Scientists have come to unravel another mystery of the past - the secret of the appearance of mysterious traces on the slope of the extinct volcano Roccomonfina in Italy, the so-called "devil's footprints".
According to legend, these pits were left by the king of the Underworld when he climbed to the mouth of the volcano, it was the traces of his hooves that were imprinted on the rock.
Archaeologists first discovered the footprints in 2001, and, being scientists accustomed to believing facts rather than legends, they became interested in their origins. Naturally, none of the group believed that these tracks belonged to Satan. Then to whom?
For almost 20 years, 67 prints have been examined, according to scientists, they belong to the ancestors of modern humans and animals. The footprints that were found led down from the top of the volcano to its foot. They represent different combinations of the position of the hands and feet of humans and the paws of animals. Later, 14 more traces were discovered by archaeologists, but they already led to the top of the mountain.
After analyzing, experts determined the age of the tracks - about 350 thousand years. They were abandoned by five Neanderthals immediately after the eruption of the volcano, when the slope was covered with hot ash. What was the reason why people climbed to the mouth of the volcano remains a mystery that hardly anyone will solve.