Some problems in Macedonian prehistory

Abstract

All these factors indicate that during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages Macedonia, though geographically and culturally open and exposed to foreign contact, maintained a vigorous, independent position and pursued a strong local development. Difficulties have been caused by those archaeologists who have tried to interpret the archaeology of Macedonia in terms of Thessaly and Southern Greece. In this way the Black-on-Red wares of Eastern Macedonia have become “Dhimini” and the relatively rare Grey Minyan has been taken to represent the Middle Bronze Age pottery as a whole. Foreign elements or contacts and imported materials (such as the Grey Minyan pottery) are indeed vital but they must be seen in the context of the Macedonian culture as a whole. Only further excavations using the new techniques can give us the full picture of Macedonian prehistory and its “foreign” contacts.