Citation:
Abstract:
Τhe cave of Sarakenos is located in the eastern part of the former lake Kopais at the altitude of 180m. The systematic excavation of the site was part of the Kopais Project that started in 1994 and is still in progress, in order to establish a chronological sequence for the development of the cave and the identification of economical models in diverse periods.
Exceptional stratigraphical data inside the cave and dozens of C14 dates have led to the succession of distinct cultural phases, dated from the Middle/ Early Upper Palaeolithic to the Middle Helladic (2nd mill B.C.), when the cave was abandoned. The cave is of crucial importance for the study of the Mesolithic/ Early Neolithic interface. The Middle and Late Neolithic occupations are represented by numerous symbolic objects such as hundreds of figurines indicating the important role of the cave in ritual activities.
Τhe first volume comprises the stratigraphy, analysis of the pottery of Neolithic and Bronze Age, (research period 1994-2000), as well as geomorphology of Kopais area, archaeobotanical remains, obsidian artefacts and pottery chemical analysis.