Petralona Cave

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The Petralona Cave (Greek: Σπήλαιο Πετραλώνων) a karst formation, is located at 300 m (984 ft) above sea-level on the western foot of Mount Katsika, about 1 km (0.62 mi) east of the village of Petralona, about 35 km (22 mi) south-east of Thessaloniki city on the Chalkidiki peninsula, Greece. The site came to public attention when in 1960 a fossilized archaic human skull was found. The cave had been discovered accidentally only a year earlier (1959) after erosion had left clefts in the rock. "Bejeweled" with impressive stalactite and stalagmite formations and holding an abundance of fossils, the cave soon attracted geologists and paleontologists. After decades' excavations the cave is open to the public and scientific work is documented and presented in an adjacent archaeological museum. The cave's most prominent fossil specimen has since been known among paleoanthropologists as the "Petralona Skull". The onsite museum displays a selection of the objects that have been found in the cave. In 2011, the cave and museum of Petralona came under the direction of the Greek Archaeological Service, a governmental agency. Since February 2024, Petralona Cave has reopened to the public after undergoing renovations to its infrastructure, while within the spring of 2024, the renovated Museum of Petralona Cave is expected to open.