Pertosa Cave. Ceramic materials of “Patroni Excavations” preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples

Abstract

The paper presents for the first time a detailed chronological and cultural framework of the pottery found in the Pertosa Cave (SA) and preserved in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. Inside this cave, the most important one in the Alburni Massif, is the only known prehistoric cave settlement with piledwelling structures. Discovered in 1898, it has been the subject of a complex series of excavations, reconstructed through archival documentation. The habitation aspect, so far little emphasised by the traditional interpretation, especially for the Final Bronze Age, is said to be uninterrupted from the Middle Bronze Age-phase 2, to the Final Bronze Age-Early Iron Age, when the cult aspect would become prevalent, as testified by the miniature pottery pertaining to the internal stipe.

Keywords

• cave
• pile-dwelling
• bronze age
• iron age
• pottery
• settlement