Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept

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Greece Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept, or the Cave at Vari
(Σπηλιά του Αρχέδημου or Σπηλιά του Νυμφόληπτου)
view towards the north of part of the sculpted decoration in the cave of the Nypholept
Location
Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept (Greece)
Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept
Coordinates 37°51′30″N, 23°48′6″ECoordinates: 37°51′30″N, 23°48′6″E
Country Greece
Region Attica
Elevation 269 m
Peak Period Archaic to Early Christian

The Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept is a small cave near Vari in Attica, Greece. The cave is an archaeological site (meaning that access is restricted - the location given in the infobox is not exact). It was excavated in the first quarter of the 20th century by an American team of archaeologists. The cave is unique in Greece in that there exist ancient sculptures hewn into the living rock of the cave. In fact, the sculptures are carved into a calcite column and flowstone within the cave. The cave was used from the Archaic period and reused in Early Christian times.

The marble votive tablets from the cave are now exhibited at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

[edit] References

The Cave at Vari. I. Description, Account of Excavation, and History, Charles Heald Weller, American Journal of Archaeology, Vol. 7, No. 3 (Jul. - Sep., 1903), pp. 263-288