Celt production processes and loci in Neolithic Greece : the evidence from the Thracian site of Makri

Stroulia, Anna (author), Bekiaris, Tasos (author), Stergiou, Christos L. (author), Melfos, Vasilios (author)

For reasons pertaining more to aesthetics than frequencies, celts represent the most studied macrolithic, i.e. ground stone, type from Neolithic Greece. Reports of varying length and thoroughness are available for roughly 50 assemblages. Due to archaeological biases, however, these assemblages are not evenly distributed geographically. Most derive from the regions of Macedonia and Thessaly, with other areas represented minimally or not at all. Equally important, research has shed light on the related types of raw material and acquisition methods, manufacturing techniques, aspects of use, practices of discard, as well as non-utilitarian dimensions. However, very little is known about the whereabouts of celt production. In this paper, we attempt to address both gaps by turning our attention to the northeastern region of Thrace and focusing on the celts excavated at the Middle-Late Neolithic tell site of Makri. We discuss these tools’ forms, lithologies, and chaînes opératoires, revisit a structure identified by the excavators as a ‘celt workshop’, bring in relevant data from other sites, and, last but not least, problematize the celt workshop concept itself.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Neolithic, Greece, celts, production processes, production loci
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 122-146
• Numbering: Vol. 52
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180571
• ISSN on article: 1854-2492
• DOI: 10.4312/dp.52.9

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 11. 3. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 11.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Documenta Praehistorica
• Shortened title: Doc. Praehistor.
• Publisher: Oddelek za arheologijo Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Oddelek za arheologijo Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-2492
• COBISS.SI-ID: 220673792

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Procesi in prostori izdelave sekir v neolitski Grčiji : dokazi z najdišča Makri v Trakiji

Abstract

Neolitske sekire so v grški arheologiji eden izmed najbolj proučevanih makrolitov – obdelanih kamnov – predvsem zaradi svoje estetske vrednosti, ne pa njihove pogostosti. Na voljo je različno obsežna in podrobna dokumentacija o približno 50 zbirkah. Te pa zaradi metodoloških pristranskosti v arheološkem raziskovanju niso enakomerno geografsko porazdeljene; večina prihaja iz Makedonije in Tesalije, medtem ko so druge regije redko ali sploh ne zastopane. Raziskave so pokazale povezave med vrstami uporabljenih surovin, načini njihovega pridobivanja, tehnikami izdelave, funkcijami orodij, načini njihove zavrženosti in razmerjem do standardnih velikosti. O dejanskih lokacijah izdelave teh sekir pa vemo zelo malo. V članku skušamo zapolniti obe vrzeli – tako v geografski kot tehnološki distribuciji – s poudarkom na severovzhodni Trakiji. Analiziramo neolitske sekire, odkrite na srednje- in poznoneolitskem tell naselju Makri, s poudarkom na njihovih oblikah, petrografski sestavi in operacijski sekvenci izdelave. Ponovno ovrednotimo strukturo, ki so jo izkopavalci označili kot ‘delavnico sekir’, primerjamo najdbe z drugimi najdišči in podvomimo v koncept 'delavnice sekir'.

• Keywords: neolitik, Grčija, sekire, procesi izdelave, prostori izdelave

Projects

• Funder: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

• Funder: Indiana University
• Funding programme: Schrader Endowment for Classical Archaeology