Franchthi Cave
Encyclopedia
Franchthi cave in the Peloponnese
, in the southeastern Argolid, is a cave
overlooking the Argolic Gulf
opposite the Greek village of Koilada
.
The cave was occupied from the Palaeolithic circa
20,000 BCE (and possibly earlier) through the Mesolithic
and Neolithic
periods, being abandoned about 3000 BCE (Middle Neolithic). It is one of the very few settlements in the world that shows continuous human occupation for more than 20,000 years.
It also contains some of the earliest evidence for agriculture in Greece. The first inhabitants were probably hunter gatherers, but from around 11,000 BCE almond
s, pistachio
s, bitter vetch
, and lentil
s all appear at the same time, while wild oats
and wild barley appear from 10,500 BCE, while from 7,300 BCE peas
and wild pears also appear. None appear to be native to the region, while two are certainly from Asia Minor. This would seem to indicate that the farming of legumes and nuts preceded that of grain in Greece, if not in Asia Minor at least. This would make this area the oldest known agricultural site in Greece
.
Obsidian
items from the cave have been traced to the island of Melos 80 miles away by sea, which indicates long-distance sea travel. Around 6000 BC, evidence of domesticated animals and plants (emmer
and einkorn wheat
) appears in the archaeological record at the cave.
Large fish bones have also been found, a characteristic of deep-sea fishing.
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, in the southeastern Argolid, is a cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
overlooking the Argolic Gulf
Argolic Gulf
The Argolic Gulf is a small gulf off the east coast of the Peloponnese, Greece, opening into the Aegean Sea. Its main island is Spetses. This gulf and its islands are sometimes combined with the Saronic Gulf and Saronic Islands, with the result called the Argo-Saronic Gulf and the Argo-Saronic...
opposite the Greek village of Koilada
Koilada
Koilada is a village and a former municipality in the Larissa regional unit, Thessaly, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Larissa, of which it is a municipal unit. Population 3305 ....
.
The cave was occupied from the Palaeolithic circa
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
20,000 BCE (and possibly earlier) through the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
periods, being abandoned about 3000 BCE (Middle Neolithic). It is one of the very few settlements in the world that shows continuous human occupation for more than 20,000 years.
It also contains some of the earliest evidence for agriculture in Greece. The first inhabitants were probably hunter gatherers, but from around 11,000 BCE almond
Almond
The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...
s, pistachio
Pistachio
The pistachio, Pistacia vera in the Anacardiaceae family, is a small tree originally from Persia , which now can also be found in regions of Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Sicily and possibly Afghanistan , as well as in the United States,...
s, bitter vetch
Bitter vetch
Vicia ervilia, the bitter vetch, is an ancient grain legume crop of the Mediterranean region. Besides the English name, other common names include: Gavdaneh , kersannah , yero , rovi , and burçak . The nutritional value of the grain for ruminant production has guaranteed the continued cultivation...
, and lentil
Lentil
The lentil is an edible pulse. It is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
s all appear at the same time, while wild oats
Wild Oats
Wild Oats or wild oats may refer to:* Avena, a genus of grasses that includes the cereal oat* Chasmanthium latifolium or wild oats, a grass* Uvularia sessilifolia]] or wild oats, a bellwort* Wild Oats , a 1994 sitcom...
and wild barley appear from 10,500 BCE, while from 7,300 BCE peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
and wild pears also appear. None appear to be native to the region, while two are certainly from Asia Minor. This would seem to indicate that the farming of legumes and nuts preceded that of grain in Greece, if not in Asia Minor at least. This would make this area the oldest known agricultural site in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Obsidian
Obsidian
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock.It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth...
items from the cave have been traced to the island of Melos 80 miles away by sea, which indicates long-distance sea travel. Around 6000 BC, evidence of domesticated animals and plants (emmer
Emmer
Emmer wheat , also known as farro especially in Italy, is a low yielding, awned wheat. It was one of the first crops domesticated in the Near East...
and einkorn wheat
Einkorn wheat
thumbnail|150px|left|Wild einkorn, Karadag, central TurkeyEinkorn wheat can refer either to the wild species of wheat, Triticum boeoticum , or to the domesticated form, Triticum monococcum...
) appears in the archaeological record at the cave.
Large fish bones have also been found, a characteristic of deep-sea fishing.
External links
- Prehistoric Archaeology of the Aegean. Lesson 1: The Southern Greek Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic Sequence at Franchthi. Retrieved 2009-08-10.