as are the grave goods.
The theatre
Hellenistic theater
The classical theater, in which the premiere of the Bacchae des Euripides took place, was in the 3rd century BC. Replaced by the Hellenistic theater. A semicircular mound of earth was created on which brick-built seating surfaces were attached. A ditch around the round orchestra ensured that the rainwater ran off. Underground rooms and corridors made it possible for actors and objects to appear and disappear. The stage was a little higher than the orchestra. Devices were found that allowed the creation of effects. After further modernization, the theater is used for the annual Olympos festival .
Roman theater
The Roman theater was built in the 2nd century AD. It had 24 rows of seats arranged in a semicircle. Below the rows of seats were 14 brick vaults. The Orchestra had a diameter of around 21 meters. The building was built from field stones, bricks and mortar. The stage and the koilon (the auditorium, the seats) were separated from each other; the stage was decorated with marble elements. Among the exhibits unearthed there was a statue of Hermes.
The town
The city walls
Since Dion was one of the few ancient Greek cities that lay on a plain without any elevation, the city wall was particularly important for defense against attackers. To the east, the Vaphyras marshland provided some protection, but there was neither a natural hill nor an acropolis.
The city wall was built between 306 and 304 BC. Built from the limestone of Olympus under the rule of the Macedonian king Kassander . It was 2,625 meters long, three meters thick and seven to ten meters high. The western side is 642 m long, the southern and northern sections each 682 m long. The eastern part of the fortification has not yet been completely excavated. At a distance of 33 meters (100 Doric feet, 32.8 cm) were towers with a base area of seven by seven meters. There were two city gates each in the southern and northern sections of the wall, and a city gate was found in the western part.
There was probably a port facility on the Vaphyras River to the east of the city. After the attack by the Aitolians (219 BC), during which the city wall was partially destroyed, the protective wall was immediately repaired. Little attention was paid to it during Roman rule. The masonry crumbled in places. When raids on Dion increased in the 3rd century AD, the city wall was repaired. Old sculptures and the remains of other structures were used as building materials. Floods from the Helikon and Vaphyras rivers in early Christian times made the urban area of Dion considerably smaller. The city wall was only 1,600 meters long. New walls were built on the north and east sides of the city. Remnants of columns, sculptures and altars were used as building material there. In the 5th century AD, the city wall was probably destroyed by an earthquake. It was not rebuilt afterwards; This lack of protection may have been one of the reasons why the population gradually left the place.
The houses
In the course of the excavations, private houses were uncovered in various parts of the complex. Almost all of them have mosaic floors. The names of the former owners are occasionally derived from preserved parts of a mosaic or from the stamps of the lead pipes that were used for the water supply. In addition to mosaics, statues, columns, remains of furniture, busts and other things were found. In the summer of 1992, the remains of a water organ (hydraulis) were discovered in the property opposite the villa of Dionysus .
Villa of Dionysus
The most important private building discovered in the city so far is the Villa of Dionysus. In 1982 archaeologists began exploring the area east of the main road. They found an elongated building with shops and a bathing complex in the southwestern area. The bathroom could not only be entered from the street, but also had a separate entrance from the neighboring house. Further excavations brought statues of Dionysus, a Nike and parts of other statues and statuettes to light. In June 1987 a large mosaic was found in the spacious atrium , which was later named Dionysus Mosaic. Obviously, the atrium served as the property's dining room. Other finds in this room were a sculpture of four seated philosophers, a statuette of a satyr, and a statuette of Hercules. In 1989 four more rooms in the villa were uncovered. While two of them had less interesting finds, four clay storage vessels were found in the third room. In the last room there was a damaged mosaic with the head of a Medusa in its center. A statue of Hercules with a club, bow, arrows and lion skin and a statue of a deer were also found. Two years earlier, during the work in the atrium, the head of the stag and the hand of Hercules holding the bow were found. Continuing work in 1990 uncovered parts of a statue that is a copy of Eros with an arch by the sculptor Lysippus.
The thermal baths
What all thermal baths have in common is the division of the bathing area with cold water pools and other pools with water at different temperatures. The type of heating by means of a hypocaust system lying under the floor is the same for all of the thermal baths mentioned.
The great thermal baths were built in the 2nd century AD. A hall with a mosaic floor leads to the bathing cabins and the water basins. There were rooms where Asklepios was worshiped. Since the thermal baths also served as a place for social gatherings, an odeon for social events such as readings, plays or musical performances was housed in the complex. The thermal baths also had shops and toilets.
The so-called thermal baths of the main street are to the east of the main street opposite the wall with the stone armor and shields. The equipment was comparable to that of the large thermal baths, the facility was just much smaller overall.
