Petralona cave in Greece, Halkidiki resort
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  Petralona Cave is located on the Halkidiki peninsula near the village of Petralona, just 55 kilometers from city of Thessaloniki. The cave was formed as a result of the active development of karst processes on the western side of Mount Katsika, at an altitude of about 270 meters. The Anthropological Museum of Petralona is located at the entrance to the cave. The opening of the cave took place thanks to the local resident Philip Hadzaridis in 1959. The cave became world famous in 1960, when the skull of an archanthropus was discovered in it. Soon after the discovery, anthropological and archaeological research began here, led by Professor Aris Pulianos. The professor also established that the found archanthropus is about 700 000 years old, that is, this skeleton belonged to the most ancient man in Europe. The remains of primitive tools and traces of a hearth were also found here. The discovered skull of an archanthropus is now stored in Thessaloniki at the Aristotle University. In addition, the researchers found among the fossils the remains of hyenas, lions, panthers , bears, rhinoceroses, elephants, bison, Pleutocene megacerin, as well as 16 species of rodents, 25 species of birds and 17 species of bats. According to archaeological data, the age of some of the remains is about 5 million years. The cave is about two kilometers long. The entrance to the cave passes through an artificial tunnel, built in 1974, the length of which is 100 meters. The tunnel passes through the eroded mountainside and encompasses the natural entrance of the cave. We also recommend reading Omerbasic Mosque in Montenegro, Bar resort Topic: Petralona cave in Greece, Halkidiki resort. |
