Selinunte, one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek world, is once again in the spotlight due to recent discoveries. The latest excavation work has revealed the existence of a new small temple, located behind the well-known Temple C, in the sacred area of this ancient Sicilian city. This discovery has been described as of “great value” by the advisor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato.
The excavations, carried out in the Selinunte Archaeological Park, have identified new buildings in the sacred area, including a structure that, based on its characteristics, appears to be a previously unknown small temple. Scarpinato has highlighted the significance of these findings, noting that investigations in Selinunte often bring new and significant surprises, and that in this case, the discoveries are of incalculable value. According to the advisor, clearer details about the magnitude of the discovery will be available in the fall, when archaeological activities resume.
For over ten years, a team of archaeologists from the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University and the University of Milan has been conducting excavations at Selinunte. Their work has focused on the urban sanctuaries within the large peribolos wall on the Acropolis, where they have uncovered portions of settlements and numerous artifacts of great interest. In this latest campaign, the progress has been notable, to the extent that, if the hypotheses prove correct, the perimeter of the sacred area could be redefined.
The results of the recent excavation work will be presented to the public next Sunday, August 11, at Baglio Florio, by the director of the Archaeological Park, Felice Crescente, and the archaeologist Clemente Marconi, who coordinates a team of sixty collaborators and students involved in the investigations at Selinunte. The presentation promises to offer a detailed view of the discoveries and the new hypotheses being considered about the urban and religious development of the ancient city.
Recent explorations have covered several areas of the large urban sanctuary on the Acropolis, one of the most significant cult sites in the Greek world during the Archaic and Classical periods. In this context, the archaeological mission has precisely identified the large monumental entrance to the northwest, as well as an area with a circular well and various objects, including coins and a valuable gold jewel.
However, the most notable finding is the identification of a structure that seems to lead to a previously unrecorded small temple, without columns and of modest dimensions.
In addition to structural discoveries, this year’s investigations have shed new light on the ritual actions associated with the construction of Temple R. According to the findings, when this temple was erected, the surrounding structures were demolished down to their foundations, and several rituals were conducted that appeared to aim at “purifying” the area. Among the discovered objects is an iron spearhead (machaira) “deactivated”, meaning it was stripped of its point and the blade’s edge, in what seems to be a ritual intended to symbolize the loss of the weapon’s offensive power.
With these new discoveries, the team of archaeologists hopes to offer a deeper understanding of the evolution of Selinunte in the near future, a city that, at its peak, was one of the most prosperous and advanced centers of the Greek world in Sicily. The new temple, along with other findings, could provide key information about religious practices and the spatial organization of the city, and could lead to a reinterpretation of the history of Selinunte, the only Greek city of antiquity to be preserved in its entirety, and its place in the broader context of the ancient Mediterranean.
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