Pantalica is one of the most important and vast prehistoric areas.
The complex of customs and traditions of the people who lived there gave birth to the “culture of Pantalica”. The incessant explorations carried out on the site between the late 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century made it possible to reconstruct the evolution of the first inhabitants of Syracuse in pre-Hellenic times, through studying funerary architecture and artefacts found, such as weapons, pottery and ornaments.
The civilisation of Pantalica Nord, dating back to a period between 1270 and 1000 BC, developed in a densely populated and rich area in the north. In fact, some findings testify to the presence of refined social classes who were very aware of elegance. Even the dwellings, though primordial, were furnished with care.
There is a strong influence of Mycenaean culture, as can be seen from the funeral rites, the shape of the tombs and the production of bright red pottery. From the East, on the other hand, came the custom of precious rings decorated with spiralshaped motifs or stylised fish figures. For the inhabitants of Pantalica a ring was not merely a whim, but an object to defend themselves from negative energies and forces.
The rings were often engraved with “the superstitious eye”, a powerful
apotropaic
symbol.
Bronze was one of the materials used, proof of how widely used this metal was at the time, demonstrated by funerary objects such as bronze daggers, razors, knives and
fibulae
found during archaeological excavations.
