Rituali nel profondo delle grotte. Aspetti culturali da Grotta San Biagio (Ostuni - Brindisi) nel quadro delle evidenze neo-eneolitiche della Puglia centrale

The San Biagio Cave, located a few kilometers from Ostuni and already known since the 1950s, has been investigated by the University of Bologna between 2004 and 2012. It is a large karstic cavity, connected to the outside through a short vertical shaft and a tunnel. The hard access conditions, the total absence of natural lighting and the presence of dripping water are aspects that indicate the particularity of the place. Large hearths, a huge enclosure composed of large irregular boulders and a Serra d’Alto offering pit are the main archaeological evidence. Its function seems to be connected to ritual and ceremonial practices through the frequent but not daily use of the cave which can be dated from the Middle Neolithic to the Middle Eneolithic. Such frequentation is part of a widespread phenomenon in the south-eastern part of the Peninsula, at least until the final moments of the Copper Age.