Cave of Zeus

The Idäische Grotto ( ancient Greek Ἰδαίον Ἄντρον in Modern Greek, Ιδαίο Άντρο, Ideo Andro ) is a cave in mount Psiloritis (also called Mount Ida ) on the Greek island of Crete. Also known as " Cave of the Shepherd Girl" ( Spiliara tis Voskopoulas ) designated natural cavity located in 1495 meters at the western edge of the Nida Plateau in central Crete. The cave entrance is located at an altitude of 1538 meters.

Mythology

The Idäische grotto applies, as the Diktäische grotto at Psychro, as the birthplace of the Cretan Zeus. The god Zeus is here spent his youth and who later passed to his son Minos, the mythical king of Crete, the laws of the land.

Excavations

First scientific excavations were made in 1885 by the Italian archaeologist Federico Half Men. The services provided from 1982 by Jannis Sakellarakis and Katya Mandeli continuing excavation finds from the Neolithic period, but especially from the Minoan period. Through archaeological finds, including numerous Bronzevotive, the cultic character of the cave was occupied. The cult was continued in archaic, classical and Roman times. Among the finds from the Late Minoan shrine were consecration horns which brings Anna Lucia D' Agata in conjunction with similar findings from Agia Triada.

Since 2006, Peter Day from the University of Sheffield thin section studies at the Final Neolithic pottery to determine their origin.

Tourist Information

Wooden planks are embedded as stairs in the rock for the descent into the interior. In 2012, construction work was carried out for easier access through a rock staircase. The Idäische cave is quite a little cave, the interior is fully illuminated from the cave entrance here by daylight. In some years, traces of snow keep them in the cave until the second half of the year.