Grotta Antica

Rock Art Site Description

Grotta Antica is a karst cave developed within Mesozoic limestone features richly concreted chambers and deep vertical shafts. The cave has rock art that remained hidden for millennia in the underground darkness of Mt. Soratte near Rome before the speleologist Paolo Forconi of the Speleo Club Roma widened a tiny vertical passage on the forested slopes of this mountain relief in 2004. Here, a local farmer had previously observed airflow from a crack opening in the ground, indicating a possible cave continuation. After descending a couple of vertical pits, Mr. Forconi discovered previously unexplored wide chambers with archaeological remains, including ceramics, lithic artifacts, bone tools, and clumps of red colouring substance possibly ochre.

This cave, a 350-meter-long karstic complex, was used as a burial site during the initial phase of the Middle Neolithic (5th – 4th millennium BCE). Based on archaeological evidence, the cavity remained accessible until the Middle Bronze Age.

Carinated jug with incised-line decoration, characteristic of the Neolithic incised ware tradition (from Petitti et al. 2010, fig. 2)

Archaeological investigations—though limited to surface observations—have documented a significant prehistoric occupation. Human skeletal remains, including disturbed burials, suggest ritual and funerary use. Associated finds include decorated Neolithic ceramics, such as incised-line bowls, carinated jugs, and a biconical cup with knobbed rim. Traces of red ochre pigment, charcoal clusters, and bone fragments dispersed across chamber floors and rock niches further support ceremonial activity. The material culture is consistent with a late Neolithic attribution, particularly the Fiorano facies, with parallels to assemblages from Monte Venere and Sasso. The evidence points to a site of symbolic significance, potentially reused over time, embedded in a broader ritual landscape of central Italy's Tiber valley

Topographic plan and sectional drawing of the cave layout

Figure gallery

Rock Art Figure Descriptions

Example of red colour rock art figure from Grotta Antica in 2014
(photo by T. Mattioli)

- Original picture

- DStretch CRGB filter

Preliminary exploration at Grotta Antica revealed intriguing traces of prehistoric rock art, suggesting the cave may function also as a decorated hypogeum in central Italy. In a lateral niche of the main chamber, researchers identified a black curvilinear mark, segmented internally and likely drawn with a rigid pigment—possibly charred wood—on a highly irregular vertical rock face. In various parts of the cave walls, including at considerable heights, wavy or straight lines and dots— presumably made with red ochre— have been identified.

Two large segments of stalactite (or stalagmite) partially coloured with red ochre (photo Tommaso Mattioli)

Particularly noteworthy are two large segments of stalactite (or stalagmite) partially painted with red ochre and artificially positioned in a later niche where red ochre lumps were also found scattered on the cave floor, reinforcing the hypothesis of symbolic use of color for spatial demarcation.

Figure gallery

Grotta Antica References

@article{RN20,

title = {Grotta Antica. Primi dati sul complesso archeologico},

author = {Patrizia Petitti and Silvia Mogliazza and Tommaso Mattioli and Umberto Pessolano and Giovanni Mecchia and Maria Piro and Michele Di Filippo and Mario Di Nezza and Flavio Cecchini and Siro Margottini and Beniamino Toro and Damiana De Leo and Carmela Savella},

url = {https://www.academia.edu/38853300/Grotta_Antica_Primi_dati_sul_complesso_archeologico},

year  = {2010},

date = {2010-01-01},

urldate = {2010-01-01},

journal = {Daidalos. Studi e Ricerche del Dipartimento di Scienze del Mondo Antico},

volume = {10},

pages = {1-22},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@bachelorthesis{nokey,

title = {La scoperta di Grotta Antica},

author = {Silvia Mogliazza},

url = {https://www.speleo.lazio.it/GROTTA/doc/pdf/fsl4.pdf},

year  = {2005},

date = {2005-01-01},

urldate = {2005-01-01},

journal = {Speleologia del Lazio, Rivista delle Federazione Speleologica del Lazio},

volume = {4},

pages = {40},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {bachelorthesis}

}