The 2,700-year-old SHOPPING MALL Discovered !!

Archaeologists have unearthed the remarkably well-preserved ruins of an ancient shopping centre in northern Greece.
The 2,700-year-old portico was discovered in June on the site of the ancient city of Argilos following an archaeological excavation.
An expert told MailOnline that they had even managed to identify individual shops - with one having been confirmed as a bakery, another an olive oil shop and one is thought, but not yet confirmed, to be a chemist that once sold make-up and medicine.

Non-uniform design indicates that each owner designed and built his shop
Said nothing like this had ever been discovered and that they expect to find many more shops when they excavate the east side of the portico next year

So this mall "Stoa of Attalus" already 2.700 year, i think this the oldest and bigest store in the world when it build..

THE STOA OF ATTALUS
The Stoa of Attalos was built by King Attalos II of Pergamon who reigned between 159 and138 B.C.

He built it as a gift to the Athenians in appreciation of the time he spent in Athens studying under the philosopher Karneades.

The building was an elaborate 'stoa' or 'portico' - a large two-storeyed double colonnade with rows of shops behind the colonnades.

The building was made of local materials, marble for the facade and columns, and limestone for the walls.

It is 116 metres-long and originally housed 42 shop.

The Stoa became the major commercial building or shopping centre in the Agora and was used for centuries, from its construction in around 150 B.C. until its destruction at the hands of the Herulians in A.D. 267.

Source : www.dailymail.co.uk... ed-Greece.html
I wonder if i were there back 2.700 years ago..buy something and back here..hehe

reply to post by cheesy


It can't be a mall, it was a market that was organised enough to be at a permanent location

ScottProphhit
reply to post by cheesy

 

It can't be a mall, it was a market that was organised enough to be at a permanent location

It could be a strip mall. I say this after looking at the pictures.

I wonder which one was the "Convenience" store? There are always at least one in strip malls.

TDawgRex

ScottProphhit
reply to post by cheesy

 

It can't be a mall, it was a market that was organised enough to be at a permanent location

It could be a strip mall. I say this after looking at the pictures.

I wonder which one was the "Convenience" store? There are always at least one in strip malls.

I dunno, I struggle to see them being people that would be competing with each other for sales with trying to get people to enter with advertising, it must've been a community of merchants that made a permanent location. Which isn't the definition of a "shopping mall"

reply to post by ScottProphhit


What makes you say that?

S&F OP ..

HooHaa
reply to post by ScottProphhit

 

What makes you say that?

S&F OP ..

Well one 'store' sold olive oil, which meant they farmed that themselves(and used in bakery, probably medicine and make up too) so these were a group of farmers/merchants that worked together to sell to travellers, and must have been close to a community

That sounds exactly like a market

ScottProphhit
reply to post by cheesy

 

It can't be a mall, it was a market that was organised enough to be at a permanent location

Maybe this is your answer sir why scientist call it Mall

It is 116 metres-long and originally housed 42 shop.

The Stoa became the major commercial building or shopping centre in the Agora and was used for centuries

reply to post by cheesy


So it was 42 stores where the owners had no home to go to?
It's a market, a flourished one, that probably had recognition around Greece at one point

ScottProphhit

TDawgRex

ScottProphhit
reply to post by cheesy

 

It can't be a mall, it was a market that was organised enough to be at a permanent location

It could be a strip mall. I say this after looking at the pictures.

I wonder which one was the "Convenience" store? There are always at least one in strip malls.

I dunno, I struggle to see them being people that would be competing with each other for sales with trying to get people to enter with advertising, it must've been a community of merchants that made a permanent location. Which isn't the definition of a "shopping mall"

It could be also called a Market. Pretty much the same thing if you think about it. The advertising angle though made me think. We know that the Brothels in ancient Greece did indeed advertise. But I wonder how the rest of the businesses got word out about their wares?

Were there billboards back then, but were to frail to stand the test of time?

reply to post by cheesy


Walmart must have run them out of business.

Anyway pretty interesting.

reply to post by cheesy


Just point me to the food court.

Very nice find OP.

is this a recent discovery??

As far as i know, the Stoa was discovered & excavated from 1859 onwards.
And it was reconstructed from 1953-1956.

There are ongoing excavations around the area.

But, it wasn't recently discovered.

I wonder if they took Visa and Mastercard.

Well with only 42 shops it wasn't the "MALL OF AMERICA" but cool. Every city had its market places. It's great that they found this one I doubt too many survived this long. Very interesting. Especially the makeup store. Ulta of the ancient world.

reply to post by usertwelve


There most likely was one. City market places was where many people got their food. Just like today not everybody grew their own food. Some went to the store to get it.

reply to post by ScottProphhit


Pretty sure that's just a play on words. Of course it was a market place but what's wrong with calling it a mall. It's a group of shops with a permanent location . A mall is a group of stores in one location. Strip mall or mall of America where talking size here.

Wonder if they find a little sign that says Wallmart or Tesco there?

scotsdavy1
Wonder if they find a little sign that says Wallmart or Tesco there?

Maybe But I bet there's a Rothschild central bank!

Similar types of shops were found insitu at Pompeii and Herculaneum

Yeah, there were markets to purchase and barter goods in ancient times too...