AGIOS CHARALAMBOS CAVE - 2008

Agios Charalambos. P.P. Betancourt (ASCSA/Temple) and C. Davaras (Athens) report on continuing study of material excavated from the cave of Ag. Charalambos. Over 10,000 human bones have been catalogued. While the total number of individuals is still uncertain because the bones were disarticulated and sorted by the Minoans before being placed in the cave, at least 400 individuals of all ages and both sexes are represented, and the actual number may be twice this figure or more. There are several examples of trepanation.
Among several thousand animal bones, sheep or goat, cattle, pig, bird, hare, dog, cat, badger and other species are represented, with sheep/goat forming the largest group. Some animal bones have cut marks indicating butchery, and it is assumed that many of the bones represent food buried with the deceased.