"Cave of Zeus" redirects here. For the cave in Turkey so called, see Cave of Zeus, Aydın.
Psychro Cave (Greek: Σπήλαιο Ψυχρού) is an ancient Minoansacred cave in Lasithi plateau in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete. Psychro is associated with the Diktaean Cave (Greek: Δικταῖον Ἄντρον; Diktaion Antron), one of the putative sites of the birth of Zeus. Other legends place Zeus' birthplace as the Idaean Cave (Ἰδαῖον Ἄντρον) on Mount Ida. According to Hesiod, Theogony (477-484), Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Lyctus and hid him in a cave of Mount Aegaeon. Since the late nineteenth century the cave above the modern village of Psychro has been identified with the Diktaean Cave, although there are other candidates, especially a cave above Palaikastro on Mount Petsofas.[1]
The Dictaean Cave is famous in Greek mythology as the place where Amalthea, nurtured the infant Zeus with her goat's milk. The archaeology attests to the site's long use as a place of cult worship. The nurse of Zeus, who was charged by Rhea to raise the infant Zeus in secret here, to protect him from his father Cronus (Krónos) is also called the nymphAdrasteia in some contexts.[2] It is one of a number of caves believed to have been the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus.[3] The mountains, of which the cave are part, are known in Crete as Dikte.
Archaeology
The cave was first excavated in 1886 by Joseph Hatzidakis, President of the Syllogos at Candia, and F. Halbherr.[4] In 1896, Sir Arthur Evans investigated the site.[5]
In 1898 Pierre Demargne conducted brief investigations,[6] followed by David George Hogarth of the British School at Athens in 1900 who carried out more extensive operations. Hogarth's reports published in 1900[7] give a picture of the destruction wrought by primitive archaeological methods: immense fallen blocks from the upper cave roof were blasted before removal; the rich black earth had been previously ransacked. The stuccoed altar in the upper cave was discovered in 1900, surrounded by strata of ashes, pottery and "other refuse", among which were votive objects in bronze, terracotta, iron and bone, with fragments of some thirty libation tables and countless conical ceramic cups for food offerings. Bones among the ash layer attest to sacrifice of bulls, sheep and goats, deer and a boar.[8]
The undisturbed lowest strata of the upper cave represented the transition between Late Minoan Kamares ware to earliest Mycenaean levels; finds represented the Geometric Style of the ninth century BCE, but few later than that. More recent excavation has revealed the use of the cave reached back to Early Minoan times, and votive objects attest to the cave's being the most frequented shrine by Middle Minoan times (MM IIIA).[9]
The water pool
The lower grotto falls steeply with traces of a rock-cut stair to a pool, out of which stalactites rise. "Much earth had been thrown down by diggers of the Upper Grotto," Hogarth reported, "and this was found full of small bronze objects." In the vertical chinks of the lowest stalactites, Hogarth's team found "toy double-axes, knife-blades, needles, and other objects in bronze, placed there by dedicators, as in niches. The mud at the edge of the subterranean pool was also rich in similar things and in statuettes of two types, male and female and engraved gems."
In 1961, the art historian and archaeologist John Boardman published the finds uncovered by these and other excavations.[citation needed]
While clay human figurines are normally found in peak sanctuaries, Psychro and the sanctuary on Mount Ida stand out as the only sacred caves that have yielded human figurines. Psychro is also a unique sacred cave for a bronze leg, also known as a votive body part, which is the only votive body part to be found in a sacred cave. More common sacred cave finds at Psychro include stone and ceramic lamps.
In antiquity it was a place of worship because it was believed to be the cave where the titan Rheahid the infantZeus, to protect him from his father Cronus, who intended to swallow him like others of his progeny. It is one of a number of caves believed to have been the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus.[3] According to a variant of this legend, the Kouretes, a band of mythical warriors, undertook to dance their wild, noisy war dances in front of the cave, so that the clamour would keep Cronus from hearing the infant's crying.
Excavations have revealed a large number of votive cult offerings on the site.
^ MacGillivray, Alexander, and Hugh Sackett. “The Palaikastro Kouros: the Cretan God as a Young Man”, p. 167, British School at Athens Studies, vol. 6, 2000, pp. 165–169. JSTOR. Accessed 22 Feb. 2021
^ abWilliam Smith, ed. (c. 1873). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. John Murray.
