It left a few days ago fifth archaeological excavation campaign in Laino Borgo, in the Santa Gada areaedited by the Department of Ancient and Modern Civilizations ofUniversity of Messinaunder the direction of the professor Fabrizio Mollo. After the investigations of 2019-2023, the excavation, carried out under ministerial concession (decree 230/2022), thanks to the collaboration of Sabap Cosenza, in the person of doctor Mariangela Barbato and the Superintendent, Doctor Paola Aurinoaffects the southernmost part of the large Santa Gada plateau.
Its size (almost 50 ha) and the presence of materials and structures in all the plateaus make it the most important residential settlement in the Lao-Mercure valley. The stratigraphies also reveal the presence of material from the archaic period (6th-5th century BC), referable to settlement forms yet to be defined in detail. Last year’s excavation had highlighted a place of worship dedicated to Artemis, alive between the 6th and 3rd centuries. BC Around the site, a sector of the necropolis from the Hellenistic period was investigated for the first time, with coffin and capuchin tombs and rich and detailed funerary objects.
The research represents a splendid example of collaboration between entities: the municipality of Laino Borgo, led by the mayor, supports the activities Mariangelina Russo, and the entire administration, who offer support, logistics and hospitality to the mission of around 20 researchers from the University of Messina. Five of them come from the University of Copenhagen “clear sign – declared the mayor of Laino Borgo, Mariangelina Russo – of the interest that our archaeological area now arouses even beyond national borders”.
The works were carried out thanks to the financial support of the Pollino National Park, represented by Rup Luigi Bloise. The real protagonists of the mission are the dozens of participating kids, again this year expertly coordinated by the professor Marco Sfacteriawith the collaboration of the doctors Valentina Casella, Alessandra Viscomi and Cristina Zappia. This year’s research is defining a large and complex archaeological reality in Santa Gada, now very important not only for the Lao-Mercure valley, but for the whole of Calabria.
“Once again it is a source of pride for us – declared Mariangelina Russo – be able to host and experience this new excavation campaign. The new discoveries and the immensity of this city, its road network, make us understand that we are faced with a large settlement that will help us understand the history of our territory”.
“Now that the municipality has acquired ownership of the land, we hope to be able to keep this archaeological treasure out in the open as soon as possible, make the site safe and make it accessible to scholars and enthusiasts, schools and families, in a joint effort that we want to work with the Superintendence and the Calabria Region which financed the project to make Santa Gada a large archaeological and cultural settlement in the region”.
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