Quake in Italy unearths prehistoric dwellings
April 20th, 2009 - 2:15 pm ICT by ANIRome, April 20 (ANI): Reports indicate that the powerful earthquake in the central Italian Abruzzo regional capital L’Aquila last week has unearthed prehistoric dwellings there.
Some of the vaulted caves measure up to five meters in height, Italian geologist Gianluca Ferretti told Italian daily La Stampa.
“We are exploring them,” said Ferretti, who teaches geology at L’Aquila’s university.
One the biggest caves is located near L’Aquila’s bus terminal, in via di Collemaggio. The caves date back 15,000 years, according to geologists.
“Some of the caves were hollowed out by the first shepherds to inhabit the area, who would also use them as shelters for their animals,” said Ferretti’s colleague, Antonio Moretti.
But, while they represent a fascinating archaeological find, the emergence of the caves has worried geologists.
“It shows the fragility of the sediment on which the area is built,” said Ferretti.
The magnitude 6.3 quake last Monday destroyed or seriously damaged several thousand buildings in L’Aquila and surrounding villages, killing 295 people and leaving 55,000 homeless. (ANI)
- Tourism hit in Italian region struck by quake - Apr 10, 2010
- Architectural treasures damaged in Italian earthquake - Apr 07, 2009
- Italian PM, transsexual prostitutes in nativity scene - Nov 26, 2009
- Search for Italy's quake victims continues - Apr 11, 2009
- Several killed in Italy quake; death toll may rise - Apr 06, 2009
- Clooney to shoot in quake-hit L'Aquila - Jul 10, 2009
- Clooney film to help quake-hit Italian region: Director - Sep 29, 2010
- Italy remembers L'Aquila earthquake victims - Apr 06, 2010
- Earliest American residents came at least 15,500 years ago - Mar 25, 2011
- Cavemen and cave bears may have competed for shelter 32,000 yrs ago! - Apr 27, 2011
- Italy quake toll goes past 90 - Apr 06, 2009
- Manmohan Singh arrives in Italy for G8-G5 summit - Jul 08, 2009
- Scientists say that "Toads 'could be used to predict earthquakes'" - Dec 02, 2011
- Four killed in Italy quake - May 20, 2012
- Magnitude-5.8 quake strikes Italy, deaths feared (Lead) - Apr 06, 2009
Tags: antonio moretti, aquila, bus terminal, caves, colleague, dwellings, emergence, fragility, geologist, geologists, geology, last monday, magnitude, powerful earthquake, quake, regional capital, rome, s university, sediment, several thousand