Books by Gilberto Montali
L'opera si articola in due distinte parti: nella prima si presenta lo studio dell'Anfiteatro di S... more L'opera si articola in due distinte parti: nella prima si presenta lo studio dell'Anfiteatro di Sabratha mentre nella seconda si propone un nuovo catalogo degli anfiteatri della provincia dell'Africa proconsolare. L'anfiteatro di Sabratha, scavato e restaurato tra il 1924 ed il 1926 dalla missione italiana diretta da Renato Bartoccini, era rimasto sostanzialmente inedito. Dal 2009 al 2012 è stato oggetto di una nuova ricerca che si prefiggeva di giungere ad una lettura complessiva del monumento nel suo contesto urbano, storico e sociale, proponendone anche un'ipotesi ricostruttiva. L'edificio, interamente realizzato in opera quadrata e dimensionato sul cubito punico, rivela un forte legame con la tradizione costruttiva locale. Edificato con ogni probabilità alla fine dell'età flavia, l'anfiteatro appare sovradimensionato rispetto alla popolazione stimata della città: la ragione va cercata nel ruolo che Sabratha ricopriva come capolinea delle carovane che portavano animali, oro e schiavi dal cuore dell'Africa fino alle coste del Mediterraneo.
L'anfiteatro di Sabratha si è rivelato essere il terzo per grandezza tra gli anfiteatri ancora esistenti nell'Africa proconsolare. La necessità di confrontare il monumento sabrathense con gli edifici consimili della provincia ha portato alla redazione di un nuovo catalogo degli anfiteatri dell'Africa proconsolare: si presentano le schede relative a 58 monumenti variamente attestati, 40 dei quali sono ancora oggi visibili o archeologicamente testimoniati.
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L'anfiteatro di Sabratha è uno degli edifici più importanti e noti della città tripolitana. Scava... more L'anfiteatro di Sabratha è uno degli edifici più importanti e noti della città tripolitana. Scavato e restaurato tra il 1924 e il 1926 dalla missione italiana diretta da Renato Bartoccini era rimasto sostanzialmente inedito. A partire dal 2009 è stato oggetto di una ricerca sistematica che, muovendo da un nuovo accurato rilievo, ha cercato di mettere a fuoco le caratteristiche salienti del monumento. Il monumento sabrathense si è rivelato il terzo per grandezza tra gli anfiteatri archeologicamente noti dell'Africa Proconsolare, potendo contenere ben 16000 spettatori. Costruito con ogni probabilità alla fine dell'età flavia, nel momento in cui la città divenne municipium, l'anfiteatro appare sovradimensionato rispetto alla popolazione stimata dell'emporio tripolitano: la ragione va forse cercata nel ruolo che Sabratha ricopriva come capolinea delle carovane che portavano animali, oro e schiavi dal cuore dell'Africa fino alle coste del Mediterraneo.
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Papers by Gilberto Montali
Lavinia Sole, Elisa Chiara Portale, Gilberto Montali, Massimo Limoncelli, Giovanni Polizzi, Laura Schepis, 2023
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Mare Internum, 15, 2023
Solunto 2023: Excavations and research in the urban area ·
The paper briefly accounts for the res... more Solunto 2023: Excavations and research in the urban area ·
The paper briefly accounts for the results of the third archaeological
campaign held by the team of the University of Palermo at the
Solunto site, in the large sanctuary west of the theatre and in the
North Baths. In the sanctuary at the top of the public area, new data
help to delineate an even more complex and articulated situation
than had been imagined. In the central part, on the axis of the theater,
the existence of a monumental staircase is ascertained, corresponding
perfectly to the raised front of the two-cellae temple
(“Temple of Astarte”) and prolonged by a staircase in the epitheatron;
this ascending system was framed by two (?) transversal terraces
in an E-W direction (the terrace to the N of the staircase is for
now conceivable from a few visible remains). On its part, the singlecella
temple with front steps further south was served by a narrower
staircase that reached the two altars in front. The two-aisled
sacred building, on a lower terrace, was also elevated and provided
with steps on the front connecting it to the terrace to the east,
which was shared with the adjacent building with two staircases.
