Τhe 8th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists, hosted by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the Greek Ministry of Culture, will take place in Thessaloniki, the dynamic capital of Northern Greece. Thessaloniki has a long history of occupation dating back to the Neolithic. Through the ages, the city of Thessaloiki has been a principal gateway from the Mediterranean to the Balkans and Central Europe and was in turn part of the Kingdom of Macedonia, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the second city after Constantinople of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Today the city is the second economic and industrial centre of modern Greece and the principal port of Northern Greece and the Southern Balkans. Its long multi-ethnic and multi-cultural history is documented in a wealth of monuments and museums. At a short distance from Thessaloniki, well known archaeological and historical sites include Vergina, Dion, Philippi, Sesklo, Dimini and the Mount Athos monasteries, while Mount Olympus and the beautiful Chalkidiki peninsula are popular holiday destinations. The organizers of the 8th meeting aim for a memorable event, at which different archaelogical traditions will meet in the land which inspired the intellectual tradition of Classicism.