Caves in Aitoloakarnania

Aitolia and Akarnania constitute true cave landscapes. Their complex natural environment includes coastal zones along the Ionian Sea and the Corinthian gulf, a rugged rocky hinterland, mountainous forests, lakes, lagoons, and rivers. Their geographical position highlights the region as a prehistoric and ancient crossroads of maritime communication as well as overland routes leading southwards. The Varasova mass marks the beginning of this long trajectory with evidence of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic groups. A series of caves with Neolithic occupation includes Agios Nikolaos at Astakos, Kokkini Spilia at Aitoliko, and Kissoti on the Valtos mountain range. They mark the presence of farming communities who visited those inaccessible cavities for secondary burials, small gatherings, and enigmatic symbolic practices that linked them to the land and their ancestors.

In Classical antiquity, the Mastro cave near the Acheloos river, together with other caves on the Ionian coast or the Ambracian gulf, emerge as spaces of systematic religious worship. Worshippers brought—or cast from above—their votive offerings, performed sacrifices, shared meals, and possibly danced during festivals on the terraces located outside certain caves. A wide range of coroplastic offerings is attested, including imports from distant regions and influences from Magna Graecia and the colonial world. The historical and political influences of Corinth and Athens, and their rivalry are materially inscribed in the composition of the dedications offered to these sanctuaries.

2026, C. Morgan, A. Karadima, S. Katsarou, Fête champêtre? Feasting in the central Ionian countryside. Στο: X. Charalambidou, J.-P. Crielaard, C. Morgan (eds.), Feasting with the Greeks. Towards a Social Archaeology of Ritual Consumption in the Greek World. Amsterdam University Press.

2025, S. Katsarou, A. Nagel, A. Karadima, Akarnania’s ancient caves in modern times: new archaeological research and material evidence, Interdisciplinary Studies in Ancient Western Greece and Beyond. Farewell to Franziska Lang, International Conference, Technical University of Darmstadt, 11-12 December 2025 (Organizer: Technical University of Darmstadt).

2025, S. Katsarou, Ritual journeys tο caves during the Greek Neolithic: an integrated perspective of rituals, voyaging and caves, Acta Archaeologica 95(2), pp. 262-282. https://doi.org/10.1163/16000390-09501001

2025, R. M. Ammerman, S. Katsarou, Sacred caves in Magna Grecia. Adaptation and development of ritual traditions in the colonial world, Archaeology & Arts 149 (December 2025), pp. 17-29. [in Greek]

2025 I. Efstathiou, S. Katsarou, Sacred coastal caves, Archaeology & Arts 149, pp. 49-67. [in Greek]

2025, S. Katsarou, Rätselhafte Höhlen in Griechenland. Wechselwirkungen zwischen Kultur und Naturals Herausforderungen der Höhlenarchäologie, Antike Welt 2, pp. 49-55.

2025, S. Katsarou, Cave excavations and their contribution to understanding Greek prehistory, Half a Century of Cave Protection and Research. Symposium Dedicated to the Memory of Evangelia Protonotariou-Deilaki, Athens, Epigraphic Museum, 9 October 2025 (Organizer: Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology). [in Greek]

2025, I. Efstathiou, S. Katsarou, A. Papadea, G. Valvis, Caves in the Ionian sea and western Greece: Human activity, new evidence and research perspectives, Half a Century of Cave Protection and Research. Symposium Dedicated to the Memory of Evangelia Protonotariou-Deilaki, Athens, Epigraphic Museum, 9 October 2025 (Organizer: Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology). [in Greek]

2025, I. Efstathiou, E. Zavvou, S. Katsarou, Epigraphic evidence from caves of the Ionian sea and Crete, Discovering the Past. Epigraphic Evidence from Caves. Round Table, Athens, Epigraphic Museum, 6 May 2025 (Organizers: Epigraphic Museum & Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology). [in Greek]

2025, I. Efstathiou, S. Katsarou, A. Mari, F. Mavridis, C. Agouridis, I. Zygouri, A. Vlachopoulos, New evidence of ritual and symbolic behaviour in coastal caves in Greece: a preliminary assessment, 6th International Maritime Archaeology Graduate Symposium (MAGS 2025), Ioannina, 2-5 April 2025 (Organizers: University of Ioannina & Honor Frost Foundation).

