Monte Pellegrino: Caccamo cave
Cadastral number Sicilian caves: n. 98
“The Grotta del Caccamo despite its name is a vertically developed cavity which, unique with the Grotta del Pidocchio, has a first horizontal environment. All the other cavities with entrance on the ridge have a vertical development: Bevilacqua cave of m 36, Zubbio under Santa Rosalia of m 31, Zubbietto of the batteries of m 10, Zubbietto dello Schiavo of m 19, Abisso della Pietra Selvaggia of m 170 deep, the Cave of the Louse with lower case
initial environment, complex development of 70 m, Zubbio di Pizzo in the middle of 20 m, Zubbietto di Gorgo Rosso of 15 m.
giving rise to the deepest and most interesting cavities of the mountain: the Abyss of the Wild Stone and the Grotta del Louse. The cavity first has an almost flat development of 25 m, then suddenly assumes a vertical course to the bottom.
In literature the only mention of the cave is by Antonio De Gregorio: «… There are two caves to the right of those who go up (at the traffic light), at the top; a said cave of the Eye where I have found nothing, one of Caccamo where I have discovered some
deer bone and a kind of clay wheel of new shape, it is roundish (diam. cm 3,2), thick, flat laterally with a hole in the middle and a circular hole around it. It was perhaps for ornament rather than for
fusaiuola. I propose to carry out some excavations there ... »(DE GREGORIO 1924, p. 13, fig. 13). The dripping water that slips from a column has been collected, for several centuries now, in a basin dug out of a large boulder, this is because the bottom and the walls are very concreted; it is always full, with a capacity of about ten liters. The prehistoric interest of the cave is perceived as soon as you cross the entrance, even if nothing appears on the
decking. I descended into the shaft and reached a ledge, at a depth of about 40 m, after having dug the soil, some tiny fragments immediately appeared, one of which was decorated in black in the style of Serraferlicchio. The finds undoubtedly fell from above. However, I wanted to realize it better personally, in order to then be able to pass on certain data to those interested in studying the Pellegrino.
On May 15, 1977, obtained by the superintendent prof. With the authorization, with my fellow explorers Vito Buffa and Roberto Cusimano we have opened a trench of about 1 × 1 m, adjacent to the right wall, almost in the center of the first room, to prevent landslides at least on one side. We reached the depth of 1,50 m encountering a series of almost alluvial strata containing scarce finds from our days to the Eneolithic Age. The alluvial layers are explained by the shape of the entrance with respect to the slope of the mountain. In moments of heavy rain the cave becomes a sinkhole. The excavation has been suspended, even if the deposit continues, due to the constant danger of landslide of the walls that should be propped up beforehand. I foresee that continuing the excavation we can also find evidence of a long dwelling, even Paleolithic. " (Text source: Giovanni Mannino: Monte Pellegrino in Prehistory - New data: in the Archaeological News Superintendence of Palermo 24/2017
In-depth documents: Giovanni Mannino: Monte Pellegrino in Prehistory - New data: in the Archaeological Newsletter Superintendence of Palermo 24/2017
download the document: G_Mannino_The_Grotte_of_Monte_Gallo_Notiz
Bibliography and further in-depth documents:
100) FIRST SICILY - AT THE ORIGINS OF SICILIAN SOCIETY - volume first edited by Sebastiano Tusa Palermo 1997.
198) D. Petruso - V. Forgia - L. Sineo: The human population of Sicily: an interdisciplinary review in the Archive for Anthropology and Ethnology - Vol. CXLIV (2014)
Download file: SINEO et al
200) Gioconda La Magna (edited by) Between Etna and Simeto - Archaeological research in Adrano and its territory - Proceedings of the study meeting for the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Adrano Museum Adrano, 8 June 2005 - Library of the Regional Province of Catania 2009. Download file: The_Neolithic_in_Valle_del_Simeto
Ignazio Caloggero:
History of Sicily - 1.2. Paleolithic and Mesolithic:
History of Sicily - 1.2.1: Religious sentiments and burials in the Paleolithic and Mesolithic
History of Sicily - 1.2.2: Art in the Paleolithic and Mesolithic
History of Sicily - 1.2.3: Archaeological sites of the Sicilian Paleolithic and Mesolithic
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Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
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Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero Web,
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