Aiani ( el, Αιανή, before 1926: Καλλιανή - ''Kalliani'') is a town and a former municipality in the

Kozani Kozani ( el, Κοζάνη, ) is a city in northern Greece, capital of Kozani regional unit and of Western Macedonia. It is located in the western part of Macedonia, in the northern part of the Aliakmonas river valley. The city lies above sea ...

regional unit, Macedonia,

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality

, of which it is a municipal unit. The 2011 census recorded 2,006 residents in the village and 3,429 residents in municipal unit of Aiani. The municipal unit has an area of 156.004 km², the community 52.336 km².

Name

It took its name from the Aianus ( grc, Αἰανος). According to the Greek mythology Aianus was the son of Elymus.

History

Aiani was the capital of

Elimiotis Elimiotis or Elimeia ( grc, Ἐλιμιώτις or Ἐλιμία or Ἐλίμεια) was a region of Upper Macedonia that was located along the Haliacmon river. The capital of Elimiotis was Aiani, located in the modern municipality of Kozani, ...

, a kingdom and region of Upper Macedonia, which became part of

Macedon Macedonia (; grc-gre, Μακεδονία), also called Macedon (), was an Classical antiquity, ancient monarchy, kingdom on the periphery of Archaic Greece, Archaic and Classical Greece, and later the dominant state of Hellenistic Greece. Th ...

. Since 1983, systematic excavations in the area have brought to light finds that attest the existence of an organised city from the late 6th century BC to 100 BC. These are now housed in the Aiani Archaeological Museum. The excavations in the city of Aiani, brought to light the oldest pieces of matt-painted (black and white) pottery ever found. Some of the matt-painted pottery dates back to the 15th-14th century BC ( Μycenaean era). Amongst the archaic pottery, some of the oldest samples of writing were found. Amongst them we have names inscribed like ''ΔΟΛΙΟ'' (''DOLIO'') and ''ΘΕΜΙΔΟΣ'' (''THEMIDOS''), which prove that the society of that region of Macedonia, spoke and wrote Greek before the 5th century BC. A single example of linear writing similar to that of southern Greece has been found, but its significance still remains unknown.G. Karamitrou-Menteside: Η Αιανή και η συμβολή της στην διαμόρφωση της νέας ιστορικής φυσιογνωμίας της Μακεδονίας - Εταιρία Μακεδονικών σπουδών, 2008
(Greek)

Communities

The municipal unit Aiani is subdivided into the following communities: * Agia Paraskevi * Aiani * Chromio * Kerasea * Kteni * Rodiani * Rymnio

References

External links

* Archaeological Museum of Aiane

* Necropolis of Aiani -Britannic
Video

Photos of the Macedonian Historical place at Aiani
{{Kozani div Mycenaean sites in Macedonia (Greece) Former municipalities in Western Macedonia Populated places in Kozani (regional unit)

Name

History

Communities

See also

References

External links