A Tale of Two ‘Hellenised’ Sites in Southeastern Europe: Recent Studies of Kale-Krševica and Gradište-Mlado Nagoričane (5th–3rd Centuries BC)

This paper examines the social and cultural changes among local Iron Age communities in northeastern North Macedonia and southeastern Serbia during the second half of the 1st millennium BC, often referred to as the “process of Hellenisation.” These communities, like many others in neighbouring territories, engaged in intensive contact with the Mediterranean world. Although these interactions are occasionally mentioned in written sources, archaeological excavations provide more substantial insights. The uncovered local material culture including both objects and structures demonstrates a notable knowledge of the production technologies and stylistic features of Greek Aegean colonies and ancient Macedonian centres. Furthermore, the local communities were regularly supplied with products from the south, including Attic red-figure and other glazed pottery, as well as transport amphorae from various centres (e.g., Thasos, Chios, and Mende). Our aim is to present the latest findings regarding these fascinating connections among the ancient Greeks, Macedonians, and the so-called Paleo-Balkan communities, to examine the factors driving the emergence of Greek-like characteristics in local material culture, as well as the resulting social transformations. As a case study, we present recent excavation results from the two most prominent fortified settlements in this region: Kale-Krševica (Serbia) and Gradište-Mlado Nagoričane (North Macedonia).