The thermal baths on the market are located at the northeast end of the Roman market. Mosaic floor and a reception room decorated with paintings are the special features of this thermal bath.
The Odeon
History and structure
Built in the 2nd century AD, the Odeon is part of the large thermal baths. The external dimensions are 28.46 m by 19.46 m, it offered 400 seats, which were arranged in the shape of a theater in a semicircle around the semicircular orchestra. The excavations of the Odeon began in September 1977 and lasted two years. The elements of an ancient theater with orchestra, koilon, four internal stairs, a stage and two L-shaped staircases were found. The carefully executed stone carvings combine Roman architecture with local craftsmanship. The 1.55 m thick outer wall acted as an essential structural element; she caught the side pressure of the koilon and supported the roof. The walls of the building were made of limestone or burnt brick. The excavations revealed evidence of how the building was destroyed. The large cracks in the walls and the subsidence of the floor and some walls indicate a strong earthquake followed by a fire. In 1990 excavations were carried out again to measure the complete floor plan of the Odeon for the planned restoration; shards from the classical period were found.
restoration
The natural stresses to which the remains of the Odeon were exposed, heat, frost and moisture, destroyed parts of the building material (mortar, wood) over the centuries. The binding effect of the mortar wore off and the remaining foundation walls fell apart. The uppermost part of the structure suffered the most, large blocks of the structure loosened and fell. The aim of the restoration was to preserve and strengthen the remains of the Odeon. The old mortar was sealed, cracks in the masonry were closed with fresh mortar. The fallen parts of the masonry were moved to their original place and fastened. The final work consisted in building a straight, stable surface from surrounding stones and covering it with specially made bricks. The material of the bricks corresponds to that of the ancient ones. In the University of Thessaloniki the ancient bricks were examined and their composition determined. The composition of the mortar was determined after laboratory tests and established in collaboration with the Directory for the Conservation of Ancient and Modern Monuments of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The original construction was covered with lead before restoration. So the old building fabric is strictly separated from the newly applied building materials. The floor of the Odeon was covered with pebbles and the architectural components found on site, such as columns, were erected in their original place.
The funding for the protection, conservation and restoration of the Odeon was taken from funds from the EU program “Macedonia-Thrace 2007-2013”. The basis for the work was the studies of G. Karadedos, University of Thessaloniki.
The water supply
Ancient Dion drew its water from the Helikon River, five kilometers away. From there, water pipes had been laid to Dion.
Some of them ran underground, others were built as an aqueduct . Part of the aqueduct was found in a ravine northwest of the city. Within the city, the water was collected in a large cistern, from which it was distributed in underground pipes to other cisterns or wells. Both clay and lead were used as the material for the water pipes. The central cistern was built from stone and clay bricks in the 2nd century AD. Two wells, which took over the supply of the households and the baths, were located in the northeast and southeast of the urban area. A third well was replaced by a smaller one after the main cistern was destroyed by an earthquake.
Despite the organized water supply, there were also separate wells. So far, seven of them have been located and excavated. They are divided into three different types:
- Wells that were built with rough stones and later plastered,
- Wells built with wedge-shaped bricks
- Wells whose shaft was lined with clay pipes.
The roman market
It was an open space surrounded by shops and halls. On the side facing the mountains, in the middle of the buildings surrounding the market, there was a temple (Sebasteion), which was probably dedicated to the Roman emperors. The floor is slightly above the level of the market square and is covered with mosaic. Inside there were remains of wall paintings and fragments of male statues. To the east of the square, opposite the temple, was a Roman basilica. It was adorned with the frieze of armor and shields that is now west of the main road. In the basilica, under the supervision of the local authority, banking transactions were carried out and trade agreements were concluded.
The Praetorium
The Praetorium is located near the Villa of Dionysus, on the main street . The building was used both as a hostel for officials and emissaries as well as for the accommodation of ordinary travelers ( taberna ). A Latin inscription found on site describes the building as the praetorium with two tabernae. The entrance was on the south side; in the eastern part of the complex there were five bedrooms and a luxurious dining room, the triclinium . The tabernae consisted of two larger rooms in the west wing. There the archaeologists found clay storage vessels and some lamps. There was probably a stable between the praetorium and the tabernae. Public toilets were accessible to both guests and the city's population. A source was used for hygiene, underground channels drained the dirty water.
The polygonal building
The polygonal building is located at the intersection of the main street and the street leading to the west gate . It covers approx. 1400 m² and was probably used as a market hall. The complex is square and was built around a twelve-sided square. The square was surrounded by a portico that connected the rooms of the building. The entrance was on the south side. A floor mosaic shows two athletes wrestling with each other and two slaves with rucksacks.