This whole system belongs to the great monumental phase of the
mid-2nd century b.c. However, remains of an older phase (end of
3rd century b.c.?) with the same alignment have been identified – as
in the westernmost part (portico adjoining the plateia) – also in the
area immediately west of the theatre: it is the basis of a terrace or
narrow building, parallel with the western trait of the analemma
wall, but earlier than the theatre-temple complex. At the North
Baths, research continued in the north-eastern sector, where in previous
campaigns the water-heating system, a new room and an ash
discharge had been identified. The excavation of the hypocaust and
the removal of the ash levels have been completed, recognizing also
two new rooms/
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Papers of the British School at Rome
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Libya Antiqua XVI, 2023
Project for the digitalization of the historical
archives of the “Antonino Di Vita” Centre for Do... more Project for the digitalization of the historical
archives of the “Antonino Di Vita” Centre for Documentation
and Research on the Archaeology of North Africa
at the University of Macerata · The “A. Di Vita”
Centre for Documentation and Research on the
Archaeology of North Africa at the University of
Macerata owns a rich and important archive
containing photos, drawings, excavation journals
and documents relating to Italian archaeological
missions operating in Libya (but not only) since the
early 20th century. The contribution aims to illustrate,
on the one hand, the theoretical and project
route that led to the realisation of the back and
front-end sites of the archive and, on the other
hand, illustrates the possibilities
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Segesta. Santuario di Contrada Mango. Materiali e contesti degli scavi Tusa, 2023
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Edizioni dell'Ateneo, 2006
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Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2016
Scrivere di una persona cara è impresa difficile, scrivere di una persona di cui sei stato per an... more Scrivere di una persona cara è impresa difficile, scrivere di una persona di cui sei stato per anni alunno e che consideri un Maestro è compito ancor più arduo. Se poi questa persona è il professore Antonino Di Vita (fig. 1), uomo dai mille interessi, studioso acuto e poliedrico, persona amabile e di raro garbo e affabilità, la missione è quasi impossibile. Sulla sua opera di infaticabile studioso in Sicilia, in Grecia e in Africa sono stati scritti fiumi di inchiostro da persone che certamente meglio di me l’hanno conosciuto e che con lui hanno lavorato per moltissimi anni. Per questo, quando mi è stato chiesto di presentare la raccolta degli Scritti africani del prof. Di Vita e di tracciarne al contempo un breve profilo, ho a lungo indugiato, cercando di rifuggire da questo che, a ben vedere, è per me non solo un grande onore ma un vero obbligo morale, un debito d’affetto quasi filiale.
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La ricerca si articola in due parti distinte ma strettamente legate: una prima parte (Tomo I e To... more La ricerca si articola in due parti distinte ma strettamente legate: una prima parte (Tomo I e Tomo III, tavole fuori testo) dedicata allo studio dell’Anfiteatro di Sabratha ed una seconda parte (Tomo II) costituita dal catalogo degli anfiteatri dell’Africa Proconsolare. Tomo I. Il grande edificio di Sabratha si erge alla periferia orientale dell’antica citta, in un’area dove si segnala la presenza mausolei e latomie. L’edificio riprende probabilmente l’orientamento della vicina ed importante via litoranea che collegava Alessandria con Cartagine. La storia degli studi (Capitolo I). In gran parte spogliato in antico, il monumento sembra essere stato stranamente ignorato dai viaggiatori e dagli studiosi che nel XVIII e XIX secolo visitano le rovine di Sabratha - “Tripoli Vecchio”. La prima testimonianza certa (breve descrizione e disegno di una veduta d’insieme) si deve al principe di Toscana Luigi Salvatore d’Asburgo Lorena, nel 1873. Le ricerche archeologiche all’Anfiteatro vengono avviate da Renato Bartoccini nel marzo del 1924 e si protraggono