the earliest Minoan periods, suggesting the cave was an important sacred shrine dedicated to a female fertility deity, possibly Britomartis. The cave was still used in Classical Greek and Roman eras, when the fertility goddess Artemis or her Roman equivalent Diana replaced the Minoan deity. Gallery References Bibliography Fisher, John and Garvey, Geoff (2007). The Rough Guide to Crete, 7th edition. External links Gouves Travel Guide from traveleye.com Populated places in Heraklion (regional unit)