| Voidomatis | |
|---|---|
 Aristi Bridge on the Voidomatis | |
| Native name | Βοϊδομάτης (Greek) |
| Location | |
| Country | Greece |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | |
| • location | Aoös |
| • coordinates | 40°00′49″N 20°38′40″E / 40.0136°N 20.6445°E / 40.0136; 20.6445 |
| Basin features | |
| Progression | Vjosë→ Adriatic Sea |
The Voidomatis (Greek: Βοϊδομάτης) is a river in the Ioannina regional unit in northwestern Greece, and is a tributary of the Aoös river.
General description
The main current sources are located in the village of Vikos. Along its path it converges with other streams originating from the banks of Tymfi or the Vikos Gorge. It ends close to Konitsa. The river has a total length of 15 kilometres. The name Voidomatis (meaning "the eye of the ox"), derives from the fact that oxen have clear blue eyes, like the waters of this river.
The Voidomatis has been characterized as one of the cleanest rivers in Europe as it does not face any environmental issues. It crosses one of the most beautiful natural locations in Greece and has been part of the Vikos–Aoös National Park since 1973. The river is spanned by a number of stone bridges, the most famous being the Kledonas Bridge. The river is known for water sports such as rafting and kayaking.
Geomorphology
The Voidomatis is mostly seasonal, with year-round flow. The average temperature of the water does not exceed 4 °C.
Archaeology
Archaeological excavations were undertaken at Kleidi Cave just above the Voidomatis by a British team between 1983 and 1986. The excavations revealed the cave that contained artefacts, stone tools, faunal remains and other fossils, that were dated back to the Palaeolithic and the Epigravettian culture between 20,000 and 12,000 years ago. Analogous discoveries were made by the same research team in the neighbouring Megalakkos cave.
References
- Travel Magic. (2009). ΒΟΪΔΟΜΑΤΗΣ ΠΟΤΑΜΟΣ. Retrieved July 6, 2013
- "World Rivers Day 2022: Protecting the free-flowing Aoos-Vjosa River in Greece and Albania". International Union for Conservation of Nature. October 7, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- Coward, Fiona; Hosfield, Robert; Pope, Matt; Wenban-Smith, Francis (26 January 2015). Settlement, Society and Cognition in Human Evolution. ISBN 9781107026889. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- KATERINA HARVATI, ELENI PANAGOPOULOU, AND CURTIS RUNNELS. "The Paleoanthropology of Greece". Academia. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - "Klithi in its local and archaeological setting" (PDF). research.manchester. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
External links
Media related to Voidomatis river at Wikimedia Commons