influence and some tectonic movements.
Caves usually have an entrance, a point of connection with the exterior area, or they may be completely beneath the ground. The hole of the cave itself must be large enough at least to be able to contain an adult human being, although some experts set that it must be long or large enough for it to keep the farthest area from the entrance far from daylight in order to be considered a cave in the technical sense.
The rest of carved holes are, in fact, shelters, cliff cavities or grottoes – small caves usually with attractive features.Caving or “potholing” – the art of exploring caves, and a kind of modern informal Speleology – is in fashion at present, and the caves of Lesbos receive more and more visitors every year.
Since Greece has a rich History of geological events, there are literally thousands of underwater and underground caves both on the islands and in the mainland. Some Speleologists’ studies have discovered more than 8,500 natural caves of all kinds. Knowing that many are still unexplored has motivated tourists to arrive in the country and explore those untouched witnesses of the passing of time, including those who visit Lesbos.
The Agios Vartholomeos Cave in Lesbos features amazing stalactites and is easy to reach by tourists, as it is just a 10-minute drive from the public road leading to Taxiarches.
Although the access to the caves itself is quite difficult, lovers of adventure tourism make the effort to explore them and make contact with such a timeless monument. Both amateur and professional Speleologists are particularly concerned with the 192 caves on Lesbos, since the archaeological and geological evidence available shows that they were inhabited long ago, in Neolithic times.
The presence of the caves on Lesbos, among some other factors, must have motivated the scientific community to be aware of the great value of the archaeological evidence of the place, and they took some practical measures to keep the findings of these caves, especially the ones from Agios Vartholomeus, in the Archaeological Museum.
The scientific community also celebrates conventions and other events in connection with the field such as the International Convention of Geo-parks in 2005, and a series of Symposiums on Geological Monuments held on the island.
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