Theopetra Cave is an archaeological site located in Meteora , in the central Greek region of Thessaly. As a result of archaeological excavations that have been carried out over the years, it has been revealed that Theopetra Cave has been occupied by humans for 130,000 years.
Furthermore, the evidence of human presence in Theopetra Cave can be traced without interruption from the Middle Paleolithic to the end of the Neolithic period . This is significant, as it allows archaeologists to have a better understanding of the prehistoric period in Greece.
Theopetra’s cave is located on the northeast slope of a limestone hill, about 100 meters above a valley. The cave overlooks the small town of Theopetra, and the Lethaios River, a tributary of the Pineios River, which flows nearby.
According to geologists, the limestone hill was formed between 137 and 65 million years ago, which corresponds to the Upper Cretaceous Period . According to archaeological evidence, human beings only began to occupy the cave during the Middle Paleolithic period, that is, around 130,000 years ago.
The cave itself has been described as roughly quadrilateral in shape with small niches around it, and covers an area of approximately 500 square meters. Theopetra’s cave has a large entrance, which allows light to enter abundantly inside the cave.
The investigation begins
Archaeological excavations began in 1987 and continued until 2007. This project was led by Dr Nina Kyrarissi-Apostolika, who served as head of the investigation. It is worth mentioning that when the archaeological work was first carried out, the local shepherds were using Theopetra cave as a temporary refuge for their flocks.
It can be added that Theopetra Cave was the first cave in Thessaly to be excavated archaeologically, and also the only one in Greece that has a continuous sequence of deposits from the Middle Paleolithic to the late Neolithic period. This is significant as it has allowed archaeologists to gain a better understanding of the transition from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic way of life in mainland Greece.
Several interesting discoveries have been made through the archaeological study of Theopetra Cave. One of them, for example, refers to the climate of the area when the cave was being occupied. By conducting a micromorphological analysis of the sediment samples collected from each archaeological layer, the archaeologists were able to determine that there had been periods of heat and cold during the occupation of the cave. As a result of these changes in climate, the cave population also fluctuated accordingly.
The oldest wall in the world
Another fascinating find from Theopetra Cave is the remains of a stone wall that once partially closed the cave entrance. These remains were discovered in 2010, and using a relatively new method known as Optically Stimulated Luminescence , scientists were able to date this wall to around 23,000 years.
The age of this wall, which coincides with the last ice age, has led researchers to suggest that the wall had been built by the cave’s inhabitants to protect them from the cold outside. It has been claimed to be the oldest known man-made structure in Greece and possibly the world.
A year before this incredible discovery was made, it was announced that a trace of at least three hominid tracks had been discovered that were imprinted on the soft earth floor of the cave. Based on the shape and size of the footprints, it has been speculated that they were made by several Neanderthal children, between two and four years old, who had lived in the caves during the Middle Palaeolithic.
In 2009 the Theopetra Cave was officially opened to the public, although a year later it was temporarily closed, since that year the remains of the stone wall were discovered. Although the archaeological site was subsequently reopened, in 2016 it was closed again, and is still closed for security reasons, that is, due to the risk of landslides.
