Excavating Neolithic Caves in Attica: Rituals to Pan and the Origins of Agriculture in Greek Prehistory

There are over 10,000 caves all over the Greek islands, where archaeologists have identified abundant materials revealing both environmental as well as cultural information dating as far back as the 7th millennium B.C. in Neolithic times. This talk will present the case study of recent excavations conducted at Leontari cave situated in Hymettus mountain in Attica. During the five years of excavations of Leontari cave (2003- 2008), a joint project conducted by the University of Athens and the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology-Speleology (Greek Ministry of Culture), the team has revealed new environmental and archaeological knowledge shedding new light on the process of the rise of agriculture and domestication patterns of animals in mainland Greece. In addition, they have made positive identifications that the cave was also an important shrine dedicated to the deity Pan, one of most popular gods in the Greek pantheon.
Dr. Lilian Karali-Giannakopoulou Ioulia is Professor of Prehistoric and Environmental Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece. She is one of Europe’s leading specialist on Environmental Archaeology, Greek Prehistory (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Age), and Bio-archaeology (human and animal remains, shells). She is also the founder of the Environmental Archaeology program at Athens University, the first of its kind in Greece.

A reception will follow the talk.

Sponsored by the Archaeology Focus Research Group of the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center.

jwil 27.iv.09