Ancient Technical Works in Kalabaka

Traces of Workers from 23,000 years ago

SOURCE: TA NEA, 23.03.2010 - Translated by ArchaeologyMatters

The most ancient technical work in Greece - and probably the world - was revealed by achaeological research in the prehistoric cave of Theopetra (near Kalabaka). It is an artificial pile of stones - a small wall that limits the entrance of the cave by two thirds - which the prehistoric inhabitants of the cave probably built to protect themselves from the extreme cold, given that its age coincides absolutely with the coldest period of the last Ice Age.


The dating of the find, which was uncovered in 2007 by the head of the Ephorate of Palaioanthropolagy anf Spepaiology of Southern Greece, dr Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika, was done by the Workshop of Archaeometry of the EKEFE "Democritos" in Athens using the method of optical luminescense (optical dating) by the team of N. Zacharias, associate professor of the University of the Peloponnese and dr. I. Basiakos, director of research of the "Democritos".


The small cave of Theopetra is located 10 km outside Kalabaka and was inhabited from 75,000 to 3,500 B.C., which makes it one of the most important prehistoric site in Greece, as it proves the existance of culture in Greece long before the Neolithic Era, while it also offers the first indication of residence in Thessaly during the Mesolithec Period.