Σπήλαιο Ζα

Zeus' Childhood Cave

Useful Information

Location:	Drimalia 843 02. (37.0349061, 25.4989159)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave Greek mythology: Zeus Grown Up in a Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	A=630 m asl.
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:	Kimberly B. Flint-Hamilton (1994): Paleoethnobotany of the Zas cave on Naxos Dissertation, Duke University. preview Konstantinos L. Zachos (1999) Zas Cave on Naxos and the Role of Caves in the Aegean Late Neolithic Neolithic Society in Greece, edited by Paul Halstead, Chapter 13, pp 153-163. ISBN 978-1-85075-824-2 academia.edu Konstantinos L. Zachos, Angelika Dousougli Observations on the Early Bronze Age Sealings from the Cave of Zas at Naxos Horizon: A Colloquium on the Prehistory of the Cyclades, edited by Colin Renfrew et al. ISBN 978-1-902937-36-6
Address:	Zeus' Childhood Cave, Drimalia 843 02, Naxos Island, Tel: +30-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1962	first speleological exploration.
1985-1986	archaeological excavation by Konstantinos L. Zachos.
1994	archaeological excavation by Konstantinos L. Zachos.

Description

Σπήλαιο Ζα (Zas Cave, Zeus' Childhood Cave, Cave of Zeus) or simply Zeus Cave is located on the slopes of Zas Mountain (1,003 m asl) on Naxos island. There are numerous Zeus Caves in the area, on Crete as well as in Turkey. All of them are related to one or the other version of the legends about the Greek god Zeus. According to Ἀγαθοσθένης (Agathosthenes), a Greek historian or philosopher of uncertain date, this cave is the place where Zeus spent his childhood, hiding from his father Chronos. He was abducted as a child from the Ideon Andron cave in Crete (Mt. Ide) and taken to Naxos in order to be saved from the fury of his father. Agathosthenes wrote the history of the island Naxos, but it was lost. The text was referred by many other authors, so what we know today are actually the comments of others.

The cave is more or less a single huge chamber, which has light from the entrance portal. There are small side passages with some speleothems, to visit them a lamp is required. The cave is reached on the trail leading to mount Zas, there are ven two springs along the trail. The best starting point is the Church of Agia Irini Hrisovalantou above Filoti on the road to Apirathos.

The cave was inhabited from the Late Neolithic to Early Cycladic III periods. But excavations did not reveal any crop processing, so the archaeologists suggested that it was used as a shelter while herding animals. This was only seasonal, during the driest period of the year they went up on the mountain where it was cooler, and there were springs. The cave was an important religious center for the farmers and shepherds of the area. Two identical ancient inscriptions, carved into the rock by the same person in the 4th century BC, “ΟΡΟΣ ΔΙΟΣ ΜΗΛΩΣΙΟΥ” (“Mount of Zeus, Protector of Sheep”) indicate the exact location of the sanctuary. The remains which were found during the excavation are now on display at the Naxos Archaeological Museum