sino al 1926. A questo periodo fanno riferimento i Giornali di Scavo dei quali alcuni stralci sono riportati nell’Appendice 1. Nel 1927 vede la luce la Guida di Sabratha dello stesso Bartoccini, nella quale viene fornita oltre alla prima descrizione esaustiva dell’Anfiteatro anche una pianta schematica del monumento. Dopo un lungo periodo di oblio, soltanto nel 1953, sotto la direzione di Ernesto Vergara Caffarelli ed in seguito dal 1966 al 1969, sotto la guida del prof. Antonino Di Vita, vengono intrapresi nuovi lavori di scavo e restauro all’Anfiteatro. Alle indagini dei primi del ‘900 e degli anni ’50 e ’60 fanno riferimento le foto d’archivio raccolte nell’Appendice 2, in gran parte custodite nell’importante archivio del “Centro per la documentazione e lo studio dell’archeologica dell’Africa Settentrionale” dell’Universita di Macerata. Il monumento e inserito da Lachaux, Golvin e Bomgardner nei loro cataloghi: la loro proposta di datazione e quella di un generico II secolo d.C. mentre la capacita e stimata tra 15600 e 20700 spettatori. Le nuove indagini. Le nuove ricerche all’Anfiteatro di Sabratha, fortemente volute dal prof. Antonino Di Vita, hanno preso l’avvio nel 2010 con diverse campagne di rilievo (Capitolo II), scavo e studio del monumento. Il rilievo strumentale realizzato con il laser scanner 3D dalla ditta “Servizi di ingegneria” di Foligno e stato integrato con il rilievo diretto e la caratterizzazione delle strutture per la realizzazione di piante e sezioni in scala 1:100 e 1:50. I 3 saggi aperti lungo il perimetro esterno del settore SE del monumento hanno permesso di comprendere l’articolazione della facciata e delle sue fondazioni ed inoltre hanno fornito dati interessanti per la datazione della spoliazione del monumento. Nel Capitolo III, dedicato all’analisi delle strutture esistenti, vengono prese in considerazione le singole parti dell’edificio ancora visibili (l’arena, gli accessi all’arena, il muro del podio e la cavea). Questa parte descrittiva e corredata dal catalogo degli elementi architettonici (Capitolo IV), dall’esame dei Saggi archeologici (Capitolo V) e dal catalogo epigrafico (Capitolo VI). Una cospicua parte dello studio e dedicata all’analisi, ai confronti e alle ipotesi ricostruttive (Capitolo VII). Il grande edificio sembra essere modulato sulla base del cubito punico (del valore di 51,48 cm). Lo schema costruttivo sotteso al progetto risulta essere un ovale tracciato con una variante del metodo del ‘triangolo pitagorico’. Le parti non conservate dell’edificio come il podium, i settori superiori della cavea e la facciata, completamente spogliati in antico, sono stati ricostruiti sulla base degli elementi noti, sulla scorta di considerazioni geometrico -dimensionali e grazie ai confronti con gli edifici meglio conservati. Sulla base dell’ipotesi ricostruttiva ed utilizzando un metodo di stima analitico, tenendo conto di un locus medio pari a 45 cm, per l’Anfiteatro di Sabratha si propone una capienza pari a circa 16000 spettatori. In mancanza di piu precisi dati archeologici ed epigrafici la proposta di datazione dell’edificio puo avanzarsi al momento solo su base formale e comparativa: la presenza di marchi di cava che si ritrovano anche nel Teatro, le considerazioni fatte in merito alla iscrizione IRT 117 che cita i munera di G. Flavio Pudente, l’evoluzione urbanistica ed architettonica della citta di Sabratha e del suo status giuridico spingono ad avanzare due diverse ed egualmente motivate ipotesi di datazione: la tarda eta flavia oppure il regno di Antonino Pio. La committenza di un edificio grande e dispendioso come l’Anfiteatro di Sabratha non puo non essere pubblica. Tomo II. Per comprendere come il monumento sabrathense si inserisca nel piu ampio panorama degli anfiteatri dell’Africa Proconsolare, si e ritenuto opportuno effettuare un nuovo censimento e redigere un aggiornato catalogo: la ricognizione ha permesso di…
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Mare Internum, 2022
Investigations inside the sanctuary of the Contrada Mango
in Segesta · Between June and July 2022... more Investigations inside the sanctuary of the Contrada Mango
in Segesta · Between June and July 2022, the University of Palermo
started new field investigations in the Contrada Mango sanctuary
