This paper discusses material culture in western Thessaly from the eight to the fifth century BC. The focus of the paper is on the recently investigated settlement at Philia, where a number of apsidal buildings have been unearthed, dating to the sixth and fifth centuries BC; their layout and organization reveal central planning. Comparison of the architecture and contents of the Philia houses to those from other Thessalian sites reveals the existence of shared traditions in the region, in terms of both the architecture (apsidal buildings) and pottery (grey wares), with a long history from the ninth to the fifth century BC.