Hall 1 – Prehistory

Traces of the ancient Etruscan presence in Casentino

Room 1 is dedicated to prehistory. Here are the fossil remains of the Villafranchian fauna (about 700,000 years ago), consisting of skeletal portions of Elephas meridionalis and Hippopotamus antiquus, which bear witness to the fact that the Casentino (like the neighbouring valleys) was for a long time characterised by a warm-humid climate.
The series of casts of human skulls introduces the theme of physical evolution, while the lithic artefacts displayed in the following showcases present cultural evolution: from the Lower to the Middle Palaeolithic, from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Metal Ages.