The Alpine Archeology of Smolika

Greek Documentary Festival – Docfest | Documentary Alpine Archeology docfest16

16th docfest Chalkida

Our film “The Alpine Archeology of Smolika” has been selected to be screened in the competition section of the Chalkida Greek Documentary Festival, on Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at 10.09-10.35, at the Amitheater Megarou Per. En. Evia. It would be our pleasure to enjoy it on the cinema screen in the first screening in the beautiful city of Chalkida. The journey of the documentary has just begun…… Documentary Alpine Archeology docfest16 – The Alpine Archeology of Smolika.

See in detail the program of the films of the 16th docfest.

Searching for Neanderthals in the mountains of Samarina

The film was made within the framework of the Research Program “The prehistoric research of the AUTH in the NW part of the Prefecture of Grevena – The recording of Paleolithic sites and finds in the area of ​​Samarina”.

Documentary Alpine Archeology docfest16

A few words…..

The prehistoric research of Greek and Italian researchers in the area of ​​N. Grevena, and more specifically in areas of the Smolika massif around the Vlach settlement of Samarina, revealed in recent years the traces of a lively and extremely interesting “mountain archaeology”, which for the first time time acquires a special dynamic and content in the Greek area. These are archaeological evidence – mainly stone tools typical of the Middle Paleolithic period – that describe the almost continuous presence of Paleolithic Neanderthal hunting groups that were active in this area of ​​Pindos at least 60,000 years before today.

The archaeological research of recent years in open-air sites with altitudes exceeding 2,000 m, near water, small alpine lakes and flint springs describe places where groups of Neanderthal hunters stopped during their continuous movements between the mountain masses of Pindus, essentially recommending the first alpine archaeological sites in Greece. The documentary presents the archaeologists’ efforts to trace the daily presence of the Neanderthal groups in the area, but above all to understand the behavior of our close but still little-known relatives, who were found in Greece before the arrival of ‘modern humans’.

Screenplay: Nikos Efstratiou
Directed by: Christos Voulgarakis
Camera: Christos Voulgarakis
Aerial shots: Filippos Stefanou
Editing: Nikos Efstratiou, Christos Voulgarakis
Music: Wayne Jones, Brian Bolger, Aaron Kenny

Duration 26:53
Production Execution ARTiCON audiovisual works – 2022

I would like to thank the professor of the Department of History and Archeology of AUTH, Mr. Nikos Efstratiou, for our perfect collaboration. It was a unique experience set within a beautiful natural landscape, and a captivating journey through the four seasons of the region. The documentary Alpine Archeology of Smolika, served as the catalyst for my repeated visits to those places. | Documentary Alpine Archeology docfest16

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