The Umbrian cave of Grotta Bella. The diachronic evolution of a meeting place

Abstract

In the absence of broad Italic ethnicities and clear-cut territorial boundaries, sanctuaries played a vital aggregative role in the life of peoples, oÁen acting as poles around which local communities formed. Sanctuaries in antiquity, especially in the pre-Roman period, were rarely manmade structures. Evidence of early ritual activity can be found in or near watercourses, lakes, mountains, and caves. By virtue of their liminal and otherworldly characteristics (obscurity, humidity, permanency, and silence), able to condition humans’ psycho-emotional sphere, caves stand out from other places within the landscape. ey inspire imagination and trigger the innate human curiosity to explore hidden spaces. Perhaps not coincidentally, Plato used the evocative context of a natural and dimly lit cave to allegorically represent the intelligible nature of human life. Caves are not only geographic features but also cultural constructs that can become highly charged symbols in identity construction and in the development of communal complexity and territoriality. Using new speleological and archaeological data as well as a cross-cu†ing temporal approach, this paper analyses how the cave of Gro†a Bella, in Umbria, Central Italy, functioned as a place of human gatherings across time: first as a temporary dwelling, then as a funerary space, and, lastly, as a sacred space. In this last phase, and possibly also due to the long-lasting memory of its previous functions, the cave appears to have had a distinctive connection to the surrounding territory, anchoring the identities of those who participated in the ritual that took place within this underground space.

Keywords

• cave archaeology
• sacred spaces
• votive offerings
• pre-roman italy