In the south of the Argolida and in the village Kilada is situated one of the most important prehistoric sites of the eastern Mediterranean, the Franchthi Cave. The cave has a depth of 150 meters and a width of 30 meters at the entrance. The Homo Sapiens lived here after 30000 BC and it was probably also inhabited by the Neanderthals in approximately 40000 BC. It is believed that the cave was always inhabited until 3000 BC and that’s why it shattered. The Franchthi Cave was a refuge for hunters, food collectors and fishermen.
In daily live they used tools made of hard and sharp stones. Many of these tools have not been saved because of their perishable nature. In the Neolithic period it was inhabited until outside the cave. The inhabitants had separated the inside of the cave in different parts. The houses that were built outside the cave were simple structures made of stone, clay and plastered walls. Both the cave and the outside place were occasionally used as burial sites. Colorful vases of baked clay were found. The most important discovery in the cave is the skeleton that was found during the excavations by the universities Indiana and Pennsylvania in the period 1967-1976. It is the oldest complete skeleton in Greece and dates back from 8-10 thousands years. It is a man of 25 years old with a height of 1.56 meters. Also skeletons of two children were found.