in Segesta, which, in the 1950s and 1960s, had brought to light a
monumental temenos-terracing wall in isodomic technique and
the remains of a Doric Severe-Style peripteral temple, largely spoliated
at an unknown period. This paper presents some preliminary
results of the new research that results from an intensive review
and study of the documentation of the old excavations, which is
about to be published. The most important data acquired are the
identification of the spoliation trench of the north side of the peristasis
of the temple and the attribution of the foundations surviving
in situ to the north of the wall of the cella, in particular near the
pronaos, as already suggested by geomorphological investigations
carried out after the old excavations. The acquisition of such elements
and a reading of the diaries of the old excavations have thus
allowed us to identify the precise location of the temple inside the
peribolum: The temple was built not in the center of the temenos but
closer to the northern side of the monumental terracing wall that,
on the southern side, had to fill the considerable height difference
of the slope on which the sanctuary was built, and was therefore
more subject to landslides.
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N. Kallala, B. Yazidi, S. Séhili (Eds), Autochtonie II, Les savoir-faire autochtones dans le Maghreb et en Méditerranée occidentale, de l'antiquité à nos jours: originalité, moutations, Actes du deuxième colloque international (Tunis, 25-28 novembre 2021), III, Architecture, 2023
La contribution vise à étudier la relation entre les techniques de construction traditionnelles d... more La contribution vise à étudier la relation entre les techniques de construction traditionnelles des territoires de l’Afrique Proconsulaire et celles importées par les Romains et utilisées dans la construction de bâtiments de divertissement, en particulier les théâtres et les amphithéâtres, en tenant également compte de l’importation de modèles typologiques, et ce à partir de «l’étude de cas» du théâtre d’Althiburos. Au cours des Ier et IIe siècles après J.-C., nous assistons à une introduction
progressive des techniques de construction romaines, tels que l’opus caemaenticium, en particulier dans la construction des sous-structures et des voûtes, parfois avec l’importation de modèles urbains,
des techniques, mais aussi d’ouvriers italiques (il suffit de penser à l’opus reticulatum de l’amphithéâtre de Carthage). Parallèlement, nous constatons aussi généralement l’utilisation continue des techniques
de construction traditionelles (- notamment l’opus quadratum avec des techniques de taille de pierre qui ont leurs racines dans le monde punique et hellénistique -).
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Mare Internum, 2022
New Investigations at Solunto (2022)
The last fieldwork campaign in Solunto by the University of ... more New Investigations at Solunto (2022)
The last fieldwork campaign in Solunto by the University of Palermo, in the sanctuary above the theatre and in the baths near the agora (the North Baths), obtained some relevant results concerning both the building sequences and the architectural configurations. In the sanctuary, a clearer picture is emerging of the oldest layout, dating from the 4th century B.C. (1st phase). After the first reshaping of the street grid and of the urban layout (2nd phase), in the second half of 2nd century B.C., an overall restyling (3rd phase) gave the whole sanctuary area an impressive organization into terraces linked through ramps and stairways. A striking feature, till now unnoticed, is the stairway aligned with the front of the temple with two cellae and forecourt, which enhances the theatre on its central axis; the theatre itself has a rectilinear analemma wall on the corresponding rear (W) part. In the baths, an eastern extension of the building has been discovered and some new evidence for the function of the complex has been obtained. At the same time, the virtual reconstruction project is being carried out, integrating the results from the fieldwork into the overall framework, with the twofold objective: to test the new acquisitions, and to create a virtual tour of the ancient city, allowing a “Solunto experience”.
