The Psychro Cave (Diktaion Antron) has long been recognized as one of the major Minoan cult caves of eastern Crete, with evidence for use extending from the Neolithic into the Roman period. Early excavations at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century (by I. Chatzidakis, F. Halbherr, A. Evans, J. Demargne and D. G. Hogarth) revealed a rich and diachronic assemblage; however, controlled stratigraphic data for the earliest phases of activity within the cave have remained limited.
In the context of recent works for the protection and enhancement of the cave, small-scale investigations were carried out in areas of earlier excavation trenches. These interventions brought to light new archaeological finds, while the stratigraphy revealed earlier phases of use that had not been adequately documented in previous research. In particular, a previously unrecorded Neolithic and Early Minoan stratigraphic horizon was identified, providing the first controlled evidence for the early occupation of the cave.
Overall, the new data indicate that the Psychro Cave was not only a place of cult and social gathering during the Minoan and later periods, but also a space of earlier human activity. These preliminary results underline the potential of limited, targeted interventions within previously explored cave sites to refine our understanding of their long-term history, stratigraphy, and function.

First Author: Ioanna Efstathiou

Co-Authors: Nikolaos Daskalakis

Keywords:
cave archaeology
Psychro cave (Diktaion antron)
diachronicity
stratigraphy
ritual activity
Neolithic occupation