A CULT CAVE FOR DIONYSUS AND THE NYMPHS

In the seaside sanctuary of Kallithea on the Chalcidice peninsula in Northern Greece a ritual cave for Dionysus and the Nymphs was discovered. The sacred area formed an extra-urban cult place, which belonged to the nearby ancient city of Aphytis. While the natural cave with its spring water had long been in use since the Bronze Age, ceramics of the 8th century B.C. indicate a cult for Dionysus. The importance of the site stems from the fact that it represents one of the few caves in Greece that are certainly identified with a specific deity. The site is part of the Swiss research project “Cults and Sanctuaries on the Chalcidice,” based at the University of Basel which explores the sacred landscape in the microcosm of the Chalcidian peninsula. The aim of this paper is to investigate the character of the cult cave with its ritual dynamics by using an interdisciplinary approach. Beside the architectural features, the literary, epigraphical and numismatic sources will be discussed. The archaeological materials (ceramics and a marble head) provide the main items employed to detect the worshipped deities of the site. An interesting aspect is the apparent changing function of the cave, when later the temple of Zeus Ammon is established next to it. Within this unique context of a ritual cave in a syncretic sanctuary area, the phenomena of tradition and innovation need be analyzed. As a result the characteristics of the cave will be illustrated and its status will be set in a broader view in order to interpret transcultural events in the Northern Aegean.

Author(s): Denk, Olivia (University of Basel)