Cave di Cusa, Ancient limestone quarry near Campobello di Mazara, Italy.
Cave di Cusa is an ancient limestone quarry near Campobello di Mazara containing approximately 60 partially extracted blocks and column segments at various stages of removal. The site stretches across a ridge, revealing how workers systematically separated stone layers from the bedrock.
The quarry remained in active use until 409 BC, when workers abandoned their tools and unfinished blocks after Carthaginian forces under Hannibal Mago invaded Sicily. This sudden halt marked the end of centuries of continuous stone production.
The limestone extracted here supplied the temples and structures of the nearby Greek city of Selinunte. Workers quarried and transported blocks directly to construction sites in the city.
Visitors need private transportation to reach the site, as it lies away from public transit routes. Wear sturdy shoes and be cautious on uneven ground, as the terrain includes rocky slopes and irregular surfaces.
Visitors can see exactly where ancient stoneworkers left their tools, as if time had stopped in a single moment. This snapshot from about 2,400 years ago offers an unusually direct view into the daily working life of antiquity.
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