Deer Cave, Archaeological cave near Otranto, Italy
The limestone cave complex extends over 1,500 meters through a network of galleries containing black and red pictograms along its walls.
Speleologists from the Salento region discovered the cave on February 1, 1970, initially naming it Cave of Aeneas after the Trojan hero.
The cave walls display 3,000 individual pictograms created with natural materials like bat guano and ochre during the late Neolithic period.
Access to the cave remains restricted to authorized researchers to maintain environmental conditions necessary for preserving the ancient artwork.
Paolo Graziosi documented a notable pictograph depicting what appears to be a dancing figure, interpreted as either a deity or sorcerer.
Location: Otranto
Part of: Grotte costiere del Salento
GPS coordinates: 40.08278,18.48500
Latest update: May 11, 2025 20:07
Houses in Italy: karst formations, archaeological sites, and marine cavities
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