🌬️ Grotta Bella

Grotta Bella is a cave and archaeological site located near Avigliano Umbro in Italy. Excavations at the site have indicated that the cave was inhabited by humans from the 5th-millennium BCE to the 4th-century CE. The early population of the cave, during the Neolithic, appear to have primarily dwelled within the Entrance Hall of the site. However, it is likely that they utilized the deepest part of the cave—the Sala dello Scheletro —as a burial ground. By the 6th-century BCE, the cave functioned as a religious site for the Umbrian people, who deposited numerous votives in the area. Like other Umbrian sites, the majority of the votives at Grotta Bella were composed of bronze, although—unlike most Umbrian sites—the cave contained multiple votives fashioned from lead. The site remained active following the Roman conquest and persisted until at least the 4th-century CE, although usage of the cave declined significantly following Roman occupation.