The Project

The Thessaloniki Toumba excavation is a research program of the School of History and Archaeology, AUTh.

The main goal has been and still is the investigation of the various aspects of the prehistoric habitation in the area, where the important city of Thessaloniki was later founded, as well as the investigation of the social, political and economic structures and their transformation within a long-standing prehistoric community. At the same time, the completion of the picture of the material culture and of the sequence and the detailed dating of the phases in prehistoric Central Macedonia have also been significant goals.

Furthermore, the excavation bears an educational function, while its findings have been and still constitute the object of numerous Master theses and Ph.D. dissertations.

Toumba was selected to be the area for the university excavation by professor G. Hourmouziadis^†, the director of the excavation from 1984 until 1992. After his withdrawal, professors S. Andreou and K. Kostakis took over until 1999. After an extended period of study, the excavation research was launched again in 2006 under the direction of professor S. Andreou.

The Thessaloniki Toumba Excavation takes place every year following permission by the Ministry of Culture and Sports and under the supervision of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Thessaloniki Region..

The excavation takes place thanks to funding by the following institutions:

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1984- to date)
Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace (1987-2009
Institute for Aegean Prehistory(INSTAP) (2000-2012) 

Mediterranean Archaeological Trust (2012)