Pelion Cave Project - Introduction

Caves in the eastern part of the Mediterranean area figure prominently in many archaeological contexts and are among the historically most important caves in the western hemisphere. Greek folklore, myths and legends are full of references to caves and caves throughout Greece have been an inseparable part of daily life since prehistoric times. Caves were used in the historic period as temporary shelters and animal pens, but also as meeting places for spiritual and religious activities, cold storage and hideouts (Figure 1, 2 & 3).

Even with a growing archaeological interest in the later historical periods in Greece, the use of caves in recent times is considered a relatively peripheral phenomenon. Nevertheless, cave-chapels and the wide-spread occurrence of drystone walls, fences, water basins and other installations around caves show that many were used intensively until very recently, which underlines their economic, functional and social significance.

In the years 2006-08, “The Pelion Cave Project” (PCP) was established under the Danish Institute in Athens in collaboration with the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleology in Northern Greece under the Greek Ministry of Culture. The Danish-led project aimed to examine the human uses of caves in recent times on the Pelion Mountain in southeastern Thessaly in Greece - and the adaptation of this use in accordance with changes in the agrarian economy and increasing industrialization.

The survey part of the project was funded by the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (GR/USA), The Costopoulos Foundation (GR), Queen Margrethe II's Archaeological Foundation (DK) and the Augustinus Foundation (DK). All post-survey work and publication is financed by the Danish Independent Research Council | Culture and Communication (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) (DK).

Figures 1 - 3

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3