Miniera della Defensola

The Defensola flint mine, discovered in 1981 on the Intreseglio hill near Vieste, is a major Neolithic archaeological site. About seven thousand years old, its galleries preserve evidence of organised flint extraction during the early Neolithic.

Why it matters

Vieste's heritage account describes Defensola as a landmark of European mining archaeology. The mine's developed extraction system shows that communities in the Gargano were working flint on a substantial scale during the seventh and sixth millennia BC. High-quality local flint supplied tools to communities across a wider area.

What to notice

The mine has rooms and pillars on two superimposed levels cut into limestone layers containing flint nodules. The upper level includes low horizontal galleries, with corridors lined by dry-stone walls. Excavations found flint picks and mauls, stone lamps and ceramic vessels, some intact and containing food remains. Their abandonment in place has been interpreted as evidence that a seismic event forced a sudden departure and sealed the entrances.

Context and history

In April 1981, Giuseppe Ruggieri and Antonino Cirillo noticed ancient workings during construction on the southeastern slope of Intreseglio hill. A decorated pot pointed to the site's early-Neolithic age. Archaeological authorities protected the site, and systematic study from 1986 surveyed roughly half a hectare of the upper level. Research describes four neighbouring extraction areas forming a wider mining district. The mine is part of a broader Gargano landscape of prehistoric flint extraction.