Thea is the fictitious name given to a female Homo sapiens skeleton found in the cave of San Teodoro (hence the name) in the territory of Acquedolci, province of Messina, in 1937.
The cave (measuring 60 meters in lenght, 20 meters wide, 10 to meters high) had been inhabitated since prehistoric times and had served throughout the ages as hideout from pirate raids, sheepfold and during World War Two as a repair from aerial bombing. It was first explored in 1859 by paleontologist and palethnologist Francesco Anca, baron of Mangalaviti. He uncovered remains of prehistoric mammals (dwarf elephants and horses, hyenas, bears, donkeys, deers) as well as flints and stone weapons, which made him determine the cave had been also inhabitated by ancient hunters. In the upcoming years, the cave kept being explored with many other animal fossils being unearthed. In 1937 the first human remains were found (in total 4 males and two females) and among them Thea's.
Her remains date back to Upper Paleolithic, between 14 to 11 thousands years ago and the moment of the discovery she was buried on the left side and covered with ochre. Apart from some missing ribs and her left hand, her skeleton is basically whole. Her sex was determined by the hip width and she might have been around 30 years old at the time of her death. Thea was 1.65m tall, with a long face and protruding lower jaw. Perfect teeth and bone structure along with the quality of her funerary equipment (she was found still wearing a necklace decorated with twelve pierced red deer's teeth) suggest she occupied a high status in her community (a noblewoman/princess or a priestess). It was speculated the cause of death might have been childbirth.
Thea's skeleton is currently preserved in Museo Gaetano Giorgio Gemmellaro, in Palermo. In 2007 a plastic model of her face was created in an attempt to give once again life to this Sicilian great-grandma.
Sources
Ambrusiano Eleonora, Thea, la prima donna siciliana ā Acquedolci (ME)
Di Patti Carolina, THEA MADRE IL VOLTO DELLA PRIMA DONNA DI SICILIA E LA GROTTA DI SAN TEODORO
Grotta di San Teodoro: Sito Preistorico e Paleontologico di Sicilia
Il sito paleontologico e preistorico della grotta di āSan Teodoroā
Il volto di Thea, donna siciliana nel Paleolitico
Thea, la principessa preistorica siciliana
