In 1992 prior to the construction of a new railway and the extension of the main national road, a rescue excavation project was undertaken in Pieria, in Northern Greece. The project was carried out by the Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of Thessaloniki and involved investigation of all the archaeological remains in the area, dating from the Late Neolithic to the Late Roman period, that would be threatened by the construction work. The discovery and excavation of a large flat-extensive Neolithic settlement, near the modern village of Makriyalos have greatly enriched our knowledge of the distinctive settlement pattern, recently recognized as dominant in Neolithic Macedonia.

The Neolithic site at Makriyalos is located on the gentle slopes of a natural hill and is estimated to have a total extent of 50 hectares. Two discrete habitation phases, both securely dated to the Late Neolithic Period have been recognized. In both phases, the habitation area was encircled by large earthworks. The extensive area of excavation, about 6 hectares, allowed us for the first time to record in detail the internal organization of this type of settlement and its evolution throughout the Neolithic.

Dwellings in both phases were subterranean or semi-subterranean constructions clustered in small groups. A large quantity of pottery and small finds was collected, consisting the largest ever found archaeological context from Neolithic Greece. The constructions were not preservable as the were all made from earth.