The Cave of Spile in Himara was excavated for the first time in 1939 by the Italian archaeologist L. Cardini, where archaeological material was discovered for first time, which proved that it has been inhabited since the Eenolithic period and during the ancient and medieval periods.
Founded as a first-class culture monument by the State University Rectorate of Tirana in 1963 and the Ministry of Education and Culture in 1973, the cave is located in the town of Himara, in the bay of the same name.The cave has internal dimensions of 7.40 x 28 m and a 8.50 m wide entrance. The cave is excavated again in 2002-2003 by an Albanian-English project run by archaeologists I. Gjipali, K. D. Frencis and D. J. Beskoni.
The excavation revealed materials dating it as a habitat of Mesolithic period, but also obtained important information about Himara's breeding history, for the beginnings of deposits in the cave, for the flora and fauna of the environment, for the presence of more cultural layers, relative and absolute dating through C 14 analysis, which can serve as a reference point for prehistoric periods of the Ionian coast territory and beyond.
The cave did not served as a permanent dwelling place because no remains of durable structures were found, but as a place used for short periods. The imported antique ceramics proves that Himara has had contacts with important Mediterranean centers.