In Macedonia, the recession in artistic activity experienced throughout the Byzantine Empire -- a consequence of the prohibition of the cult of icons --exacerbated an already depressed situation; this depression was due to the Avar and Slav incursions in the late 6th and early 7th century, and the destructive earthquakes that struck central and eastern Macedonian regions.
For instance, during the first three decades of the 7th century Thessalonike suffered serious earthquakes, described in Book II of the "Miracles of Saint Demetrios". Even so, artistic activity in the city did not altogether stop, as evidenced by the mosaics and wall-paintings that survived into the 20th century, rare testimonies of the art of the period.
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