2025, S. Katsarou, E. Karkazi, A. Darlas, Coast and karst dynamics: the case of Limnopoula rockshelter, Varassova, Nafpaktia, 6th International Maritime Archaeology Graduate Symposium (MAGS 2025), Ioannina, 2-5 April 2025 (Organizers: University of Ioannina & Honor Frost Foundation).

2023, S. Katsarou, Caves in Greece: Places for life, death, and gods, Drawing on Stones; Brazilian Rock Art, Embassy of Brazil in Athens, Athens, 24-29 November 2023 (Organizers: Embassy of Brazil in Athens, E. Angliker).

2022, S. Katsarou, “Lindsey Büster, Eugène Warmenbol and Dimitrij Mlekuž, eds. Between Worlds: Understanding Ritual Cave Use in Later Prehistory. (Cham: Springer, 2019, 270pp., 17 b/w illustr., 85 colour illustr., hbk, ISBN 978-3-319-99021-7),” European Journal of Archaeology 25(2), pp. 262-266. Review. https://doi.org/10.1017/eaa.2022.8

2021, S. Katsarou, A. Nagel (επιμ.), Cave and Worship in Ancient Greece. New Approaches to Landscape and Ritual. London/New York. Routledge. ISBN 9780367859169. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003015765.

2021, S. Katsarou, A. Nagel, Introduction: On reading caves and ancient Greek cult. Στο: S. Katsarou, A. Nagel (eds.), Cave and Worship in Ancient Greece. New Approaches to Landscape and Ritual, pp. 1-16. London/New York. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003015765-1

2021, S. Katsarou, The dawn of ancient Greek cave cult: Prehistoric cave sanctuaries. Στο: S. Katsarou, A. Nagel (eds.), Cave and Worship in Ancient Greece. New Approaches to Landscape and Ritual, pp. 17-48. London/New York. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003015765-2

2021, A. Darlas, S. Katsarou, L. Kormazopoulou, V. Giannopoulos, Caves and archaeology. The work of the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology of the Ministry of Culture and Sports in the area of Aitolia. In: H. Yfantis, V. Fountoulis, M. Manikarou, S. Skandalou, M. Vasilopoulou (eds.), The Thestian Territory in Historical Space and Time. 2nd National Conference of History-Culture, Vlochos, Kainourgio, May 14-15, 2016, vol. B, pp. 47-68. Vlochos Thestieis, Thestieis Archaeological-Historical-Folklore Society. [in Greek]

2019, C. Morgan, A. Karadima, S. Katsarou, Fête champêtre? Feasting in the central Ionian countryside, Feasting with the Greeks. Towards a Social Archaeology of Ritual Consumption in the Greek World, Oxford, All Souls College, 12-13 March 2019 (Organizer: All Souls College, Oxford).

2018, ΑΙΑ Annual Meeting, Boston, January 4-7, 2018. Colloquium: New Approaches to Caves and Worship in the Ancient Mediterranean. Organizers: S. Katsarou, A. Nagel.

2017, S. Katsarou, A. Darlas, Cave heritage in Greece: Aetoloakarnania, Archaeological Reports 63 (Archaeology in Greece 2016-2017), pp. 89-105. https://doi.org/10.1017/S057060841800008X

2016, G. Valvis, S. Katsarou, Mastro cave, Archaiologikon Deltion 71 (publ. 2022), Chronika, vol. Β2, pp. 1760-1762. [in Greek]

2016, A. Darlas, S. Katsarou, The caves of Aitoloakarnania: an unknown historical and archaeological treasure. The role of the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology in their protection and research. Online article at https://iaitoloakarnania.gr/2016/07/spilea-etoloakarnanias-enas-agnostos-istorikos-ke-archeologikos-thisavros/ [in Greek]