Kalamakia Cave Site

Kalamakia cave, situated on the Mani peninsula, is a fossil-bearing cave in Southern Greece that provides insights into Paleolithic habitation, geology, nature, and climate.

Background

Situated at Areopolis--the western coast of the Mani peninsula of Peloponnese, the cave of Kalamakia was inhabited during the Pleistocene, and its archaeological assemblages and remains encouraged discussion among scholars. Systemic excavations of the Kalamakia cave began in 1993, and quintessential findings include faunal remains, raw material, and Neanderthal remains.

The first systematic excavation of Kalamakia was completed by Andreas Darlas and Henry de Lumley, archaeologists who identified the seven stratigraphic units of the site and the specifics for each unit. Specifically, Kalamakia's seven stratigraphical units arranged from earliest deposition to latest consist of the lower stalagmitic floor, the Tyrrhenian beach, the wind-blown dune sands and small broken angular stones, the angular gravel with reddish sandy-clay mix, the scree of large blocks in a red clay matrix, the layered clayey silts, and the upper stalagmitic floor.

Geological and physical features

The Mani peninsula has been affected by tectonic movements throughout its archaeological history, which caused the formation of several platforms on the site. The cave of Kalamakia occupies one of the lowest platforms above sea level; scientific measurements confirm that the site is within ten meters from the shoreline and approximately two meters above the present sea level.

At the entrance, Kalamakia is seven meters wide and eight meters high, and the cave becomes gradually narrower as one begins to probe its insides. Apart from featuring a main gallery, the cave of Kalamakia also has a secondary and a tertiary gallery slightly above the main cave. Kalamakia is twenty meters deep and, despite its great depth, was likely submerged during the Pleistocene for an extended period and later revealed itself, thanks to marine regression.