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Profitis
Ilias Cave
The
Profitis Ilias Cave is a large underground karsts cave of 2500
square meters with rich decoration of stalactites. It consists
of two branches which are linked by a long up-sloping corridor
and a very low passage. Each section comprises a large central
room surrounded by smaller areas. Those of the east section
are subdivided in parts by dry stone walls. The entrance is
a hole in the roof of the cave, through which there is a drop
of 8 meters (26,2ft) into the first room.
In
the 19th century it served as the safest refuge for the
chief of a gang of robbers. Before World War II there were
plans to convert it into an "entertainment center".
Later on, plans to make it a place worth visiting were annulled
due to dense construction in the surrounding area and to
the destruction of its stalactites and stalagmites by the
cave's draining system. During the investigation in the sixties,
it was revealed that the cave had served as a habitation
site in the late Neolithic period and the beginnings of the
Bronze age.
Another
archaeological investigation started in 1994 under the direction
of Dr. Margarita Koumouzelis. Besides the collection of the
rich surface material, the excavation in the area near the entrance,
brought layers of fire, stone and bone tools to light as well
as ceramic vases and shreds of the late Neolithic period.
This
is the only cave in the city of Athens with
Neolithic habitation. It can be found at Rizoupolis
in the Perissos area.