2023-07-16 08:22:18
Time.news – The archaeological site of Selinunte continues to offer surprises. A structure 15 meters long and four rows of blocks for a height of about 1.80 meters, was discovered by chance a short distance from what must have been the dock connected to the sea, about a hundred meters from the current shore. Could be part of one of the two ports of the ancient former colony of Megara Iblealarge and imposing as required by one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean, a center of commercial traffic.
There is no trace of this building in the documents of travelers between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, nor in the descriptions of researchers of the time: it is certainly very old, it was probably destroyed or in any case submerged in distant times. Till today archaeologists do not venture theories but only hypotheses on the original form and function of the imposing architecture: perhaps a containment structure on the river – the ground penetrating radar registers many other structures under the sand – perhaps the walls of a dock for boats (grooves can be seen at regular intervals) perhaps connected to the 80 ancient furnaces discovered much further upstream, perhaps even the base of a bridge over the river.
An important topographic discovery
Scholars are certain of one thing: it is a very interesting find that could rewrite the topography of the ancient city. And it is a discovery of the Archaeological Park, directed by Felice Crescente, which is in fact already making an effort to develop a multidisciplinary project and start research starting from the find.
The discovery took place during simple deforestation and restoration works in the Vallone del Gorgo Cottone, at the mouth of the river of the same name, along the western bank; at first only the corner of a block emerged, the rest was buried under the massive layer of sand and recent vegetation, probably amassed after the war during the settlement of the acropolis area.
“Just a few days after the discovery in Segesta, another discovery arrives which confirms Sicily as an inexhaustible deposit of finds that contribute to reconstructing a glorious millenary history and daughter of incessant cultural and economic exchanges”, says the president of the Sicilian Region, Renato Schifani.
“This time – says the regional councilor for cultural heritage and Sicilian identity, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato – it is the extraordinary Selinunte and its ancient port that made it one of the commercial centers of the Mediterranean. We are increasingly certain that we must support new excavation missions, and Selinunte will be among the priorities: our commitment is to bring it to light in its complexity and entirety. We are happy that the discovery belongs entirely to the Park and its archaeologists”.
The archaeologist Linda Adorno, responsible for supervising the works, immediately understood the importance of the structure and ensured that it was brought to light. Work was immediately suspended to allow for more in-depth investigations and a more thorough cleaning of the area was started.
Linda Adorno, of Castelvetranese origin, profound connoisseur and scholar of ancient Selinunte, is scientific collaborator of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome; she was spontaneously assisted by colleague Melanie Jonasch who was on a mission to the area for another project; A group of students from the University of Palermo also took part in the first intervention, who in the same days were engaged in a reconnaissance campaign on the urban territory.
Thanks to everyone’s precious collaboration, it was possible to bring out the entire width of the facade of the structure: whose ancient use is not yet understood, but a wider and more in-depth investigation is needed as soon as possible.
According to the archaeologists, the position of the structure on the western bank of the Gorgo Cottone would indicate a connection with the naval traffic of the eastern port, on which the University of Bochum is studying these days. It is undoubtedly an integral part of the urban layout of the Greek city, given that it is perfectly in line with the road network of the southern system.
This intuition was accepted by one of the greatest connoisseurs of the urban layout of the settlement of Selinunte, Dieter Mertens, as soon as he was informed of the discovery. However, we will have to wait for the results of new research to define the structure’s form and function more precisely: the core samples of the geoarchaeologists who are investigating the flow of the river and the extension of the mouth of the Cottone in ancient times will certainly be of great help.
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