Cave at the Wave

Grotta all'Onda is located 710 meters above sea level on the slopes of Mount Matanna, in the hamlet of Casoli. It is a large cavity, about 40 meters wide by 60, which originally had numerous internal tunnels, now blocked. The upper edge of the external vault recalls, due to its morphology, a large sea wave at the point of maximum expansion. The enormous cavity is one of the most important testimonies of almost uninterrupted frequentation of a cave, during a very long period of time ranging from prehistory to recent times.

Grotta all'Onda represents one of the most important testimonies of human frequentation of a cave from the most ancient prehistory up to recent times and the stratigraphy of the deposit, the object of excavations starting from 1867, has been brought to light and analysed thanks to the excavation campaigns conducted by the Civic Archaeological Museum of Camaiore.

Different phases of frequentation have been identified, ranging from the Middle Paleolithic to the beginning of the Copper Age, as well as sporadic presences during the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and in the Renaissance period, when it was used only for ritual purposes or for the practice of pastoralism.

The first exploratory test at Grotta all'Onda was carried out in 1867 by the archaeologist Carlo Regnoli who recovered fragments of prehistoric pottery, flint tools and animal remains. The cave was the object of more accurate research by scholars from the Italian Institute of Human Paleontology in Florence (Aldobrandino Mochi, Ruggero Schiff-Giorgini, Nello Puccioni and Paolo Graziosi) who excavated in the years 1914 - 1944, but the methodologies followed at the time did not allow for the precise reconstruction of the stratigraphic sequence, or the exact chronology of the archaeological layers. In 1968 Antonio Mario Radmilli of the University of Pisa had a dating performed with the Uranium/Thorium method of the stalagmite formation that had been brought to light during previous research and which was datable to approximately 40,000 years ago.

The archaeological materials from these excavations and research are partly preserved in Florence at the Florentine Museum of Prehistory, partly at the University of Pisa.

Since 1996, the Archaeological Museum of Camaiore has carried out new excavation campaigns at Grotta all'Onda in the portion of the deposit that remained intact after the interventions of the years 1914-1944, identifying both the precise stratigraphic sequence relating to human frequentation in the different periods, and the history of the natural events that have determined the current physiognomy of the cavity.

Dating was also carried out both on the stalagmite formations brought to light and on the charcoal taken from the ancient hearths that were found. In particular, with the Uranium/Thorium method the stalagmite found beneath the Paleolithic layers was dated to approximately 170,000 years ago (174,030+- 8,200 Before Present), while the time of the cave's frequentation by Neanderthal Man (Homo neanderthalensis) was dated with the Carbon 14 method to approximately 37,000 years ago (37,139±530 BP and 36,996±565 BP). With this latter method, the periods of frequentation of the cave during the Upper Paleolithic were also dated: the oldest phase dates back to 35,000-33,000 years ago (35,130±550 BP and 33,326±640 BP), while the charcoal from the hearths made by Homo sapiens at the end of the Upper Paleolithic was dated to approximately 12,000 years ago (12,485±100 BP). Finally, the stalagmitic concretion indicating the passage from the Pleistocene to the Holocene climatic period (last climatic phase of the Quaternary Era) was dated with the Uranium/Thorium method at 10,710±200 BP, while the C14 dating revealed the age of about 5,000 years from today (4920±65 and 4865±65 Before Present) for the charcoal from the hearths of Homo sapiens of the Neolithic - Copper Age period.

The bone fragments of hunted animals and the tiny bone fragments of the 'microfauna' (that is, the different species of small rodents present in the cave and adapted to different types of habitat and temperature) provide precise indications of the climate of the past, thus helping to clarify the changes in the environment in various periods. The excavation operations therefore involve sifting the sediment with water in order to recover even the smallest finds.

All the archaeological materials discovered since 1996 are preserved in Camaiore at the Civic Archaeological Museum.

Grotta all'Onda is easily reachable on foot.
From Camaiore, follow the signs for the village of Casoli: once past the town, continue along the only road until you reach the locality of Tre Scolli where you can park along the road.
We set off on a paved road (path 106 to San Rocchino) ignoring the various (private) side roads, until we reach a clearing just after a wide curve. The path is on the right (white-red sign) and follows the cemented aqueduct practically flat, until we reach an iron walkway that allows us to avoid a protruding rock.
Turn left immediately and continue uphill until you reach a spring with two concrete basins, continue uphill slightly along the path (always follow the red signs) until you reach the Grotta all'Onda.

Virtual Tour:
www.comune.camaiore.lu.it/it/sezioni-turismo-e-cultura/830-camaiore-virtual-tour-a-360/3645-virtual-tour-grotta-all-onda