Meteora, in the Thessaly region of central Greece, is home to the Theopetra Cave, an ancient site. Because of archeological unearthings that have been directed throughout the long term, it has been uncovered that the Theopetra Cavern has been involved by people as soon as quite a while back. What’s more, proof for human residence in the Theopetra Cavern can be followed without break from the Center Paleolithic to the furthest limit of the Neolithic time frame. This is significant because it enables archaeologists to gain a deeper comprehension of Greece’s prehistoric era.

The Theopetra Cave’s Location The Theopetra Cave is approximately 100 meters (330 feet) above a valley on the northeastern slope of a limestone hill. The Lethaios River, a tributary of the Pineios River, flows nearby, and the cave has a view of the tiny village of Theopetra. The limestone hill was formed during the Upper Cretaceous period, according to geologists, between 137 and 65 million years ago. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans only entered the cave around 130 000 years ago, during the Middle Paleolithic period. The cave itself is about 500 square meters (5380 square feet) in size and has been described as roughly quadrilateral in shape with small niches on its perimeter. The Theopetra Cave has a large entrance that lets a lot of light into the cave’s interior.

Theopetra Cave Archaeological Excavations Begin In 1987, the Theopetra Cave was the site of the first archaeological excavation, which lasted until 2007. Dr. Nina Kyparissi-Apostolika, who led the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology and Speleography during the excavations, was in charge of this project. It should be mentioned that local shepherds were using the Theopetra Cave as a temporary shelter to keep their flocks when the archaeological work first started. It could be added that the Theopetra Cavern was the principal cave in Thessaly to have been archeologically unearthed, and furthermore the only one in Greece to have a persistent grouping of stores from the Center Paleolithic to the furthest limit of the Neolithic time frame. This is important because it has helped archaeologists learn more about how mainland Greece changed from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic era.

The archaeological investigation of the Theopetra Cave has led to the discovery of a number of intriguing clues. One of these, for example, relates to the environment in the space when the cavern was being involved. Archaeologists were able to determine that the cave had been occupied by both hot and cold spells by analyzing the micromorphology of the sediment samples taken from each archaeological layer. Because of these progressions in the environment, the cavern’s populace additionally varied likewise.

The World’s Oldest Wall: The remains of a stone wall that once partially sealed off the cave’s entrance are another fascinating find from the Theopetra Cave. In 2010, these remains were discovered, and scientists were able to date this wall to approximately 23000 years ago by employing a relatively new method of dating called Optically Stimulated Luminescence. Researchers have hypothesized that the cave’s inhabitants built the wall to shield them from the cold outside due to its age, which coincides with the most recent glacial age. It has been asserted that this is the most ancient building ever constructed by humans in Greece—if not the entire world.

The wall at Theopetra – conceivably the most seasoned existing man-made structure. ( Visit Meteora) A year before this amazing discovery was made, it was said that at least three hominid footprints had been found carved into the cave’s spongy earth floor. It has been hypothesized that several Neanderthal children between the ages of two and four who lived in the cave during the Middle Paleolithic period made the footprints based on their shape and size.

The Theopetra Cave was officially opened to the public in 2009, but it remained closed for a year due to the discovery of the stone wall’s ruins that year. Yet again albeit the archeological site was later re-opened, it was shut in 2016 because of the gamble of avalanches. The cave and its museum are now open to the public once more.