The Aspri Petra cave
The Aspri Petra (White Stone) cave lies on Mount Zini, three kilometers south of the Town of Kefalos, to the west of Kefalos Bay, overlooking the sea from a height of 257 meters above sea level, in the Southwestern part of the island. The cave is located in a prominent position of this imposing mountain, with a magnificent view of the bay to the cape of Krikelo, and the nearby islands of Yiali and Nisyros. The cave is some 100-140 million years old and is what geologists call a Karst formation whereby the limestone is shaped through the dissolution of the bedrock.
Prehis toric findings in the Aspri Petra cave
The cave was explored and studied in June 1922 by the Italian archeologist Alessandro Della Sefe. The excavations brought to light the earliest habitation of the island, dated to the Late and Final Neolithic periods (5.300-4.000 BC), confirming human presence on the island from the Prehistoric times. Significant artifacts from the prehistoric period were found in this cave dating back to the early Age of Bronze (2900-2100 B.C.) and the ceramics discovered were transported to Rhodes. The Aspri Petra Cave’s findings date back to the Neolithic, Mycenaean, Geometric and Roman periods. The cave must have relived during the Geometric period (10th-8th century BC) as a place of worship of agrarian deities, and as such, it continued to exist up to the Roman times.
Two votive deposits were excavated, that are linked to the ritual use of the cave during historical times:
1) The earliest deposit dates from the Late Geometric Period (750-680 BC) and contains typical wheel-made cups and numerous tiny open vessels manufactured during these earlier rituals.
2) The second votive deposit dates from the end of the 5th to the end of the 4th century BC. The offerings indicate worship of the Nymphs, closely related to the wild nature surrounding the cave, and of Pan, the goat-footed god of caves, forests and mountain wilderness. The cave as a sanctuary flourished in the 5th and 4th century BC, as witnessed by the offerings of female busts, statuettes of young women and deities, water-carrying figurines (hydriaphoroi), chid nurturers (kourotrophoi), musicians, children and Sellinoi, that were found in the cave. The deities worshiped in the cave, at that time, were Pan, represented by a standing figure, and goddess Demeter, whose sanctuary was found in the bay of Kefalos.
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock, which means it was formed from small particles of rock or stone that have been compacted by pressure. Sedimentary rock is important because it often contains fossils and gives clues about what type of rock was on the Earth long ago. Just like a tree's rings tell a lot about its environment, layers found in sedimentary rock can tell about important changes in the environment.
How is it formed?
Limestone is formed in two ways. It can be formed with the help of living organisms and by evaporation. Ocean-dwelling organisms such as oysters, clams, mussels and coral use calcium carbonate (CaCO3) found in seawater to create their shells and bones. As these organisms die, their shells and bones are broken down by waves and settle on the ocean floor where they are compacted over millions of years, creating limestone from the sediments and the pressure of the ocean water.
The second way limestone is formed is when water containing particles of calcium carbonate evaporate, leaving behind the sediment deposit. The water pressure compacts the sediment, creating limestone.
Cave
A cave is a natural void in the ground specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word cave can refer to smaller openings such as sea caves, rock shelters, and grottos, that extend a relatively short distance into the rock and they are called exogene caves.
A sea cave is a type of cave formed primarily by the wave action of the sea.
A rock shelter is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff.
A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically.
Dry or wet Caves
Dry caves are raised high enough above the water table that there is no significant or permanent water. However, in different areas within the cave, there can be varying amounts of moisture and humidity, depending on rainwater entering the cave and how the air flows within the passageways.
Wet caves are caves with creeks, groundwater, or springs are known as aquatic or wet caves.
Source:
https://www.discoveringkos.com/destination-item/aspri-petra-cave/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limestone
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave
How to log this Earthcache.
Visit the location of this Earthecache and answer the following questions and send this to our profile:
Q1) When you look into the cave, do you think this is a wet cave or a dry one? Why?
Q2) When you are standing inside the cave, look at the ground. Is it different from the ground outside of the cave? If so, describe the difference.
Q3) Do you see any limestone? If so, describe what it looks like.
Q4) In front of the cave there is an arch. One of the big stones is marked with a big green cross, below that stone is a smaller rock (see spoiler picture). Describe in your own words what is different about (the surface of) this smaller stone compared to the other big ones around it.
Q5) Make a picture of yourself, your GPS or a mascotte to prove your visit to the cave (or arch) in front of it. Add this picture to your log.
~Logs without answers send and/or without a picture (Q5) will be removed.~
Hope you enjoy this Earthcache and the view!
