Cave Dark Tharrouniwn

“The Cave Dark Tharrouniwn” is a cave which is in the «kakalitsa” near the top side, a sharp and unusual beauty canyon a limestone mountain with a height of 440 meters. At the top of the mountain on the other side of the gorge is ruined Venetian tower, the legs of which are built in beautiful old church of “Agionikola”, recently renovated on the initiative of Nikos Giannoulis doctor and consecrated by Metropolitan Karystos and Skyros Mr. Seraphim. The overall picture of the ravine, the two koryfon- kakalitsas and Agionikola – and the stream cartilage, is spectacular and the dignity of the impressive landscape.
The dark cave was known to the inhabitants of Tharrounia since inhabited the area, but officially discovered in 1974 and explored by the doctor and researcher Theodore Dark. Then on June 30, 1986 began archaeological excavations under the supervision of a scrutineer Mr Halkida antiquities. Adamantios Sampson cooperation Ephorate Paleoanthropology and Speleology. The excavation of Greeks were unusual in Greek data for two reasons. The first was that the cave has dimensions 62ch60 measures, which served as a dwelling to Neolithic times and the second – to add interest to the event – that was financing the small and poor village, with the support of Tharrouniaton and the Cultural Adult Education and embellished Association of Worldwide Tharrouniaton “Progress”.
Into the Dark discovered fauna Pleistocene period when man lived in the Middle Paleolithic period were hunter wild prehistoric animals. also found bones of many animals including a fossilized femur, belonging to Imiorthio Ellinopithiko, who lived before one million years and is more sophisticated than the Dryopithikous and Mesopithikous, their representatives have been found in Greece (Macedonia, Pikermi etc.). The cavities of rocks found flames of caveman and articles devotional nature (pottery and clay figurines), which bear witness, that the Cave of Dark was worship and burial place of the dead. They brought to light numerous finds from the period 5300-3400 eg and two human skeletons from the Neolithic period. Impressive a rare fabric or needlework imprint on shell, as well as grid fingerprints basket at the base of large unpainted vessels.
It is worth noting that out of the cave space, tools, millstones and pottery sherds Neolithic settlement existence marks. This settlement next to the cave reveals that the “dark” in the Neolithic period was used as a residence, seasonal or occasional. About the same outside the cave indicated and the average Stone Age tool, finding a sign that in the deeper layers of the cave must lie traces of paleolithic times, which if verified, “Dark” will serve as a permanent residence .