Environmental activist discovers human skull in Pantalica necropolis

Last Updated: April 2, 2024

Necropoli di Pantalica, ambientalista ritrova un cranio umano

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A skull, likely belonging to a human, was found by environmentalist Sebastian Colnaghi during a hike in Pantalica, in the Anapo Valley. The carabinieri of the Sortino station seized the skull and initiated an investigation to determine its origin period: initial analyses suggest that it is not a recent skull, but carbon-14 analyses will confirm its antiquity.

“During a hike in Pantalica,” says Colnaghi, “I came across a real human skull along an unconventional path up the mountain, above the Anapo River. It is likely that the skull dates back to the period between the 13th and 7th centuries BC and that it was originally kept in a tomb before being desecrated by looters.”

A UNESCO heritage site, the Necropolis of Pantalica is one of the largest rock-cut archaeological sites in Europe, with thousands of tombs dating back to the 12th century BC.

In the photo, Sebastian Colnaghi points to the skull found.