Glifada.
Karst cave.
| Location: |
At the head of the Bay of Diros, 220m east of the cave
Glifada.
|
| Open: | Will be open to public in 2004. |
| Fee: | |
| Classification: |
Karst cave.
|
| Light: | electric. |
| Dimension: | T=19°C (air and 18°C (water), A=20m asl., L=870m. |
| Guided tours: | L=270m. |
| Bibliography: |
J S Vourlitis ND (~1970):
Caverns Of Mani,
72 photos, 12 pp text in English German and Greek. SB |
| Address: | |
| Last update: | $Date: 2008/04/20 19:53:40 $ |
| 1958 | discovered, explored by the Greek Speleological Society, first excavations. | |
| 1970 | archaeological excavations under the director of the Ephorate Giorgos Papathanasopoulos continued the investigation. |
Alepotrypa has provided much information about the life of prehistoric man. Many of the artifacts found here belonged to the Late Paleolithic or Neolithic periods and closed the gap between Asia and Europe. They proved that there were cultural connections between the two continents and that Greece was one of the links.
The cave is one of the most notable archaeological sites in Europe. The excavation produced
The skeletons were not buried, leading to speculation that an earthquake in the Neolithic Age had blocked the cave entrance and trapped the inhabitants.
Outside the cave, in shallow hollows, fragments of shaped tools in obsidian were found in red earth.
Alepotrypa has two levels, on the lower is an underground river with a known length of 270 meters, the upper level is dry and has a length of about six hundred meters. It was formed during the Pleistocene.
The cave was discovered by a dog that chased a fox into its fox-earth and needed three days to find the way back. It then explored by the most famous Greek speleologists, Ioannis and Anne Petrocheilos.
The cave was also used by the Resistance during World War 2 in the fight against the invading Nazi forces.
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