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History

Majella, besides having a wild nature, it is extraordinarily rich in historical, archaeological and architectural evidences. This area has always been peopled, since Paleolithic (800.000 years ago). At first, it deals with Homo Erectus in the Early Paleolithic, and then with Sapiens Neanderthalensis, in the Middle Paleolithic. About 35.000 years ago, with the appearance of Sapiens Sapiens, the Late Paleolithic began. This is a long period where the man was an hunter-gatherer, inside of organized small groups that used the natural resources in order to satisfy their primary needs through the gathering of natural products, the hunting of large-seized mammals and the research for materials, especially flint useful for making tools. Rich evidences of this long period have been discovered in the interesting sites of Valle Giumentina (Valley), Grotta degli Orsi (Bears Cave) and Grotta del Colle (Hill Cave).

Neolithic

In the Neolithic (from 6600 to 4500/4000 years ago) the populations that used the agriculture came from the Balkan Area, they probably docked in the Gargano and through the seaside heading for the inner zone. There was certainly a fusion between hunters and gatherers of the previous age. Especially the settlement types changed: no more inside the caves, but "in outdoor villages made of huts built on ground level, or partly dug out, often protected with ditches". On the other hand, the caves were used as burial place and for sacred rites and ceremonies". Jointly with the agriculture, this population also developed the breeding of some herbivore species: ovines, goats and cattle. This kind of activity was different from pasture because of its permanent nature.

There are, in this area, several remains of human skeletons dating back to this period: at times they are complete with skull, like that one discovered in 1914 in the locality “Fonti Rossi” in Lama dei Peligni”. This finding allowed to openly speak about the Man of Maiella: protomediterranean dolichocephalic type, with Danubian origins. The researches allowed also to know several settlement places and other for the worship needs. In these locations have been discovered ceramic handicrafts, at first just imprinted and then gradually worked and decorated. These evidences revealed the production of earthenware for the cooking and the preservation of food and for provisions of seeds. In certain localities Caves of Mortaio (Pounder), Buco Maledetto (Damned Hole) and Gatto di Bolognino (Bolognino Cat); the refuge in the pinewood of Lama dei Peligni; at the foot of Mount Morrone, above the reatreat of Sant’Onofrio and in the locality of Busciara, next to Pacentro) it can be found red rocky paintings. The feminine small clay idol, regarded as the image of "dea madre" (Mother Goddess), comes from the “San Callisto” Fountains.

Eneolithic

During the Eneolithic or Cupper Age (between 4300 and 2000 b.C.) come the population that, from different zones of Mediterranenan Sea, imported in this Region the real sheep farming. The first evidences in our territory it can be found in the “Grotta dei Piccioni” (Pigeons Cave), in “Fonte d’Amore” (Love Fountain), next to Sulmona and in the locality of Busciara, near to Pacentro.
The Eneolithic Age doesn’t clearly tell from its following one, known as “Bronze”. The first one reaches the 1000 b.C. and very often, the evidences are confused with those relating to the second one. In several places (Tocco da Casauria, Bolognano, Caramanico, Serramonacesca, Pretoro, Rapino, Pennapiedimonte, Fara San Martino, Rivisondoli, Pacentro) can be found ceramic handicrafts and, at times, bronze ones: swords, axes, daggers, points of lances and small idols. The black paintings on rocks and inside the caves are very spread. A village covers the whole Bronze Age reaching the beginnings of Iron Age (Xth-XIth Centuries b.C.). It has been discovered at the edges of Majella National Park territory, in the locality of Madonna degli Angeli, Municipality of Tocco da Casauria. There are materials coming from Lazio and a stele with a clear worship meaning.

From the Late Bronze Age the sheep farming became predominant, keeping to feature the following Iron Age (1000 – 550 a.C.). In this period grew the so-called "Apennine Civilization", concentrated in the ideal habitat for its kind of economy, the ridge of a big mountain range. The Iron Age is well-represented by Italico: one of the Indo-European progenies coming from Central-Northern Europe to Italy.