^F. Halbherr and P. Orsi, "Scoperte nell' Antro di Psychro", Museo dell' Antichità Classico2 1888 pp. 905-10.
^Evans, "Further discoveries of Cretan and Aegean scripts," JHS17 (1897), pp 305-57.
^P. Demargne, "Antiquités de Praesos et de l'Antre Dictéen" Bulletin de Correspondence Héllenique26 (1902), pp. 571-583.
^D. G. Hogarth, "The Cave of Psychro in Crete" The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland30 (1900), pp. 90-91; D. G. Hogarth, "The Dictaean cave" The Annual of the British School at Athens6 (1899/1900), pp. 94-116.
^W. Boyd-Dawkins, "Remains of Animals Found in the Dictaean Cave in 1901," Man32 (1902) Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland, pp. 162-65.
^L. Vance Watrous and H. Blitzer, "Lasithi: A History of Settlement on a Highland Plain in Crete" Hesperia Supplements18 (1982), pp. i-xiv,1-122.
Jones, Donald W. (1999). Peak Sanctuaries and Sacred Caves in Minoan CreteISBN91-7081-153-9
Rutkowski, B., and Krzysztof Nowicki (1996). The Psychro Cave and Other Sacred Grottoes in Crete (Warsaw: Polish Academy of Science)
Watrous, L. Vance (1996). The Cave Sanctuary of Zeus at Psychro: A Study of Extra-Urban Sanctuaries in Minoan and Early Iron Age Crete (Liège/Austin: Université de Liège / University of Texas at Austin)
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diktieon Andron.
February 14, 2023
psychro, cave, cave, zeus, redirects, here, cave, turkey, called, cave, zeus, aydın, greek, Σπήλαιο, Ψυχρού, ancient, minoan, sacred, cave, lasithi, plateau, lasithi, district, eastern, crete, psychro, associated, with, diktaean, cave, greek, Δικταῖον, Ἄντρον,. Cave of Zeus redirects here For the cave in Turkey so called see Cave of Zeus Aydin Psychro Cave Greek Sphlaio PSyxroy is an ancient Minoan sacred cave in Lasithi plateau in the Lasithi district of eastern Crete Psychro is associated with the Diktaean Cave Greek Diktaῖon Ἄntron Diktaion Antron one of the putative sites of the birth of Zeus Other legends place Zeus birthplace as the Idaean Cave Ἰdaῖon Ἄntron on Mount Ida According to Hesiod Theogony 477 484 Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Lyctus and hid him in a cave of Mount Aegaeon Since the late nineteenth century the cave above the modern village of Psychro has been identified with the Diktaean Cave although there are other candidates especially a cave above Palaikastro on Mount Petsofas 1 Psychro CaveStalagmite in the caveLocation in GreeceLocationCrete GreeceCoordinates35 09 46 N 25 26 42 E 35 1629 N 25 4451 E 35 1629 25 4451 Coordinates 35 09 46 N 25 26 42 E 35 1629 N 25 4451 E 35 1629 25 4451 Contents 1 Geography 2 Myth 3 Archaeology 4 Idaean Cave 5 See also 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksGeography EditThe village of Psychro 35 09 54 N 25 27 04 E 35 165 N 25 451 E 35 165 25 451 Psychro village is 1 025 metres above sea level citation needed The cave is located in the prefecture of Lasithi Myth EditThe Dictaean Cave is famous in Greek mythology as the place where Amalthea nurtured the infant Zeus with her goat s milk The archaeology attests to the site s long use as a place of cult worship The nurse of Zeus who was charged by Rhea to raise the infant Zeus in secret here to protect him from his father Cronus Kronos is also called the nymph Adrasteia in some contexts 2 It is one of a number of caves believed to have been the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus 3 The mountains of which the cave are part are known in Crete as Dikte Archaeology EditThe cave was first excavated in 1886 by Joseph Hatzidakis President of the Syllogos at Candia and F Halbherr 4 In 1896 Sir Arthur Evans investigated the site 5 In 1898 Pierre Demargne conducted brief investigations 6 followed by David George Hogarth of the British School at Athens in 1900 who carried out more extensive operations Hogarth s reports published in 1900 7 give a picture of the destruction wrought by primitive archaeological methods immense fallen blocks from the upper cave roof were blasted before removal the rich black earth had been previously ransacked The stuccoed altar in the upper cave was discovered in 1900 surrounded by strata of ashes pottery and other refuse among which were votive objects in bronze terracotta iron and bone with fragments of some thirty libation tables and countless conical ceramic cups for food offerings Bones among the ash layer attest to sacrifice of bulls sheep and goats deer and a boar 8 The undisturbed