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3. The inner votive deposit
AudioZoom® by eArs
3. The inner votive deposit
The first human presence in the Pertosa-Auletta Caves was driven by practical needs. The abundance of underground water offered humans many useful functions and brought significant advantages. Over time, however, particularly in the late protohistoric period, the use of the cave may have taken on a sacred significance, according to signs discovered by scholars. This idea emerged with the discovery of the so-called “inner votive deposit”: a collection of small ceramic vessels, found deep inside the entrance passage of the cave.The spot where it was found is in heavy shadow, where daylight gradually fades into complete underground darkness. Here, around three hundred miniature vessels were either stacked in crevices in the rock wall or placed beneath a large boulder on the ground. The position of the votive deposit, placed in the part furthest from the entrance chamber, suggests that ancient people carried out rituals in the cave. It is likely that these miniature vessels were brought inside as part of a religious ceremony, and then left behind intentionally, much like votive offerings.This important discovery is presented at the MIdA 01 Museum through a life-sized reconstruction, four-and-a-half metres wide, two metres and eighty centimetres high.
Inside the rocky niche on the left-hand side, a man is depicted from behind, leaning slightly forward as he places a small vessel in a crack in the rock. Around him, the interplay of light and shadow helps reveal the atmosphere of this sacred space: dozens of miniature vessels can be seen inside small cavities along the walls and on the ground.Now, let’s move on to the centre of the left wall of the room, where a display case contains a diorama of the caves.
3. The inner votive deposit
The first human presence in the Pertosa-Auletta Caves was driven by practical needs. The abundance of underground water offered humans many useful functions and brought significant advantages. Over time, however, particularly in the late protohistoric period, the use of the cave may have taken on a sacred significance, according to signs discovered by scholars. This idea emerged with the discovery of the so-called “inner votive deposit”: a collection of small ceramic vessels, found deep inside the entrance passage of the cave.The spot where it was found is in heavy shadow, where daylight gradually fades into complete underground darkness. Here, around three hundred miniature vessels were either stacked in crevices in the rock wall or placed beneath a large boulder on the ground. The position of the votive deposit, placed in the part furthest from the entrance chamber, suggests that ancient people carried out rituals in the cave. It is likely that these miniature vessels were brought inside as part of a religious ceremony, and then left behind intentionally, much like votive offerings.This important discovery is presented at the MIdA 01 Museum through a life-sized reconstruction, four-and-a-half metres wide, two metres and eighty centimetres high.
Inside the rocky niche on the left-hand side, a man is depicted from behind, leaning slightly forward as he places a small vessel in a crack in the rock. Around him, the interplay of light and shadow helps reveal the atmosphere of this sacred space: dozens of miniature vessels can be seen inside small cavities along the walls and on the ground.Now, let’s move on to the centre of the left wall of the room, where a display case contains a diorama of the caves.
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By eArsAudioZoom® by eArs
3. The inner votive deposit
The first human presence in the Pertosa-Auletta Caves was driven by practical needs. The abundance of underground water offered humans many useful functions and brought significant advantages. Over time, however, particularly in the late protohistoric period, the use of the cave may have taken on a sacred significance, according to signs discovered by scholars. This idea emerged with the discovery of the so-called “inner votive deposit”: a collection of small ceramic vessels, found deep inside the entrance passage of the cave.The spot where it was found is in heavy shadow, where daylight gradually fades into complete underground darkness. Here, around three hundred miniature vessels were either stacked in crevices in the rock wall or placed beneath a large boulder on the ground. The position of the votive deposit, placed in the part furthest from the entrance chamber, suggests that ancient people carried out rituals in the cave. It is likely that these miniature vessels were brought inside as part of a religious ceremony, and then left behind intentionally, much like votive offerings.This important discovery is presented at the MIdA 01 Museum through a life-sized reconstruction, four-and-a-half metres wide, two metres and eighty centimetres high.
Inside the rocky niche on the left-hand side, a man is depicted from behind, leaning slightly forward as he places a small vessel in a crack in the rock. Around him, the interplay of light and shadow helps reveal the atmosphere of this sacred space: dozens of miniature vessels can be seen inside small cavities along the walls and on the ground.Now, let’s move on to the centre of the left wall of the room, where a display case contains a diorama of the caves.
3. The inner votive deposit
The first human presence in the Pertosa-Auletta Caves was driven by practical needs. The abundance of underground water offered humans many useful functions and brought significant advantages. Over time, however, particularly in the late protohistoric period, the use of the cave may have taken on a sacred significance, according to signs discovered by scholars. This idea emerged with the discovery of the so-called “inner votive deposit”: a collection of small ceramic vessels, found deep inside the entrance passage of the cave.The spot where it was found is in heavy shadow, where daylight gradually fades into complete underground darkness. Here, around three hundred miniature vessels were either stacked in crevices in the rock wall or placed beneath a large boulder on the ground. The position of the votive deposit, placed in the part furthest from the entrance chamber, suggests that ancient people carried out rituals in the cave. It is likely that these miniature vessels were brought inside as part of a religious ceremony, and then left behind intentionally, much like votive offerings.This important discovery is presented at the MIdA 01 Museum through a life-sized reconstruction, four-and-a-half metres wide, two metres and eighty centimetres high.
Inside the rocky niche on the left-hand side, a man is depicted from behind, leaning slightly forward as he places a small vessel in a crack in the rock. Around him, the interplay of light and shadow helps reveal the atmosphere of this sacred space: dozens of miniature vessels can be seen inside small cavities along the walls and on the ground.Now, let’s move on to the centre of the left wall of the room, where a display case contains a diorama of the caves.