The TEMPER programme, part of Euromed Heritage, concerns itself with research into the conditions and preconditions necessary for the advancement of comprehensive solutions for the participation of the local community in the management and display of archaeological sites of low archaeological visibility, such as prehistoric sites. The programme took as its motto the idea that prehistoric civilisation is a basic element of Mediterranean civilisation and should be projected equally. Great Britain, Turkey, Israel and Malta have taken part in the international programme with sites exhibiting particularities similar to those at Paliambela. Educational programmes, interviews and discussions with the inhabitants of Kolindros and Paliambela directly involved in the excavation activities, and extensive discussions with the local authorities were included with the framework of the project. A number of undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki took part in the activities, as did specialist museum educators. For more information about the programme on the Web, see www.temper-euromed.org.

The main axis adopted for the organisation of the Paliambela archaeological park is the highlighting of elements of the farming economy, which have been consistently present from the beginning of agricultural and livestock farming during the Neolithic down to mechanised cultivation. Farming life constitutes the fundamental element that links the archaeological site, the village and the wider region. In any case, farming is the factor that has shaped the village and the surrounding landscape into a complete and indivisible entity, and has remained the basic occupation of the inhabitants until today. Through the uniting prism of farming, the points at which each period differs will be presented, such as daily life, social relationships, economy, and ideology, so that the visitors are able to come in contact with a more vivid side of the Neolithic experience and not simply learn about objects removed from their contexts.

The presentation of the archaeological material is bolstered by the adoption of a museological approach that includes the reconstruction of farming life on four levels:

• on the level of the excavation, making the details of the research accessible
• on the level of the re-enactment of farming practices, with the cultivation of Neolithic and traditional varieties and the organisation of experimental farming activities
• on the level of museological presentation, with the visitor-friendliness of the archaeological site, the museum exhibition, the creation of a multi-media show for the visitors, and pottery and stone technology workshops
• on the level of educational programmes, which have already put the young people of the region in contact with the archaeological process and the diachronic history of the village

Within the framework of the Paliambela archaeological park the old school of the settlement, which is the base of the excavation, will be used, as will the storeroom at the entrance to the village, which has been allotted for the storage of the material. The school will undergo the necessary changes to house modern laboratories for the study of the archaeological material and the reproduction of ancient artefacts, while the storeroom will be upgraded to create a reception area for the visitors and an exhibition centre, to be accompanied by the landscaping of the surrounding areas and the provision of a car-park. On the hill the trenches will be roofed, and will be linked together and to the planned cultivated areas by paths. Wooden shelters placed at suitable points will form the public information points during the tour. An emphasis has been placed on the aesthetically-pleasing and functional design of the conversions, so that the farming character of the site will not be affected.

The Paliambela archaeological park will broaden and unify the archaeological activities into a comprehensive event of a cultural, social and economic character. Its operation will make the archaeological process even more interesting, since it constitutes a point of reference, where all aspects of a modern archaeological investigation come in contact with the public. And so it is hoped that the archaeological park, apart from strengthening the archaeological project in the village, will also contribute to the extension of the archaeological investigation in the area and to the renewal of the relationship the inhabitants have with the land, with traditions and with farming practices, will encourage technical occupations and progressive cultivation methods, will allow visitors to understand and experience the continuation of farming life and, finally, will bolster tourist activity in Pieria by its entry into the network of archaeological sites in the area.