Puntali cave

Place of great charme.

Near the sea of Carini was the lair of many dwarf elephants that lived in Sicily. But there were ‘colleagues’ of the elephants, too, such as hippos, hyenas, buffalo, wild boar…we are talking about 200 million years ago!

Then came prehistoric man who was crazy for this grotto (a home already beautiful and ready) and took possession of it (20,000 years ago).

Found here were pottery shards, flint points, blades, scrapers and chisels, and other remains associated with bos primigenius and Cervus elaphus,  two milk jugs with wolf teeth decoration, jars, bottles, and bowls variously decorated.

But it is the wall graffiti that really hits the eyes in this grotto. Inside the rocky outcrop on the left of the entrance, are two carved animal figures, an equid and a deer and a third partial figure of an ox on a stone.

The deer, small, without a head, is represented in profile with straight legs, the horse with the head forward, grazing.

In the other caves on the same cliff (Riparo del Fico, Shelter Armetta II) there are other depictions. In general, the lines are in circular motifs, sometimes like small bowls.

Within the shelter Armetta III, the incisions seem to form two solar depictions: signs are traced radiating from two pre-existing holes.