Cava Pontrelli (Cava dei Dinosauri)

Cava Pontrelli near Altamura preserves thousands of dinosaur footprints in Cretaceous limestone, a rare record of prehistoric animal movement in Italy.

Why it matters

The quarry exposes a paleosurface bearing trackways left in soft sediment during the Cretaceous. The footprints were uncovered during quarrying in 1999 and are protected as an important paleontological site.

What to notice

Different trackways preserve the movement of dinosaurs across the same surface, including broad prints attributed to quadrupeds and narrower three-toed prints. Ripple marks and sediment structures provide evidence of the shallow-water environment in which the tracks formed.

Context and history

The limestone of the Murgia formed in Cretaceous marine and coastal environments. Quarrying exposed the footprint-bearing surface in 1999, after which the site was protected. The Altamura area also preserves other significant prehistoric finds, including the remains known as the Altamura Man.