In ancient times, Nekromanteio lied on the north Coast of Acheron River.  The sea was much closer and bay Ammudia, where Acheron reaches the sea, was much wider. Next to this bay was built an important port, Elea.
In antiquity it was believed that deep crevices and caves are leading to the Kingdom of Hades, the underworld. Especially, the rivers and lakes, which disappeared somewhere under the surface of the earth.
The souls of the deceased had the ability to predict the future. A meeting with such a soul, was quite dangerous. That’s why, everybody had to make specific preparations, such as following a specific diet, exercises, etc. It goes without saying that they had to bring the appropriate gifts as well. They had to sacrifice to the dead milk, honey, wine and mainly blood of the sacrificed animals. The preparations took a long time. He who wanted to meet a dead, had to prepare himself from full-moon to the next full-moon, and he encountered only the priest. When, at last, he met the soul of the deceased, he was completely quite and after he had to follow a cleaning process again, so the contact with the deceased wouldn’t infect him and send him to the Underworld, as well.
In Ancient Greece existed more than one oracular with dead, however Nekromanteio was the most famous one.
The main entrance to the archeological site is from the north, around the rooms of the priests. The corridor leads around two rooms, in which the “clients” were preparing for the meeting with the dead-in utter darkness and all alone. On the spot that the north corridor met the east, the “client” threw a stone behind him, so the bad spirits wouldn’t affect him. Next follows the room in which the last preparations were done. Here, hardly did the “client” receive any food. Thus, from the exhausting diet, loneliness, utter darkness and all magical events he had to attend to, he really saw the soul of the deceased in the end. He actually believed in everything it said. In the last room, the person threw behind him a stone, offered sacrifice to Hades and Persephone and all in distress and weakness waited…