The archaeological site of Toumba in Thessaloniki, discovered in 1895, lies on a plateau in the eastern part of the city. It includes the small conical shaped hill with successive building phases of the Bronze Age (beginning of the 2nd millenium - 1100 B.C.), the Iron Age (1100 - 800 B.C.) and historical times (800 B.C. on down). It spreads out also over the area around the little hill with building remains of the Early Iron Age, archaic (800 - 480 B.C.), classical (480 - 323 B.C.) and early Hellenistic times (323 - 300 B.C.); in addition there are scattered, isolated establishments within a radius of five hundred metres from the settlement and an extensive cemetery.

The town that developed at Toumba Thessaloniki at the inner recess of the Thermaic Gulf, especially from the 6th to the end of the 4th century B.C., had an area of around 95 stremmata. Recent excavations have shown that while it had elements of local tradition it was also open to the influence of the central Aegean area and the main Greek cities of archaic and classical times, particularly Athens. In all probability, the town may be identified as ancient Therme or a section of it. Together with another twenty-five settlements, it formed part of the synoikismos organised by Kassander for the founding of Thessaloniki around 315 B.C. (Strabo VII, 21 and 24).