A group of young explorers searching for World War II bunkers near Gela, on the southern coast of Sicily, found an unusual stone arrangement that they suspected as man-made and very old. It’s turned out to be a Bronze-age astronomical instrument that can track solstices and seasons.
Giuseppe La Spina and his friends reported their discovery, which got the attention of local archaeology officials. Professor Alberto Scuderi, a regional director for archaeology and an specialist in archeoastronomy—exploring what the ancients knew of the science—took on a study to confirm what it was.
At last month’s winter solstice, with cameras, a GPS drone and video equipment, they were able to confirm that, like England’s Stonehenge and others, it is line up to show the sun’s position at certain times of the year, as in the picture above, by La Spina. Scuderi presented a paper on it last week.
As for the discoverers, La Spina told interviewers “Making an archaeological discovery is in itself an important event, but to be part of one of the most sensational finds in recent years fills me with pride.” He and his friends plan to go back and explore for more.
Fascinating!