The church buildings
The Bishop's Basilica
In its last heyday, when the church appointed Dion as a bishopric, the bishop's basilica was built in two construction phases in the 4th and 5th centuries. It was a three-aisled church with a narthex . Remnants of the wall show paintings, the floor was covered with mosaic. A smaller building west of the church served as a baptistery ( baptistery ). An earthquake at the end of the 4th century destroyed the structure. A church was built on its foundations, in which the baptistery was integrated. The baptismal font was shaped like a Maltese cross .
The cemetery church
A three-nave church was built in the middle of the cemetery at the beginning of the 5th century. The central nave had a mosaic floor; The narthex and aisles were covered with clay tiles. Graves were discovered under the floor of the church; In 1990 two vaults adorned with friezes painted with birds and plants were found. A room in which the church treasures were kept, a wine press and a granary were later added to the building.
Study of environmental influences on ancient building materials in the Dion Archaeological Park
In 2015, a study was published by members of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki on the condition of the stone building materials of the Asclepion and the Demeter sanctuary. The aim of the study was to investigate the decay of the stone monuments and building remains in the archaeological park of Dion. The main aim was to research which environmental influences are involved in the decay process of ancient building materials and in what form, in order to be able to counteract this. The building materials consist mainly of limestone, sandstone, conglomerate and marble.
The environmental conditions:
- High humidity, frequent rainfall
- Large temperature fluctuations
- High occurrence of surface and groundwater
- Increased chemical, biological and mechanical weathering from the surrounding plants and trees
Most of the surfaces are covered with salt and a black crust made of calcium, magnesium, soda, potash and other substances.
The studies were carried out with the help of various microscopes and a spectrometer. From December 2010 to November 2011 samples of the precipitation were taken monthly. These and water samples from the Vaphyras and other bodies of water were analyzed. The temperature fluctuations of the rocks were measured with infrared thermometers.
The researchers found various organic and inorganic substances that affect the weathering of the monuments. However, the main influencing factor for the decomposition of the rock is the ingress of water. In connection with heat and cold, it reduces the cohesion of the surface structure and thus leads to the instability of the ancient building material.
The archaeological walk
The archaeological walk takes place annually as part of the Olympos Festival. Lecturers from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki guide through the archaeological park and provide information on various topics relating to ancient Dion. The arch spans from Greek mythology to the Kingdom of Macedonia and the individual sights of the park to everyday life in the time of Alexander the Great. The performance of a short play or the recitation of ancient texts is embedded in the program.
Sanctuary of Zeus Hypsistus
Isis sanctuary
Public toilets
literature
- Dimitrios Pandermalis: Dion. The archaeological site and the museum. Athens 1997.
- General Directorate for Antiquities and Heritage: The Odeum of the great Thermae of Dion. Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, 2015.
- Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA, 2016: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. Edited by Dimitrios Pandermalis, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
Web links
Remarks
- ↑ Thucydides (4.78). The Peloponnesian War .
- ↑ Pausania's book 9.30.4
- ^ Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. Edited by Dimitrios Pandermalis, pages 19-29, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
- ^ Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. Richard P. Martin, Stanford University, page 60, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
- ↑ Hesiod, Theogony 337-70
- ↑ Pausania's book 9.30.8.
- ^ Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. Edited by Dimitrios Pandermalis, page 102, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 4 , 1990, page 190.
- ^ The Nonae Capratinae in Dion and Religious Associations and Public Festivals in Roman Macedonia. Retrieved October 21, 2018 .
- ^ Hellenic Republic, Ministry of culture and sports, Onassis Foundation USA: Gods and Mortals at Olympus. , Fritz Graf, Ohio State University, 68, ISBN 978-0-9906142-2-7
- ↑ Theodosia Stefanidou-Tiveriou. Booklets of the archaeological seminar of the University of Bern, 17/2000, pages 50 to 54.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 4 , 1990, page 202.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 3 , 1989, page 145.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 4 , 1990, page 189.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 4, 1990, page 189.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 4, 1990, page 226.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 2, 1988, page 162.
- ↑ Greek Ministry of Culture and Sport, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Το Αρχαιολογικό Έργο στή Μακεδονία και Θράκη (The archaeological work in Macedonia and Thrace) Volume 4, 1990, page 190.
- ^ Characterization and Weathering of the Building Materials of Sanctuaries in the Archaeological Site of Dion. Retrieved September 27, 2018 .
- ↑ Program of the Olympos Festival, August 22, 2018. Accessed August 28, 2018 .
Coordinates: 40 ° 10 ′ 32 ″ N , 22 ° 29 ′ 35 ″ E