Pitsa cave
| Pitsa cave
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| Location: | Corinthia , Greece | |
| Height : | 800 m | |
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Geographic location: |
38 ° 5 '20 " N , 22 ° 30' 35" E | |
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The Cave of Pitsa ( Greek Σπήλαιο Πιτσών ) or Cave of Saftoulis ( Greek Σπηλιά του Σαφτουλή ) is located in the west of Corinthia in the Mavro Oros Mountains, which were called Chelydorea in ancient times. It is located about 800 m below the 1175 m high Sotira peak and about 3 km southwest of the coastal town of Kato Pitsa . It can be reached either via a slope east of Ano Pitsa or via a slope northwest of Korfiotissa after 5 km.
exploration
A shepherd discovered ancient clay figures in the cave, which he gave to the authorities. In 1934 the Greek archaeologists Anastasios Orlandos and Markellos Mitsis carried out excavations. The finds are exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Sikyon . Only the significant Pitsa tablets are in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens .
description
The cave is accessed from the north via a 1.50 m wide and 2.25 m high entrance. The main room of 40 × 30 m with a steep abyss in the east can be reached via a ramp that leads down steeply about 17.50 m. There is a small room in the southwest. The corridors to the west and southwest are unexplored.
The cave was built from the 7th century BC. Used for cultic purposes until the 2nd century AD. The finds show that the nymphs and probably also Dionysus were worshiped here. Among the finds were the art-historically significant Pitsa tablets. Other finds are statuettes of women, animal figures, aryballoi made of faience , black-figure vessels , metal objects, jewelry, a coin from Corinth and one from Sicyon. The special air remained in the cave next to the wooden panels Pitsa also pyxides of wood, a textile fragment with purple and a wooden sculpture, which probably Demeter with Kore is obtained.
literature
- Konstantinos Kissas (ed.): Antike Korinthia , Athens 2013, pp. 150–151.
Web links
- Ioanna Zygouri [Ιωάννα Ζυγούρη] Σπήλαιο Πιτσών , Ephorie for Paleoanthropology and Speleology, Ministry of Culture and Sport (Greek)
- Konstantinos Zachos [Κωνσταντίνος Λ. Ζάχος]: Σπήλαιο Πιτσών. In: Archeologia . Issue 15, May 1985, pp. 23-25. PDF Online (Greek)