Cassataro shelter and prehistoric cave paintings in Sicily


The shelter Cassataro is a rocky ravine that has the distinction of having the entrance a series of prehistoric cave paintings, probably the only ones present in the south-eastern Sicily. The shelter consists dall'accatastamento of huge sandstone blocks that create an evocative space enclosed in such a way as to suggest a monument dolmen and that in prehistoric times must have had a purely cultic use, as evidenced not only by the paintings but also by a series of cups formed in the crankcase. Discovered in 1976, the shelter has been investigated in 1993 by archaeologist G. Biondi, important new data for the understanding and the timing of the site. About were discovered two serious of paintings: the obvious figures in red ocher and some more faded black color, the latter better visible in infrared photos represent a bull with long horns and an anthropomorphic figure embracing a tambourine.


Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Cassataro shelter, Cassataro, Centuripe, Paternò, Catania, Enna, Sicily, Italy, Europe
Photo credit: © Diego Barucco / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: age, ancient, archeology, bronze, cassataro, catania, cave, centuripe, cultural, culture, europe, european, history, italian, italy, neolithic, paint, paintings, paleolithic, paternò, prehistoric, prehistory, red, religion, rock, sicily, worship