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Mare Internum, 2021
Himera: New investigations in the area West of the Tempio
della Vittoria · The University of Pale... more Himera: New investigations in the area West of the Tempio
della Vittoria · The University of Palermo has started a new cycle of
field investigations in the “lower town” of Himera, with the aim of
answering some questions about the relationships between the
Tempio della Vittoria, the residential districts, and the agora, that
remained to be clarified after the important results produced by the
studies on the urban development of the Greek city over the past
forty years. This paper presents some initial results and research
perspectives from the first excavation soundings and geophysical
survey of 2021. The first findings strongly suggest that the agora extended
much further south than previously supposed, confirming
the eastern limits proposed by S. Vassallo; as a matter of fact, it included
also the area west of the Tempio della Vittoria, and most probably
reached the south plateia of the lower town (possibly running
under the present SS 113 road). In that area, about 20 m off the SW
corner of the temple, we are clearing the western edge of the built
half of insula II, that was partially excavated by N. Allegro (1984-
1985) on the opposite side, where the Archaic buildings were destroyed
in order to make space for the peripteral temple. The Greek
levels are affected by post-antique interventions and partly covered
by the Buonfornello nucleated settlement, which grew up around
the 16th century tower built over the ruins of the Greek temple.
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Mare Internum, 2021
The paper presents an overview of the ongoing researches in Solunto by the University of Palermo.... more The paper presents an overview of the ongoing researches in Solunto by the University of Palermo. In 2021 stratigraphical sondages were undertaken in two areas of the town: 1) in the great sanctuary above the theatre, in the frame of a major project aimed at addressing several still unresolved issues. That area, as a matter of fact, has never been considered as a whole; the sacred buildings have not been studied, and their mutual relationships and the links with the adjacent terraces have never been properly examined; 2) in the North Baths near the agora, as a corollary of the systematic study of water management, some sondages were made by G. Polizzi. Finally, a virtual archaeology project is presented, intended to contribute to a more indepth knowledge and to a better understanding of the Stadbild of Solunto. The field research has provided some useful data in order to reconstruct the transformation through time of the monumental areas object of study.
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Le ricerche avviate in Tripolitania (Leptis Magna e Sabratha) sulla tradizione edilizia locale es... more Le ricerche avviate in Tripolitania (Leptis Magna e Sabratha) sulla tradizione edilizia locale esaminata attraverso i marchi di cava punici e neopunici hanno coinvolto altre regioni del Mediterraneo e pi\uf9 recentemente alcuni siti archeologici della Tunisia. Nel corso delle due prime campagne (2017, 2018) l\u2019interesse si \ue8 concentrato sulle aree archeologiche di Cartagine e su alcuni siti di Capo Bon. Ci si propone di redigere un corpus dei marchi di cava, scarsamente documentati o inediti, al fine di incrementare il repertorio oggi noto e di porlo in relazione alle tecniche costruttive di tradizione punica. Presentiamo una breve rassegna della documentazione epigrafica raccolta e una sintesi preliminare dei risultati.New investigations concerning building tradition seen through punic and neopunic mason\u2019s marks (cfr. Tripolitania: Lepcis Magna and Sabratha) have involved other Mediterranean areas and recently archaeological sites in Tunisia. Two campaigns (2017, 2018) focused so far the metropolitan areas of Carthage and some sites of Cap Bon. The main aims are: a corpus of the poorly documented or unpublished mason\u2019s marks; their connection with the Punic \u201ctraditional\u201d building techniques. Hereby we discuss on some of the epigraphic mason\u2019s marks so far identified in Tunisia
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Books by Gilberto Montali
L'anfiteatro di Sabratha si è rivelato essere il terzo per grandezza tra gli anfiteatri ancora esistenti nell'Africa proconsolare. La necessità di confrontare il monumento sabrathense con gli edifici consimili della provincia ha portato alla redazione di un nuovo catalogo degli anfiteatri dell'Africa proconsolare: si presentano le schede relative a 58 monumenti variamente attestati, 40 dei quali sono ancora oggi visibili o archeologicamente testimoniati.
