Tora e Piccilli. Appunti di geografia storica

Abstract

The “Ciampate del diavolo” palaeontological site does not only preserves a large number of fossil human and animal footprints of prehistoric time, but also a fossil pathway of the same age, which has been proven to be the oldest known in the world so far. Its direction is still shown on the topographical maps currently in use and this fact testifies to an unequivocal persistence in settlement choices lasting for about 350 ka. These choices appear to be very much conditioned by the volcanic geomorphology of the area in which the important palaeontological site lies. In this report we briefly describe these characteristics, associating them with the main anthropic structures characterizing over the centuries its geo-historical evolution.