"Yioura island" Nisida Gioura by StefanosS

Yioura island is about 2 nautical miles NE of Kyra-Panaghia island. The ancient Greek name of the island is Gerontia. It has a wild beauty and seems inhospitable, like a rocky mass raised from the sea; although, it is a habitat of rare animals and birds. The Mediterranean seal "Monachus monachus" shelters in its sea-caves, while falcons and seagulls nestle on its cliffs.

The famous Cyclops’s cave, on the west side of the island is very interesting. Besides the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, important findings of the Pre-historical Age have been discovered, such as bone hooks, food remains and potsherds. The older of them are dated in 9,000BC and the biggest hooks reach a length of 16cm! Thousands of fish bones have been found, and many of them are of big fishes, that have to be caught from a boat.

The photo comes from a tourist guide.

Neolithic finding, Cyclops's cave, Yioura island

The most remarkable piece is an engraved potsherd with the Greek letters AYD on it, dated in 6,000-5,500BC. Is it a real scripture or just a coincidence of decorative lines? Can this finding, combined with the finding of Dispilio (Kastoria lake, Greece, 5,300BC) change the history of the "Phoenician alphabet" believed so far?

The excavations started in 1992, under the archaeologist Adamandios Sampson ("The Neolithic Civilisation in Greece", Goulandris Foundation, 1996). The photo is from a newspaper ("Adesmeftos Typos", February13, 1997, article by N. Nikitidis). Research is still in progress. Today the cave is locked and the findings have been moved for further examination.

Green Sea Cave, Yioura island

Here is the Green Sea Cave, photographed from the cutter during our sailing tour in the Marine Park of North Sporades islands.