Dimini 1355932 206244950 2008-04-17T14:07:15Z Rosenknospe 2713236 De-linked years {{split-apart|Dimini|Dimini culture}} {{holocene}} '''Dimini''' ([[Greek language|Greek]]: Διμήνι; Older forms: '''Diminio''' and '''Diminion''') was a village nearby the city of [[Volos]], in [[Thessaly]] (central [[Greece]]), in the prefecture of [[Magnesia]]. It is also the seat of the municipality of [[Aisonia]]. The name Aisonia dates back to ancient times and it is the westernmost place in the Volos area. The Dimini area contains both a [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenean]] settlement and a [[Neolithic]] settlement. The Neolithic settlement in Dimini was discovered near the end of 19th century and was first excavated by Greek archaeologists [[Christos Tsountas]] and [[Valerios Stais]]. ==Information== In 1886, Lolling and Wolters excavated the [[Mycenaean Greece|Mycenean]] tholos tomb known as ''Lamiospito''. In 1901, Valerios Stais discovered the tholos tomb on the hill of the Neolithic settlement. He worked at the Dimini settlement with Christos Tsountas from 1901 up until 1903. In 1977, George Chourmouziadis continued excavations at the Neolithic settlement. Excavations of the Mycenean settlement in Dimini began in 1980 by V. Adrimi-Sismani. In 2001 the excavations uncovered a Mycenaean city and palace complex they believe could be part of ancient [[Iolkos]]. A stone weight and a [[sherd]] inscribed with [[Linear B]] writing were also uncovered. The publication of the results can be found [http://www.ims.forth.gr/Journals/publications/CAA2002/DIMINI-FINAL-PUBLICATION/DIMINI_CAA2002_final4.pdf here]. The "invasion theory" states that the people of the Neolithic Dimini culture were responsible for the violent conquest of the [[Sesklo]] culture at around 5000 BC. Moreover, the theory considers the "Diminians" and the "[[Sesklo|Seskloans]]" as two separate cultural entities. However, I. Lyritzis provides a different story pertaining to the relations between the Dimini and the Sesklo cultures. He, along with R. Galloway, compared ceramic materials from both Sesklo and Dimini utilizing thermoluminescence dating methods. He discovered that the inhabitants of the settlement in Dimini appeared around 4800 BC, four centuries before the fall of the Sesklo civilization (ca. 4400 BC). Lyritzis concluded that the "Seskloans" and "Diminians" coexisted for a period of time. ==Other== Dimini has a school, a lyceum, a post office, banks and a square (''[[plateia]]''). ==Historical population== {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" |- bgcolor="#efefef" ! Year !! Communal population !! Change (town) !! Municipal population <!--!! Change--> |- | [[1981]] || 1,608 || - || - <!--|| ---> |- | [[1991]] || 1,956 || 348/21.64% || 2,897 <!--|| - |- | [[2001]] || - || - || - || ---> |} ==Notes== <references/> ==Source== *[http://www.canew.org/files/CANeW%20Aegean%20C14%20dbase%20(June2005).pdf Aegean Catchment] ==See also== *[[Magnesia]] *[[Domini, Greece|Domini]], in the northern part of the prefecture of [[Corinth, Greece|Corinthia]] ==External links== *[http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh351.jsp?obj_id=2501 Hellenic Ministry of Culture: Dimini] *[http://www.stoa.org/metis/cgi-bin/qtvr?site=dimini Metis: Dimini] *[http://sfr.ee.teiath.gr/diafora/Neolith/dimini.htm Photos of the Dimini settlement, Magnesia (in Greek)] <br><br><br> <table width = 75% border = 2 align="center"> <tr><td width = 35% align="center"> <td width = 30% align="center">'''North:''' [[Nea_Ionia, Magnesia|Nea Ionia]]/[[Iolkos]]</td> <td width = 35% align="center"> </td></tr> <tr> <td width = 10% align="center">'''West:''' [[Velestino|Feres]]</td> <td width = 35% align="center">'''Aisonia'''</td> <td width = 30% align="center">'''East:''' [[Pagasetic Gulf]]</td> <tr><td width = 35% align="center"> <td width = 30% align="center">'''South:''' [[Nea Agchialos]]</td> <td width = 35% align="center"> </table> {{Magnesia}} {{coor title dms|39|21|17|N|22|53|21|E|region:GR}} [[Category:Settlements established in the 5th millennium BC]] [[Category:Cities and towns in Greece]] [[Category:Magnesia]] [[Category:Thessaly]] [[Category:Neolithic settlements]] [[Category:Mycenaean Greece]] [[de:Dimini]] [[it:Dimini]] [[nl:Dimini]]