The official recovery operations of the Greek ship from the classical era, known as “Gela II”, have begun. This significant discovery, dating back to the 5th century BC, is located in the seabed near Bulala, close to the port of Gela in Sicily, and has been of interest since it was first identified by a […]
Magna Graecia
Posted inAncient Rome
Pallantium, the Legendary Greek City the Romans Believed Existed Where Rome Was Later Founded
One of the most fascinating and perhaps lesser-known stories of Rome’s history is that of Pallantium (in ancient Greek Παλλάντιον), a legendary city that, according to various ancient sources, stood on the Palatine Hill, the same hill that centuries later would become the heart of Rome. The legend of Pallantium is mentioned in several works […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A New Temple Discovered in Selinunte, the Only Greek City of Antiquity to Be Preserved in Its Entirety
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 […]
Posted inAncient Greece
The Legendary Tomb of King Minos in Sicily Is the Highest Tholos in the Mediterranean
When discussing the death of the famous King Minos of Crete, who had imprisoned Daedalus and his son Icarus in the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, Diodorus Siculus relates that after their escape (and Icarus’s tragic death), Minos pursued them across all the cities of the Mediterranean. To find Daedalus, he proposed a riddle to the […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Remains of the Battle of Himera, One of the Greatest Archaeological Discoveries in Recent Decades
Himera, currently known as Termini Imerese on the north coast of Sicily, was a Greek city founded in 648 B.C. by colonists from Zancle (Messina). Its location, the westernmost of all Greek cities on the island, made it a strategic point at the edge of the territory controlled by Carthage, which occupied the west. The […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
Colossal Telamon from the Temple of Zeus at Agrigento Restored to its Original Upright Position
After twenty years of study, research, and restoration, the “stone giant” of ancient Akragas has been resurrected. The “telamon”, one of the colossal anthropomorphic statues supporting the entablature of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Olympeion, symbol of the Valley of the Temples, has been returned to its upright position. The statue, nearly 8 meters […]
Posted inAncient Greece, Art
Researchers Decipher Golden Ratio in Famous and Mysterious Riace Bronzes
More than fifty years ago, in August 1972, the so-called Riace Bronzes were recovered from the Ionian Sea off Riace Marina, near Reggio Calabria, in southern Italy. They are two bronze statues considered masterpieces of classical Greek sculpture from the 5th century BCE. Despite decades of study, there are still unknowns about their origin and […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Fragment of the Frieze from the Temple of Zeus Found at a Depth of 9 Meters off the Coast of Agrigento
An exciting archaeological discovery recently emerged from the Mediterranean Sea after a meticulous underwater excavation and rescue intervention carried out off the coast of Agrigento in Sicily. A team composed of the Subacquei Nucleus of the Carabinieri Command, responsible for the protection of submerged cultural heritage, the Superintendence of the Sea, and the Diving Group […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Greek Tombs with Artifacts and Grave Goods Unearthed in Taranto, the Only Spartan Colony in Southern Italy
Taranto owes its origins to the Spartans who founded it in the 8th century BC with the name Taras (Τάρας). At that time, the Apulian city became one of the most important polis in Magna Graecia, asserting its political superiority over other colonies in the south. It is precisely from this period of splendor that […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Two Greek Doric Temples Unearthed in the Ancient City of Paestum in Italy
A campaign of stratigraphic excavations in the western area of the ancient Greek city of Poseidonia (Roman Paestum) has revealed the existence of two Greek Doric temples. This discovery sheds new light on the origins and urban development of the polis and provides crucial data for understanding the evolution of Doric architecture in Poseidonia and […]
