The link between man and water in karst, through examples from Apulia (S Italy).

In this contribution three different sites from the Apulian karst of southern Italy are illustrated about the issue of water flowing out in caves, and how these latter represented remarkable sites for the historical development of ancient local communities. The goal of the work is to highlight the strong link between water and human presence, and the related cults, in the karst settings of Apulia. The study areas cover all main karst sub-regions of Apulia, from the Gargano promontory to the Murge plateau, and Salento peninsula, and they are examined through integration of detailed scrutiny of the historical and archaeological research and field work consisting of geological and hydrogeological surveys. Scaloria Cave, in Gargano, preserves testimonies of the water cult during Neolithic times, as documented by vessels and containers, located in remote places of the cave system. At Minervino Murge, the cave dedicated to Saint Michael Archangel, which played an important role in the pilgrimages along the main religious routes of southern Italy, also hosts places to collect water, dripping from both cave ceilings and speleothems. Eventually, at Manduria, in the Taranto province, Fonte Pliniano is the spring originally documented by Pliny the Elder in his work Naturalis Historia; given the archeological relevance of the site, the spring has always been a remarkable place of cult. Describing these sites provides interesting hints for further analysis about the connection of water with human settlements, in Apulia and in other karst areas of the Mediterranean Basin.