In the town of Licata (the ancient Greek Finziade), Sicily, archaeologists have discovered a mask mold that, according to initial interpretations, could represent Medusa, the Greek mythological figure known for her petrifying gaze and snake-filled hair. This discovery was made during excavations in the so-called “House 18,” a building dating back to the late Republican […]
Sicily
Posted inClassical Archaeology
An Amphora Filled with Remains of Small Fish Found in the Excavations of the Ancient Greek City of Finziade in Sicily
A fascinating archaeological discovery has come to light during the current excavation works at Monte Sant’Angelo in Licata (the ancient Greek city of Finziade), Sicily. Researchers have uncovered a large amphora containing a significant quantity of remains of small fish, offering new and valuable insights into the dietary habits of Finziade’s ancient inhabitants. This discovery, […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Shipwreck from the 6th Century BC, Stone and Iron Anchors, Found Off the Southern Coast of Sicily
A highly significant archaeological discovery has come to light in the waters of Santa Maria del Focallo, in the municipality of Ispica, Ragusa province, Sicily. During an underwater excavation campaign, an interdisciplinary team led by the Department of Humanities and Cultural Heritage Studies at the University of Udine and the Soprintendenza del Mare of the […]
Posted inSecond World War
A German Junkers Ju 88 Plane from World War II, Found 51 Meters Deep in the Sea South of Sicily
In a recent discovery that adds yet another piece to the complex mosaic of World War II in the Mediterranean, a Junkers Ju 88 plane was found 51 meters deep on the seabed near the small island of Capo Passero, located at the southern tip of Sicily. This aircraft, identified by its serial number, belonged […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A votive offering found in Agrigento reveals an ancient ritual of the inhabitants of Akragas in the 5th century BCE
In the heart of the ancient city of Akragas, today known as Agrigento, an extraordinary archaeological discovery has been made, transporting visitors back to the 5th century BCE and offering an intimate and detailed glimpse into the religious and ritual practices of the inhabitants of this historic region of Sicily. In the northern area of […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Shipwreck from the Late 1st Century B.C. with 40 Amphorae Transporting Alum, Still Aligned in Its Cargo Arrangement, Found off the Coast of Syracuse
The Soprintendenza del Mare, in collaboration with the Capo Murro Diving Center in Syracuse, led by Fabio Portella, has documented one of the most important underwater archaeological findings in recent years in the Mediterranean. Thanks to an exhaustive three-dimensional photogrammetric study, a submerged archaeological site has been accurately recorded, located approximately 5 kilometers off the […]
Posted inAncient Greece
The Laws of Charondas, the Greek-Sicilian Legislator Who Wrote Them in Verse
Legal language is harsh and convoluted for most people, a sentiment that law students who have to memorize laws would surely agree with. Would it be easier if these laws were written in verse? This was the belief of Charondas, a legislator from Antiquity, who applied it to the legal corpus he created for the […]
Posted inAntiquity
The Sicilian Wars that Pitted Carthage against Magna Graecia were the Longest-Lasting Conflict in Antiquity
The rivalry between Rome and Carthage for control of the western Mediterranean culminated in the three Punic Wars, fought between the two powers from 264 B.C. to 146 B.C., ending in Roman victory. However, this wasn’t the first time the Carthaginians had resorted to arms to contest maritime dominance; they had been doing so since […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A whole Roman village of houses with mosaic floors, fountains with marble ponds, and luxury ceramics discovered in southeastern Sicily
For over 20 years, archaeologists from the University of Göttingen have been researching how people lived and traded in ancient times in Sicily. Now, they have made another significant discovery: in the province of Catania, they have excavated the remains of a Roman house with a mosaic floor from the 2nd to 4th century AD. […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
A Huge Complex of Roman Baths with Mosaics Discovered in the Ancient City of Halaesa Archonidea in Sicily
In the ancient city of Halaesa Archonidea (now known as Tusa), on the northern coast of Sicily, archaeologists have uncovered a series of monumental structures and remains at the end of the fifth archaeological excavation campaign carried out by the University of Palermo, in collaboration with the Tindari Archaeological Park and the Municipality of Tusa. […]
