Grotta dell’Uzzo, Archaeological rock shelter in Province of Trapani, Italy

Grotta dell'Uzzo opens at Cala dell'Uzzo, about 10 km southeast of San Vito Lo Capo, in the Zingaro nature reserve on the Tyrrhenian coast of the Trapani province. The shelter lies in the limestone of the coastal ridge above the sea, and its interior holds a stratigraphic sequence about 6 metres thick.

Archaeological digs show that people continuously occupied the shelter from the Upper Paleolithic through the Neolithic period. The layers contain hunting tools and animal bones that document how inhabitants' way of living changed over time.

Excavations uncovered human burials inside the cave; tooth decay in the dead points to a diet heavy in carbohydrates and sugars. The occupants hunted deer, fallow deer, wild boar and birds, fished for tuna and gathered acorns, wild olives and grapes.

The cave lies on Cala dell'Uzzo inside the Zingaro Nature Reserve, about 10 km southeast of San Vito Lo Capo, in the province of Trapani. Reach it on foot along the reserve's coastal path; wear sturdy shoes and bring a torch for the interior. Check reserve opening arrangements before setting out.

Excavations found remains of tuna and whales among the food waste, showing that the cave's hunters went after large sea animals, not only shellfish. The dead buried inside had tooth decay, a sign of a diet rich in carbohydrates and sugars.