A new excavation campaign is underway at the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento: after just two days of work the first finds have emerged, that’s what it’s all about.
An important and rich archaeological site like that of Valley of the Temples of Agrigento could only give us further surprises: just two days of excavations in a still little-explored neighborhood were enough to bring to light the first finds, a truly exciting discovery. And the work now continues, in the hope of finding new archaeological evidence that will shed light on this little piece of Sicilian history.
The new discovery at the Valley of the Temples
The monumental archaeological site of the Valley of the Temples, symbol of the city of Agrigento and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, is an important tourist destination that attracts visitors from all over the world. But not only that: it is also one of the main testimonies of the Hellenic period in Sicily, with its majestic Doric temples which are still in a very good state of conservation. Although it is the latter that capture attention, in recent years much importance has also been given to the nearby working-class neighborhoods, where those who have gave birth to ancient Akragasthe original nucleus of the city of Agrigento.
It is with this in mind that, on 10 June 2024, the IX archaeological excavation campaign in the Hellenistic-Roman quarter, still closed to the public and undergoing maintenance to preserve the numerous finds that have been found there. The operation, directed by Maria Serena Rizzo and Giuseppe Lepore of the University of Bologna, is offering many archeology students a very precious training opportunity to admire the excavation techniques up close and to participate in important discoveries in an ancient residential context that has been excellently preserved.
The most surprising thing is that, just a couple of days after the start of the works, the first archaeological finds have already emerged. From underground, in fact, they have returned to the light of painted plastersome mosaics and molded stuccoes: according to the first analyzes of the experts, all the findings date back to between the end of the 3rd century BC and the end of the 2nd century AD. They are precious testimonies that will be able to shed new light on the living conditions of the ancient inhabitants of Akragas, and one day visitors will also be able to admire them in their original context.
Valley of the Temples, the latest works
In recent months, the Valley of the Temples has been subject of numerous works. One of the most important undoubtedly concerns the reconstruction of the Telamon, one of the gigantic anthropomorphic statues that in the past supported the architrave of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, one of the main symbols of the archaeological park. The colossus was put back on its feet thanks to a 12 meter high steel structure, equipped with shelves on which the individual pieces of the statue (which in its entirety is almost 8 meters high).
But the excavations also continue to have their importance. The IX campaign that has just begun, for example, is part of a project started in 2016 through an agreement between the Valley of the Temples site and the Ravenna Campus of the University of Bologna. Initially, several houses in block III were explored, while only last year the searches were extended to the nearby block IV. Excavations were carried out here in spa complex which had already been identified previously, and the work is still in progress.
