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IV. The Cave of Skaphidhia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2013

Extract

A quarter of an hour north of the village of Tzermiadho runs a line of cliffs which eventually join the west end of the Trapeza plateau. They are fronted by a thick growth of ilex trees, which makes the examination of them a matter of some difficulty. Many shallow caves occur, and from the top left-hand corner of one, 2 metres above the floor, a narrow hole about 50 cms. in diameter leads to a small chamber some 4 metres by 2, with a height never exceeding 70 cms. Only the inmost 2 metres contained any earth. This had been covered with a thin film of stalactite, above which was found the small Early Minoan I suspension pot (see p. 22 and Plate IV, 2). There is a stalactite pillar near the south wall. In the main body of the cave the first 20 cms. below the surface produced sherds from open bowls, tubular handles, rims, and other sherds of Late Neolithic date, some with a good burnish, but most rough, as well as a few sherds of typical Trapeza Ware. There were many bones, mostly of animals, but some, including a jaw bone, undoubtedly human. Below this arbitrary level to bed-rock, which slopes down to a maximum depth of 50 cms. to the southwest, the same Late Neolithic ware was found, but with a bigger proportion of well-burnished and well-finished fragments. A few incised and punctuated sherds appeared also. Bones, again mostly animal, occurred.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Council, British School at Athens 1938

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