Towards an Archaeology of Cult in a Greek Colony in the West: New Excavations in the Main Urban Sanctuary of Selinunte

Towards an Archaeology of Cult in a Greek Colony in the West: New Excavations in the Main Urban Sanctuary of Selinunte

AIA Society: Western Massachusetts

This presentation focuses on some of the most significant finds from the Institute of Fine Arts–NYU excavations in the main urban sanctuary of Selinunte. Although investigations in this area date back to the early nineteenth century, our new excavations are bringing to light a wealth of new data, including a complete stratigraphic sequence from the late fourth century BCE all the way down to Prehistory. Of particular significance are the finds in Temple R, built for a goddess ca. 570 BCE. Sealed by a thick layer of fill in ca. 300 BCE, the temple is entirely preserved in its original phases, including the previous use of the area for an open-air cult around the time of Greek settlement, the phase of construction with a rich foundation deposit, partial burning and looting on the occasion of the Carthaginian conquest of Selinus in 409 BCE, and a restoration by the Selinuntine exiles returning home a few years later. Our finds make it possible to fully reconstruct, for the first time, the biography of a temple in Selinunte. More important, the fully preserved, rich assemblage of faunal remains and artifacts allows us to reconstruct a significant part of the ritual activities in this area of the sanctuary.

Find Out More