lowest strata of the upper cave represented the transition between Late Minoan Kamares ware to earliest Mycenaean levels finds represented the Geometric Style of the ninth century BCE but few later than that More recent excavation has revealed the use of the cave reached back to Early Minoan times and votive objects attest to the cave s being the most frequented shrine by Middle Minoan times MM IIIA 9 The water pool The lower grotto falls steeply with traces of a rock cut stair to a pool out of which stalactites rise Much earth had been thrown down by diggers of the Upper Grotto Hogarth reported and this was found full of small bronze objects In the vertical chinks of the lowest stalactites Hogarth s team found toy double axes knife blades needles and other objects in bronze placed there by dedicators as in niches The mud at the edge of the subterranean pool was also rich in similar things and in statuettes of two types male and female and engraved gems In 1961 the art historian and archaeologist John Boardman published the finds uncovered by these and other excavations citation needed While clay human figurines are normally found in peak sanctuaries Psychro and the sanctuary on Mount Ida stand out as the only sacred caves that have yielded human figurines Psychro is also a unique sacred cave for a bronze leg also known as a votive body part which is the only votive body part to be found in a sacred cave More common sacred cave finds at Psychro include stone and ceramic lamps Psychro yielded an uncommon number of semi precious stones including carnelian steatite amethyst jasper and hematite Psychro s artefacts are now on display at the Heraklion Museum the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford the Louvre and the British Museum 10 Idaean Cave Edit Idaean Cave The Idaean Cave Greek Idaio antro is a system of caves located on the slopes of Mount Ida on Crete 35 12 30 N 24 49 44 E 35 2082 N 24 8290 E 35 2082 24 8290 Idaean Cave The deep cave has a single entrance and features stalagmites and stalactites In antiquity it was a place of worship because it was believed to be the cave where the titan Rhea hid the infant Zeus to protect him from his father Cronus who intended to swallow him like others of his progeny It is one of a number of caves believed to have been the birthplace or hiding place of Zeus 3 According to a variant of this legend the Kouretes a band of mythical warriors undertook to dance their wild noisy war dances in front of the cave so that the clamour would keep Cronus from hearing the infant s crying Excavations have revealed a large number of votive cult offerings on the site See also EditIdaeaNotes Edit MacGillivray Alexander and Hugh Sackett The Palaikastro Kouros the Cretan God as a Young Man p 167 British School at Athens Studies vol 6 2000 pp 165 169 JSTOR Accessed 22 Feb 2021 Bibliotheke 1 1 6 a b William Smith ed c 1873 A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology John Murray F Halbherr and P Orsi Scoperte nell Antro di Psychro Museo dell Antichita Classico 2 1888 pp 905 10 Evans Further discoveries of Cretan and Aegean scripts JHS 17 1897 pp 305 57 P Demargne Antiquites de Praesos et de l Antre Dicteen Bulletin de Correspondence Hellenique 26 1902 pp 571 583 D G Hogarth The Cave of Psychro in Crete The Journal of the Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland 30 1900 pp 90 91 D G Hogarth The Dictaean cave The Annual of the British School at Athens 6 1899 1900 pp 94 116 W Boyd Dawkins Remains of Animals Found in the Dictaean Cave in 1901 Man 32 1902 Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland pp 162 65 L Vance Watrous and H Blitzer Lasithi A History of Settlement on a Highland Plain in Crete Hesperia Supplements 18 1982 pp i xiv 1 122 British Museum CollectionReferences EditJones Donald W 1999 Peak Sanctuaries and Sacred Caves in Minoan Crete ISBN 91 7081 153 9 Rutkowski B and Krzysztof Nowicki 1996 The Psychro Cave and Other Sacred Grottoes in Crete Warsaw Polish Academy of Science Watrous L Vance 1996 The Cave Sanctuary of Zeus at Psychro A Study of Extra Urban Sanctuaries in Minoan and Early Iron Age Crete Liege Austin Universite de Liege University of Texas at Austin External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diktieon Andron Hellenic Ministry of Culture Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Psychro Cave amp oldid 1126884576, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