Papers by Gilberto Montali
The paper briefly accounts for the results of the third archaeological
campaign held by the team of the University of Palermo at the
Solunto site, in the large sanctuary west of the theatre and in the
North Baths. In the sanctuary at the top of the public area, new data
help to delineate an even more complex and articulated situation
than had been imagined. In the central part, on the axis of the theater,
the existence of a monumental staircase is ascertained, corresponding
perfectly to the raised front of the two-cellae temple
(“Temple of Astarte”) and prolonged by a staircase in the epitheatron;
this ascending system was framed by two (?) transversal terraces
in an E-W direction (the terrace to the N of the staircase is for
now conceivable from a few visible remains). On its part, the singlecella
temple with front steps further south was served by a narrower
staircase that reached the two altars in front. The two-aisled
sacred building, on a lower terrace, was also elevated and provided
with steps on the front connecting it to the terrace to the east,
which was shared with the adjacent building with two staircases.
This whole system belongs to the great monumental phase of the
mid-2nd century b.c. However, remains of an older phase (end of
3rd century b.c.?) with the same alignment have been identified – as
in the westernmost part (portico adjoining the plateia) – also in the
area immediately west of the theatre: it is the basis of a terrace or
narrow building, parallel with the western trait of the analemma
wall, but earlier than the theatre-temple complex. At the North
Baths, research continued in the north-eastern sector, where in previous
campaigns the water-heating system, a new room and an ash
discharge had been identified. The excavation of the hypocaust and
the removal of the ash levels have been completed, recognizing also
two new rooms/
archives of the “Antonino Di Vita” Centre for Documentation
and Research on the Archaeology of North Africa
at the University of Macerata · The “A. Di Vita”
Centre for Documentation and Research on the
Archaeology of North Africa at the University of
Macerata owns a rich and important archive
containing photos, drawings, excavation journals
and documents relating to Italian archaeological
missions operating in Libya (but not only) since the
early 20th century. The contribution aims to illustrate,
on the one hand, the theoretical and project
route that led to the realisation of the back and
front-end sites of the archive and, on the other
hand, illustrates the possibilities
in Segesta · Between June and July 2022, the University of Palermo
started new field investigations in the Contrada Mango sanctuary
in Segesta, which, in the 1950s and 1960s, had brought to light a
monumental temenos-terracing wall in isodomic technique and
the remains of a Doric Severe-Style peripteral temple, largely spoliated
at an unknown period. This paper presents some preliminary
results of the new research that results from an intensive review
and study of the documentation of the old excavations, which is
about to be published. The most important data acquired are the
identification of the spoliation trench of the north side of the peristasis
of the temple and the attribution of the foundations surviving
in situ to the north of the wall of the cella, in particular near the
pronaos, as already suggested by geomorphological investigations
carried out after the old excavations. The acquisition of such elements
and a reading of the diaries of the old excavations have thus
allowed us to identify the precise location of the temple inside the
peribolum: The temple was built not in the center of the temenos but
closer to the northern side of the monumental terracing wall that,
on the southern side, had to fill the considerable height difference
of the slope on which the sanctuary was built, and was therefore
more subject to landslides.
progressive des techniques de construction romaines, tels que l’opus caemaenticium, en particulier dans la construction des sous-structures et des voûtes, parfois avec l’importation de modèles urbains,
des techniques, mais aussi d’ouvriers italiques (il suffit de penser à l’opus reticulatum de l’amphithéâtre de Carthage). Parallèlement, nous constatons aussi généralement l’utilisation continue des techniques
de construction traditionelles (- notamment l’opus quadratum avec des techniques de taille de pierre qui ont leurs racines dans le monde punique et hellénistique -).
