In Leontinoi, Sicily, excavations conducted by the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" have brought to light the foundations of a Greek temple. The excavation campaign, which took place in August and September, was conducted by Marcella Pisani, associate professor of classical archaeology at the University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', in collaboration with the director of the Leontinoi Archaeological Park, Lorenzo Guzzardi, thanks to an agreement signed by the Regional Department of Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, the Leontinoi Archaeological Park and the Department of History, Cultural Heritage, Education and Society of the University of Rome 'Tor Vergata' (directed by prof. G. Adamo).
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| The foundations of the Greek temple unearthed at Leontinoi [Credit: Università degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”] |
In particular, the investigations, which saw the presence of a large team of students, brought to light structures and materials ranging from the Archaic Greek period to the medieval and post-medieval periods, confirming the extraordinary archaeological wealth of the city of Leontinoi, which has been the subject of excavations both in the past and in recent years, but of which much remains to be discovered and investigated. "The aim of the excavations," explains Professor Pisani, "is to verify what is left of the oldest phases of the Greek colony in an area of the settlement that appears to have been reused during the Middle Ages."
The excavation work involved both zone A of the Park, south of Colle San Mauro, which falls within the territory of Carlentini, and zone B, further north of the same hill, in the territory of Lentini, in an area within private land. Both areas have yielded important evidence of the history and urban organisation of the ancient city. "These areas are part of the urban territory of Leontinoi, founded by settlers from the Euboean colony of Naxos in 728 BC, a few kilometres east of the Ionian coast of Sicily and which today falls administratively within the territories of the municipalities of Lentini and Carlentini, in the province of Syracuse," says Professor Pisani. "Leontinoi is one of the most important Greek colonies in Sicily and is distinguished by its settlement characteristics, which do not involve the usual choice of a promontory overlooking the sea, but an internal hill system dominating the Catania plain."
The Greek temple came to light in zone B of the park and only the southern part has been explored so far, for a length of just over 10 metres. "From this first exploration," says Professor Pisani, "the crepidoma or stylobate, i.e. the stepped base of the foundation, and a section of the wall of the short west side of the cella are clearly evident. The data collected so far do not permit a precise specification of the temple's plan (perhaps a peripteral building), nor of its chronology, but the construction technique and some elements of the architectural decoration collected in the area suggest that it was built in the Archaic period, in the 6th century BC."
At the northern end of the hill, the last excavation in September brought to light structures from the Greek period, including the foundations of the Greek temple, with clear traces of reuse during the Middle Ages. The temple, by now long abandoned, was transformed with the addition of walls found on the short sides and inside it. At the top of the hill, where the walls of a medieval building were intercepted in the 1950s, two long boundary walls were also found. On one of them, which acted as a barrier wall on the western side of the summit, there is an access door next to which a small drain for the outflow of water can be seen. On the inner wall there are gateways between the upper and lower parts of the complex. A ramp led from the access courtyard to the top. "The plan of the building, the materials found and the characteristics of the masonry work," says the Park Director, Lorenzo Guzzardi, "make it possible to recognise the remains of a castle in use between the 13th and 14th centuries. Since its location coincides with that of the Castello Nuovo in a sketch on a map from 1584, it is very likely that it is the very castle Frederick II built".
During the excavation campaign, in which valuable artefacts were found, the archaeological team started a systematic reconnaissance of the sites. This was made possible thanks to the collaboration of a topographer, Giampaolo Luglio, who undertook a georeferencing activity, a topographical mapping carried out with the aid of GPS and drone footage of the visible features and those that have now come to light. "This activity will be extended to the entire ancient site," says Marcella Pisani, "not only for the purpose of a thorough knowledge of the rich archaeological heritage, but also for the purpose of safeguarding and enhancing it."
Source: Regione Siciliana [October 09, 2021]
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