On the coastal site of Lakonis in the south
Peloponnese, three kilometres northeast of Gytheion, traces of habitation
were discovered which date back to the Middle
Palaeolithic Period (100,000-40,000 BP).
More specifically, not far from the modern coastline, to the east
of Selinitsa valley, a survey was conducted on a group of five caves
distributed over an area of approximately 200 metres. 
The roof of the four caves was ruined and as a result the anthropogenic layers have been partly sealed. Parts of the stratigraphic sequence are currently below sea level, due to the seasonal rise and fall of the sea, which occurred in the area during the Upper Pleistocene. However, the layers examined have provided material that has enabled researchers to date the use of the caves and determine the lithostratigraphic and biostratigraphic sequence.
Site 1 has preserved the stratigraphic sequence, reaching 10 metres, and is characterized by a high density of finds. The sites 2c and 4a are also rich in cultural remains.
On the whole, the finds give clear evidence that the five caves at the Lakonis site were used simultaneously during the Middle Palaeolithic, while no evidence excludes the possibility of their use during other Palaeolithic phases. Human presence in Mani dates to the Lower Palaeolithic, based on anthropological finds from Apidima in Areopolis, dated to the Lower Palaeolithic (Homo sapiens praesapiens), while there are records of his presence in the Upper Palaeolithic (Homo sapiens sapiens).
Among the finds traced at the caves on the Lakonis site the following
have been identified:
1. Traces of numerous hearths confirming the intensive use and continuous
occupation of the caves by human groups.
2. Bone fragments, parts of jaw bones and isolated teeth, mainly of omnivores (cattle, deers), and specimens of land gastropods. They are considered food remains, provide information on the nutritional habits of the time and contribute to the reconstruction of the fauna in Lakonia during the earliest Prehistory.
3. Stone implements made from volcanic rock, mainly "krokeatis lithos" (lapis lacedaemonius), black flint and quartz. It is worth noting that lapis lacedaemonius was traced not far from the caves, and confirms the tool manufacturer's preference.
All stone implements were manufactured with the technique
Levallois, typical of the stone industries of the Middle Palaeolithic
Period. Similar artefacts were unearthed at Kalamakia
Cave, at the Oitylo cove in west Mani and date to 80,000-75,000 BP.
The investigations at the site Lakonis have been conducted since 1997 by the research team of the Ephorate of Palaeoanthropology-Speleology of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.