Specchia (megalith)

Specchia , ital. Specchia , pl. h. Specchie is the Italian name for a variety of limestone cairns common in Apulia mainly in the north of this province and in Salentina . In most cases, they are simple and small round or oval heaps of stones, whose height reaches 4 m, and the diameter is from 10 to 15 m. In Salentina, some of them reach 10 m in height.

Previously, they were considered the legacy of the messaps that inhabited Apulia in the Iron Age. Currently, archaeologists offer earlier dating, but this question remains open. The name was given to them in the Middle Ages and, probably, it is connected with the Latin word “watch”, as they were considered as watchtowers.

As Nadine Burckhardt wrote, “the tomb-mound was usually built over a single burial. The deceased was laid in a crouched position in a pit lined with stone slabs, around which an outer stone ring was erected, which was then covered with earth and stones by the method of dry masonry. These are detached burial mounds; only occasionally they were located on top of each other. The graves could be placed both separately and in groups. ”

Archaeologists have put forward many theories about their purpose. Most believe that the speckias served as burial sites, like Atlantic dolmens or Scandinavian ryos . On the embankment was a slope-ramp leading up; such ramps are partially preserved on the embankment in Castelluzzo, Kapece and Talena. In some mounds there were burials in stone boxes. The funeral gifts were not found - obviously, the tombs were looted in antiquity.

At present, about 40 speckia are relatively well preserved - mainly in Martano , Prezicce , Ruffano and Zollino . Specchia in Miano near Ceglie-Messapica has a diameter of 20 m and a height of 11 meters, which distinguishes it from others.

The material from which many speckias are made is primarily small stones, which interfered with agriculture and were piled up in separate piles, and were also used for other structures by the method of dry masonry , for example, trullo .