Papasidero, Calabria
Fog hung low between the trees on the way to Romito Cave. The air was cool. Steps echoed against the valley walls. A guide walked beside me.
Under a low rock ledge, a boulder bore an aurochs carved into the stone. It had long legs and a lowered head. The lines were steady.
When the light shifted, the animal appeared.
Nearby, plaster casts showed the burials. Nine in total, twelve thousand years old. One lay about two meters from the aurochs. Two bodies rested together: a teenager and an older woman. His head rested on her shoulder. Her left arm held him.
The two bodies rested together.
Her arm held him. His head rested on her shoulder.
