The Cave of the Lakes ( el, Σπήλαιο των Λιμνών, Spilaio ton Limnon), formerly called Troupisio, is located near the village

Kastria Kastria ( el, Καστρία) is a small village in the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece. It is part of the municipality Kalavryta. It is near the Cave of the Lakes. It is just down the road from Glastra Glastra is a small village in the Pelopon ...

in the

Achaea Achaea () or Achaia (), sometimes transliterated from Greek as Akhaia (, ''Akhaïa'' ), is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of Western Greece and is situated in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. The ...

regional unit The 74 regional units of Greece ( el, περιφερειακές ενότητες, ; sing. , ) are the country's Seventy-four second-level administrative units. They are divisions of the country's 13 regions, and are further divided into municipa ...

. It is from

Kalavryta Kalavryta ( el, Καλάβρυτα) is a town and a municipality in the mountainous east-central part of the regional unit of Achaea, Greece. The town is located on the right bank of the river Vouraikos, south of Aigio, southeast of Patras and ...

and from

Kleitoria Kleitoria ( el, Κλειτορία) is a village and a municipal unit in Achaea, Peloponnese, Greece. It was also the new name of the former municipality Lefkasio, of which it was the seat, between 2008 and 2011. Since the 2011 local government ...

. The cave is an old subterranean river consisting of three levels. During the winter when the snow melts it is transformed into a flowing river with waterfalls. During the summer, it dries up, leaving behind 13 lakes.

Legend

It is mentioned in the writings of the ancient traveller

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC *Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...

. According to Greek legend, it was in this cave that

Melampus In Greek mythology, Melampus (; grc, Μελάμπους, ''Melampous'') was a legendary soothsayer and healer, originally of Pylos, who ruled at Argos. He was the introducer of the worship of Dionysus, according to Herodotus, who asserted th ...

cured the two of the three daughters of

Proetus In Greek mythology, Proetus (; Ancient Greek: Προῖτος ''Proitos'') may refer to the following personages: *Proetus, king of Argos and Tiryns, son of Abas and twin brother of Acrisius. *Proetus, a prince of Corinth as the son of Prince T ...

, king of

Tiryns Tiryns or (Ancient Greek: Τίρυνς; Modern Greek: Τίρυνθα) is a Mycenaean archaeological site in Argolis in the Peloponnese, and the location from which the mythical hero Heracles performed his Twelve Labours. It lies south of Myce ...

Lysippe Lysippe (; Ancient Greek: Λυσίππη ''Lusíppē'') is the name of several different women in Greek mythology: * Lysippe, the Amazon mother of the river god Tanais. *Lysippe, other name for Cydippe, daughter of King Ormenus of Rhodes and wi ...

and

Iphianassa In Greek mythology, Iphianassa (; Ancient Greek: Ίφιάνασσα ''Īphianassa'' means 'strong queen' or 'rule strongly') is a name that refers to several characters. *Iphianassa, one of the 50 Nereids, marine-nymph daughters of the 'Old Man of ...

. The third daughter,

Iphinoe ''Iphinoe'' is a genus of crustaceans which belong to the family Bodotriidae. It includes the following species: *''Iphinoe acutirostris'' Ledoyer, 1965 *'' Iphinoe adriatica'' Băcescu, 1988 *'' Iphinoe africana'' Zimmer, 1908 *'' Iphinoe ar ...

, had died on the way.

Scientific

Humans started using the cave during the

Neolithic Age The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...

and it was in continued use throughout the duration of the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

. It presents significant

paleontological Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (geology), epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes t ...

and

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

interests. On the lower level of the cave,

fossilized A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...

bones of

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

s and various other

animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Kingdom (biology), biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals Heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, are Motilit ...

s, including

hippopotamus The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extan ...

, have been identified.

References

{{Authority control Caves of Greece Landforms of Achaea