The aims of the excavations are broad. Since Neolithic occupation is still poorly documented in Central Greece, we are devoting about one-half of our time and effort to the Neolithic remains. Our goal is to recover as much information as possible about the Neolithic town, especially evidence pertaining to everyday life and relationships with other towns and regions of Greece.

Archaic and later Halai offers unique opportunities to study a small town typical of those in which the majority of the ancient population of Greece may have lived. The acropolis, with a length (NW-SE) of ca. 160 m. and a width of ca. 70 m., is small enough to be thoroughly examined, even with painstaking modern techniques. Furthermore, it is almost completely accessible and the earlier excavations have already revealed many of the major architectural elements.

Although ancient references are few, there is sufficient information to reconstruct the main lines of its history.

In Archaic and Classical times Halai was a member of the East Lokrian league. Subsequently, in Hellenistic times, probably in the late 4th century B.C., it joined the Boiotian league. Destroyed by Sulla in 85 B.C., it was soon resettled and it evidently continued as a town throughout Roman times until the 6th century. In its later years it became Christianized and after the abandonment of the town a church probably continued to exist on the spot until the 12th or 13th century.

Last modified 2.5.98