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Morra di Colecchia rock art site
Paintings
1 in red color
Engravings
300+ figures
Site dimensions
2.5m lenght, 5m depth, 3.5m height
Site orientation
North-West
Site altitude a.s.l.
875m
Morra di Colecchia is a natural dolmen-like boulder created by large limestone rocks that collapsed from the overlying Mount Cerasolo. Archaeological evidence found in the rock shelter, currently preserved in the Pigorini Museum in Rome, includes fragments of impasto ceramic and lithic artifacts not better defined by the authors. Near the entrance, it is possible to observe a small spring of water during the coldest and most humid periods of the year
The “megalithic” structure of Morra di Colecchia consists of a monolithic slab covering an area delimited by rock outcrops, presumably resulting from a collapse of the overlying cliff, although the possibility of an artificial covering of the space between previously fallen boulders cannot be ruled out
Morra di Colecchia rock art site (photo by Tommaso Mattioli)
Plan and section drawings of Morra di Colecchia (drawings by Tommaso Mattioli)
Morra di Colecchia rock art site (photo by Tommaso Mattioli)
The view from Morra di Colecchia (photo by Tommaso Mattioli)
Morra di Colecchia rock art figures
The rock art of Morra di Colecchia was discovered in the 1970s by Messrs. Antonio and Maurizio Panimolle. The figures were subsequently studied in the 1980s by Alessandro Guidi and Sebastiano Tusa, and more recently by Tommaso Mattioli. Guidi reported the discovery of the remains of a ‘U-shaped’ black painting, partially covered by the cave’s soil deposit, in a nearby rock shelter located 10 meters away from Morra di Colecchia. The rock art primarily consists of numerous fine engravings depicting tree-shaped figures, phytomorphic motifs, and lines, possibly created during the Late Mesolithic. Of particular interest is a phi-shaped figure painted in red ochre, superimposed onto the engravings, which was prominent in the 1980s but has since mostly disappeared. Based on superimposition and iconographic comparisons, this figure can be dated to the Neolithic age.
Morra di Colecchia, sector B (drawings by Tommaso Mattioli)
Morra di Colecchia engraved rock art figures (photo by Tommaso Mattioli)
Morra di Colecchia, the red colour figure (photo by Tommaso Mattioli)
References
2021
Mario Federico, Rolfo; Katia Francesca, Achino; Gatta, Maurizio; Silvestrini, Letizia
Grotta Mora Cavorso, from Protohistory to Present Times Book Chapter
In: pp. 10-11, Cambridge Scholars Publishing - Newcastle upon Tyne, 2021.
@inbook{nokey,
title = {Le sepolture megalitiche dell’età del bronzo in Italia centrale tra falsi allarmi e nuove attestazioni},
author = {Francesco Di Gennaro},
editor = {C. Buccellato, S. Tusa (eds), Le Orme dei Giganti, Palermo, Regione Sicilia},
url = {https://www.academia.edu/1463104/Le_sepolture_megalitiche_dell_et%C3%A0_del_bronzo_in_Italia_centrale_tra_falsi_allarmi_e_nuove_attestazioni_in_Le_orme_dei_giganti_Palermo_2009_pp._83-93},
year = {2009},
date = {2009-01-01},
urldate = {2009-01-01},
pages = {83-93},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
In: Posluschny, Axel G.; Lambers, K; Herzog, I (Ed.): Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), pp. 342-343, Rudolf Habelt, Bonn, 2008, ISBN: ISBN 978-3-7749-3556-3.
@inbook{RN17,
title = {Landscape analysis of a sample of rock-Art sites in Central Italy},
author = {Tommaso Mattioli},
editor = {Axel G. Posluschny and K Lambers and I Herzog},
url = {https://proceedings.caaconference.org/files/2007/107_Mattioli_CAA2007.pdf},
isbn = {ISBN 978-3-7749-3556-3},
year = {2008},
date = {2008-01-01},
urldate = {2008-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 35th International Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA)},
pages = {342-343},
publisher = {Rudolf Habelt},
address = {Bonn},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inbook}
}
@article{nokey,
title = {L'arte rupestre pre-protostorica del riparo sottoroccia di Morra di Colecchia (Roccacanterano, Roma)},
author = {Tommaso Mattioli},
url = {https://www.academia.edu/210073/L_arte_rupestre_pre_protostorica_del_riparo_sottoroccia_di_Morra_di_Collecchia_comune_di_Rocca_di_Canterano_provincia_di_Roma_Italia_Centrale_},
year = {2007},
date = {2007-01-02},
urldate = {2007-01-02},
journal = {G. Ghini (eds), Atti del IV Incontro di Studi sul Lazio e la Sabina, Roma, 29-31 Maggio 2006},
pages = {11-22},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
@article{nokey,
title = {Nuovi contributi alla conoscenza della preistoria della Valle dell'Aniene},
author = {Piero Ceruleo },
url = {https://www.academia.edu/3630507/Nuovi_contributi_alla_conoscenza_della_preistoria_della_valle_dellAniene},
year = {1982},
date = {1982-01-01},
urldate = {1982-01-01},
journal = {Atti e Memorie della Società Tiburtina di Storia e d'Arte},
volume = {LV},
pages = {7-49},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
@article{nokey,
title = {Rinvenimenti preistorici nel territorio della sovrintendenza del Lazio},
author = {Alessandro Guidi},
year = {1980},
date = {1980-01-01},
urldate = {1980-01-01},
journal = {Quaderni del Centro di Studio per l'Archeologia Etrusco -Italica, Centro di Studio per l’Archeologia Etrusco-Italica},
volume = {IV},
pages = {38-42},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
@article{nokey,
title = {Problematica sui luoghi di culto nel Lazio dal Neolitico all'età del Bronzo},
author = {Sebastiano Tusa},
year = {1980},
date = {1980-01-01},
urldate = {1980-01-01},
journal = {Quaderni del Centro di Studio per l'Archeologia Etrusco -Italica, Centro di Studio per l’Archeologia Etrusco-Italica},
volume = {IV},
pages = {143-147},
keywords = {},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
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