The last fieldwork campaign in Solunto by the University of Palermo, in the sanctuary above the theatre and in the baths near the agora (the North Baths), obtained some relevant results concerning both the building sequences and the architectural configurations. In the sanctuary, a clearer picture is emerging of the oldest layout, dating from the 4th century B.C. (1st phase). After the first reshaping of the street grid and of the urban layout (2nd phase), in the second half of 2nd century B.C., an overall restyling (3rd phase) gave the whole sanctuary area an impressive organization into terraces linked through ramps and stairways. A striking feature, till now unnoticed, is the stairway aligned with the front of the temple with two cellae and forecourt, which enhances the theatre on its central axis; the theatre itself has a rectilinear analemma wall on the corresponding rear (W) part. In the baths, an eastern extension of the building has been discovered and some new evidence for the function of the complex has been obtained. At the same time, the virtual reconstruction project is being carried out, integrating the results from the fieldwork into the overall framework, with the twofold objective: to test the new acquisitions, and to create a virtual tour of the ancient city, allowing a “Solunto experience”.
della Vittoria · The University of Palermo has started a new cycle of
field investigations in the “lower town” of Himera, with the aim of
answering some questions about the relationships between the
Tempio della Vittoria, the residential districts, and the agora, that
remained to be clarified after the important results produced by the
studies on the urban development of the Greek city over the past
forty years. This paper presents some initial results and research
perspectives from the first excavation soundings and geophysical
survey of 2021. The first findings strongly suggest that the agora extended
much further south than previously supposed, confirming
the eastern limits proposed by S. Vassallo; as a matter of fact, it included
also the area west of the Tempio della Vittoria, and most probably
reached the south plateia of the lower town (possibly running
under the present SS 113 road). In that area, about 20 m off the SW
corner of the temple, we are clearing the western edge of the built
half of insula II, that was partially excavated by N. Allegro (1984-
1985) on the opposite side, where the Archaic buildings were destroyed
in order to make space for the peripteral temple. The Greek
levels are affected by post-antique interventions and partly covered
by the Buonfornello nucleated settlement, which grew up around
the 16th century tower built over the ruins of the Greek temple.
L'anfiteatro di Sabratha si è rivelato essere il terzo per grandezza tra gli anfiteatri ancora esistenti nell'Africa proconsolare. La necessità di confrontare il monumento sabrathense con gli edifici consimili della provincia ha portato alla redazione di un nuovo catalogo degli anfiteatri dell'Africa proconsolare: si presentano le schede relative a 58 monumenti variamente attestati, 40 dei quali sono ancora oggi visibili o archeologicamente testimoniati.
The paper briefly accounts for the results of the third archaeological
campaign held by the team of the University of Palermo at the
Solunto site, in the large sanctuary west of the theatre and in the
North Baths. In the sanctuary at the top of the public area, new data
help to delineate an even more complex and articulated situation
than had been imagined. In the central part, on the axis of the theater,
the existence of a monumental staircase is ascertained, corresponding
perfectly to the raised front of the two-cellae temple
(“Temple of Astarte”) and prolonged by a staircase in the epitheatron;
this ascending system was framed by two (?) transversal terraces
in an E-W direction (the terrace to the N of the staircase is for
now conceivable from a few visible remains). On its part, the singlecella
temple with front steps further south was served by a narrower
staircase that reached the two altars in front. The two-aisled
sacred building, on a lower terrace, was also elevated and provided
with steps on the front connecting it to the terrace to the east,
which was shared with the adjacent building with two staircases.
