Franchthi Cave is an enormous cave in the Argolid of Greece, where continuous human occupation between 35,000 and 3,000 years ago were documented in the 1970s. Recently, the lowest levels of the cave, assigned to the Early and Evolved Aurignacian periods, were re-investigated and reported in the journal Antiquity.
Entrance to Franchthi Cave, photo by Stelios
The research reports new dates, surrounding the identification of ash from the Campanian Ignimbrite event, a violent volcanic eruption believed to have occurred in the Phlegraean Fields of Italy ~39,000 years ago. The CI Event has been identified in association with early Aurignacian levels at sites throughout Europe, notably at Kostenki in Russia.
- Franchthi Cave, details on chronology and UP artifacts including perforated shell
Douka K, Perles C, Valladas H, Vanhaeren M, and Hedges REM. 2011. Franchthi Cave revisited: the age of the Aurignacian in south-eastern Europe. Antiquity 85(330):1131-1150.
Comments
Very intresting fact about the date of the layer of volcanic ash dating the early human occupation it seems to be very close to Edgar Cayce’s date for the begining of the break up of Atlantis