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. […]
Sicily
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. […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Recovery of the 5th-Century BC Greek Ship from the Seabed off Sicily, Where the Mythical Metal “Orichalcum” Was Found Begins
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 […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Another Bronze Ram Recovered at a Depth of 80 Meters in the Site of the Battle of the Aegates Islands that ended the First Punic War
The sea, which was the setting for the Battle of the Aegates Islands off the coast of Sicily, continues to reveal its archaeological treasures. During the August research campaign, a new bronze ship ram (rostrum) was recovered from the seabed at a depth of around 80 meters. This valuable find was retrieved by divers from […]
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 inClassical Archaeology
A Unique Cinerary Urn with an Inscription and Other Objects Found in an Imperial Necropolis in Sicily
As part of the construction project for the new Palermo-Catania-Messina railway link, a significant archaeological discovery has been presented by Italferr, the company responsible for the work, revealing details of a vast Roman settlement discovered on a hill above the Dittaino River, in the Palomba-Catenanuova section on the island of Sicily. The excavation work has […]
Posted inAncient Rome
The Battle of Drepana, the Greatest Roman Naval Defeat in the First Punic War, was Foretold by Chickens
A while ago, we dedicated an article to the long siege that the Romans subjected Lilybaeum to, the last Carthaginian stronghold in Sicily. We then pointed out that this episode, which determined Rome’s victory in the First Punic War, was marked by a series of land and naval battles and that in one of them […]
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 […]