This whole system belongs to the great monumental phase of the
mid-2nd century b.c. However, remains of an older phase (end of
3rd century b.c.?) with the same alignment have been identified – as
in the westernmost part (portico adjoining the plateia) – also in the
area immediately west of the theatre: it is the basis of a terrace or
narrow building, parallel with the western trait of the analemma
wall, but earlier than the theatre-temple complex. At the North
Baths, research continued in the north-eastern sector, where in previous
campaigns the water-heating system, a new room and an ash
discharge had been identified. The excavation of the hypocaust and
the removal of the ash levels have been completed, recognizing also
two new rooms/
archives of the “Antonino Di Vita” Centre for Documentation
and Research on the Archaeology of North Africa
at the University of Macerata · The “A. Di Vita”
Centre for Documentation and Research on the
Archaeology of North Africa at the University of
Macerata owns a rich and important archive
containing photos, drawings, excavation journals
and documents relating to Italian archaeological
missions operating in Libya (but not only) since the
early 20th century. The contribution aims to illustrate,
on the one hand, the theoretical and project
route that led to the realisation of the back and
front-end sites of the archive and, on the other
hand, illustrates the possibilities
in Segesta · Between June and July 2022, the University of Palermo
started new field investigations in the Contrada Mango sanctuary
in Segesta, which, in the 1950s and 1960s, had brought to light a
monumental temenos-terracing wall in isodomic technique and
the remains of a Doric Severe-Style peripteral temple, largely spoliated
at an unknown period. This paper presents some preliminary
results of the new research that results from an intensive review
and study of the documentation of the old excavations, which is
about to be published. The most important data acquired are the
identification of the spoliation trench of the north side of the peristasis
of the temple and the attribution of the foundations surviving
in situ to the north of the wall of the cella, in particular near the
pronaos, as already suggested by geomorphological investigations
carried out after the old excavations. The acquisition of such elements
and a reading of the diaries of the old excavations have thus
allowed us to identify the precise location of the temple inside the
peribolum: The temple was built not in the center of the temenos but
closer to the northern side of the monumental terracing wall that,
on the southern side, had to fill the considerable height difference
of the slope on which the sanctuary was built, and was therefore
more subject to landslides.
progressive des techniques de construction romaines, tels que l’opus caemaenticium, en particulier dans la construction des sous-structures et des voûtes, parfois avec l’importation de modèles urbains,
des techniques, mais aussi d’ouvriers italiques (il suffit de penser à l’opus reticulatum de l’amphithéâtre de Carthage). Parallèlement, nous constatons aussi généralement l’utilisation continue des techniques
de construction traditionelles (- notamment l’opus quadratum avec des techniques de taille de pierre qui ont leurs racines dans le monde punique et hellénistique -).
The last fieldwork campaign in Solunto by the University of Palermo, in the sanctuary above the theatre and in the baths near the agora (the North Baths), obtained some relevant results concerning both the building sequences and the architectural configurations. In the sanctuary, a clearer picture is emerging of the oldest layout, dating from the 4th century B.C. (1st phase). After the first reshaping of the street grid and of the urban layout (2nd phase), in the second half of 2nd century B.C., an overall restyling (3rd phase) gave the whole sanctuary area an impressive organization into terraces linked through ramps and stairways. A striking feature, till now unnoticed, is the stairway aligned with the front of the temple with two cellae and forecourt, which enhances the theatre on its central axis; the theatre itself has a rectilinear analemma wall on the corresponding rear (W) part. In the baths, an eastern extension of the building has been discovered and some new evidence for the function of the complex has been obtained. At the same time, the virtual reconstruction project is being carried out, integrating the results from the fieldwork into the overall framework, with the twofold objective: to test the new acquisitions, and to create a virtual tour of the ancient city, allowing a “Solunto experience”.
della Vittoria · The University of Palermo has started a new cycle of
field investigations in the “lower town” of Himera, with the aim of
answering some questions about the relationships between the
Tempio della Vittoria, the residential districts, and the agora, that
remained to be clarified after the important results produced by the
studies on the urban development of the Greek city over the past
forty years. This paper presents some initial results and research
perspectives from the first excavation soundings and geophysical
survey of 2021. The first findings strongly suggest that the agora extended
much further south than previously supposed, confirming
the eastern limits proposed by S. Vassallo; as a matter of fact, it included
also the area west of the Tempio della Vittoria, and most probably
reached the south plateia of the lower town (possibly running
under the present SS 113 road). In that area, about 20 m off the SW
corner of the temple, we are clearing the western edge of the built
half of insula II, that was partially excavated by N. Allegro (1984-
1985) on the opposite side, where the Archaic buildings were destroyed
in order to make space for the peripteral temple. The Greek
levels are affected by post-antique interventions and partly covered
by the Buonfornello nucleated settlement, which grew up around
the 16th century tower built over the ruins of the Greek temple.