Pyramids of Etna
Riccardo Spoto - CC1.0
The mysterious Pyramids of Etna rise on the slopes of the volcano and their origin is shrouded in mystery.
There are over forty pyramids of Etna, they are all located on the slopes of the volcano, they are buildings up to 40 meters high, they are made of lava stone with the same technique as dry stone walls, they have a stepped or conical structure, they have stairs, steps and, in some cases, summit altars.
These constructions, also known as Turrets of Etna, have aroused the curiosity of tourists and scientists as there are no historical documents regarding the their function and their origin.
Initially the most accredited hypothesis regarding their origin was that these pyramids had been built in relatively recent times for agricultural purposes, with the aim of making the land free of boulders and preparing them for better for cultivation.
Other research, in particular the research conducted by the French Egyptologist Antoine Gigal, has led to the formulation of a new hypothesis which states that the Pyramids of Etna were built thousands of years ago, before the landing of the Greek people in Sicily. In particular, they could have been made in the 15th century BC. by the Sicani people, who built other pyramid structures in the Sicilian hinterland, and who operated in Sicily before the arrival of the Siculi on the island. Another hypothesis is that the pyramids were built by the Šekeleš people, or Shekelesh, a tribe of the confederation of the Sea Peoples, coming from the Aegean Sea area and who, according to some archaeologists, can be identified with the ancestor people of the Siculi or with the Siculi themselves.
The hypotheses formulated regarding their function are also different: the particular arrangement of these structures almost forming a circle around the volcano has led to the hypothesis of a possible cult dedicated to the volcano; the fact that ancient flows stop a few meters away from these buildings seems to support this hypothesis.
Unfortunately, to date, there is no data that can verify any of these hypotheses. The presence of pyramids very similar to the Sicilian ones in the Canary Islands and Mauritius, built by local farmers in order to deprive the land of the stones placed in the fields to be cultivated, suggests that the pyramids of Etna were also built for the same purpose.
Below is the list of some pyramids of Etna that are easily reachable and visible from the road. The pyramids are all on private land and can therefore only be visited with the permission of the owners.
Pyramid of Calafato in Santa Maria di Licodia
Pyramid of Pedara
Pyramid of San Pietro Clarenza
Pyramid of Passopisciaro in Castiglione di Sicilia.
