THESSALONIKI, Greece — In a recent discovery near Thessaloniki, local authorities have uncovered another set of unmarked graves, this time revealing the remains of 14 individuals from the time of Greece’s civil war. This poignant site, located in a suburb close to the historic city, highlights a dark chapter of the past when prisoners, primarily accused of being communists or their supporters, faced execution between the years 1946 and 1953.
The recently unearthed graves tell the story of those held captive in the Yedi Kule castle, also known as Eptapyrgio, meaning “seven towers.” This Byzantine fortress, infamous for its role during and after the civil war of 1946-49, served as a prison where many met their tragic end through torture and execution due to their political affiliations.
Unveiled as part of a municipal park renovation project, this series of graves echoes the somber discoveries from earlier in the year in Neapolis-Sykies. As developers commenced with installing new benches, they unearthed these graves with bodies barely buried beneath the surface. Haris Charismiadis, the overseeing engineer of the park’s development, confirmed the presence of these graves to local officials.
While the park project has been halted, local mayor Simos Daniilidis emphasized the significance of continuing the archaeological efforts to locate further graves. Charismiadis suspects even more graves are concealed nearby and possibly beneath adjacent roads. An archaeologist is presently contributing to the excavation efforts.
Distinct from the discovery made earlier this year of 33 aligned bodies, these latest findings reveal remains haphazardly piled, reflecting the grim haste with which they were buried. Within these graves, bodies were found disarticulated, limbs and torsos disturbingly separated.
During this dark chapter, many families of the executed prisoners were left uninformed about their loved ones’ fates and were denied the opportunity to claim their remains. Some only learned of deaths through newspapers or, chillingly, during trips to the prison when delivering essentials for their relatives. Due to the anguish and uncertainty faced by these families, there have been persistent calls for DNA testing on the newly discovered bodies to confirm their identities. However, such testing has not yet begun, leaving families still searching for closure.