Grotta del Romito

Grotta del Romito is situated in the municipality of Papasidero (CS), in the Lao Valley. Excavations (1963-1967) made it possible to determine that the man's interest in this Cave dates back from the Ancient Epipaleolitico up to 9010-9200 BC. The famous rock carvings, affecting two large boulders at opposite ends of the shelter, were analyzed by Graziosi: the first, that of the so-called "linear signs" reports simple straight sections arranged in all directions with no apparent meaning; the second, that of the "Boulder bulls", engraved with three profiles of Bos primigenius, according to the stylistic trait typical of the Mediterranean and Franco-Cantabrian provinces. The cultic importance of Romito is also highlighted by the important burial contexts: was found a double grave with the remains of a young man suffering from dwarfism, which surrounded his arm an older woman. The kit included horns  ofBos primigenius, elements of rustic perforated ceramic and flint tools. With this, they associate another double burial and two single burials, always with kit (spears bone with geometric incisions). After a break of several millennia, the attendance of the Cave is revived in the Middle Neolithic (4770 BC), the stage where the Cave is covered already in the important obsidian trade from Lipari, including the Neolithic peoples of Calabria have control. It dates back to the Neolithic deposit the Farmhouse Bellavista ceramic.

* Atlante dei Beni Culturali della Calabria