New discoveries in the Angel Caves in Pertosa

Pertosa – A slice of millennia-old history, guarded by darkness and water, is coming to light. An excavation campaign in the Grotte dell'Angelo (Angel Caves) of Pertosa-Auletta (Salerno) is revealing extraordinary new pieces of a human settlement spanning over eight thousand years. The most significant discovery: a sacred area, an underground sanctuary used continuously for five centuries, from the Hellenistic period to the early Roman Empire.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS: THE HYPOGEAL SANCTUARY

Excavations conducted along the entrance to the cave have uncovered a votive treasure attesting to intense cult practices. Among the finds are often decorated terracotta lamps dating to the 1st-2nd century AD, Hellenistic and Roman coins, and small personal ornaments. The concentrated arrangement of the materials indicates that local groups or travelers chose the cave entrance—a passageway between the surface and the darkness of the underworld—to worship their deities. "A place of worship for those who were likely entering or exiting the cave, a highly symbolic environment," the archaeologists hypothesize.

POLES AND PLATFORMS: THE SHADOW OF THE PREHISTORIC VILLAGE

Alongside the historical evidence, new protohistoric structures are emerging. Wooden piles and a walking surface dating back to the Late Bronze Age (circa 12th-11th century BC) have been identified, expanding our understanding of the already well-known pile-dwelling village. The waters of the underground river have preserved parts of the original structure, which extended into the area closest to the external light, painting a complex picture of a community that lived on the water, inside the cave.

DIG TO LEARN: THE OPEN SITE AT THE SCHOOL

For the first time, the archaeological site was opened to students thanks to the School-Work Training project promoted by the MIdA Foundation with Eduiren (Iren Group). Students were able to observe the archaeologists' work up close, experiencing a unique European heritage, both in terms of its long-standing presence and its environmental context.

THE CHALLENGE OF RESEARCH IN AN EXTREME ENVIRONMENT

"These results confirm the enormous scientific value of the Pertosa-Auletta Caves," says Maria Rosaria Carfagna, president of the MIdA Foundation. "Ensuring continuity of research in a complex underground environment, crossed by an active watercourse, is both a challenge and a priority." The president thanks the Iren Group for its support of the project.

A NETWORK PROJECT

The 2025 campaign is part of the three-year concession (2025-2027) from the Ministry of Culture to the MIdA Foundation, carried out in collaboration with the Central Institute for Archaeology (ICA-MiC), the ABAP Superintendency of Salerno and Avellino, the 'Enzo dei Medici' Speleo-Archaeological Research Centre and with the support of the Iren Group.

NEXT STAGES

The work is just beginning. The next phases include expanding the excavations, specialized analysis of the organic remains and wood, and complete scientific documentation. Each layer of removed earth promises to add new lines to a thousand-year-old story written in the heart of the mountain.