28 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Sicily: Archaeologists make striking discovery in Segesta

Archaeological excavations in the Segesta Archaeological Park, investigating a “monumental edifice” near the portico at the end of the old agora discovered a surprising find.  Excavators uncovered the carved name and a list of works of an elite Sicilian who had financially backed and directed the construction of many massive public constructions at the base of an old statue plinth.

Since the beginning of May, the team of archaeologists, together with graduate students and doctoral students from various universities, have been investigating the Segesta bazaar and its public buildings.

The excavations ended last Friday and were directed by Anna Magnetto, Professor of Greek History at Scuola Normale Superiore and Director of the Saet Laboratory, Magna Graecia at the University of Pisa, and Maria Cecilia Parra, Professor of Archaeology in Ancient Sicily, and by Riccardo Olivito (IMT researcher from Lucca) ) Coordinating on-site under the supervision of Rossella Giglio, Director of Segesta Archaeological Park. Scuola Normale Honorary Professor Carmine Ampolo was present to study the epigraphic material and historical aspects.

Segesta sicily
Photo: Università di Pisa

“These are very important results, which demonstrate the fundamental role that the patronage of the great families played in the history of ancient Sicily and the prominence that was given to them in the most important places”, comments Professor Anna Magnetto, “just as happens now with the great sponsors of renovations and events”.

Segesta was designed imitating the pattern of the main cities around Anatolia and that’s what gave it a huge scenic effect from II to I century BC. Segesta’s square was created on three sloping terraces in the second century BC.

Archaeologists segesta
Archaeologists doing excavations at Segesta Archaeological Park have discovered the name of an elite Sicilian carved into the base of a statue plinth. ( Università di Pisa )

“The excavation”, explains Maria Cecilia Parra, “took place on the southern side of the large square, where a monumental portico (stoa) marked the end of the agora. It was built by making large cuts in the rock, as was made clear by the powerful substructures brought to light along the slope: a complex as imposing as the one on the north side brought to light in previous years”.

The upper portico faced the square, in front of a monumental building, with a lower-level façade facing the road. Here there was a large doorway, with rooms that had an important public function: thanks to the new discoveries, we know that those who entered could read on a base, preserved in its original place, the name and works of a prominent figure at Segesta, one of those who between the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. supported financially and took care of monumental public building works: Diodorus, son of Tittelos.

segesta 2
Posing with the Greek inscription unearthed at Segesta Archaeological Park. ( Università di Pisa )

“It was the well-preserved and legible base of one of the statues erected by this personage, who was already known for having erected the statue of his sister, priestess of Aphrodite Urania, found in the Doric temple in the 17th century. Another Greek inscription, discovered near the gate, thus enriches the picture of the Hellenistic-Roman Segesta’s evidence of evergetism, of munificence towards the community: it bears the same name that was inscribed on a statue base (now in Palermo) in the theatre of Segesta, perhaps that of its benefactor. Diodorus placed here the statue of his father Tittelos, who had been a gymnasiarch and had in turn financed the construction of a building for the city’s young people. All this evidence clearly shows the role that the great families played in the history of ancient Sicily.”

“The results achieved this year,’ Magnetto concludes, ‘are extraordinary. A whole new piece of evidence has been added to our knowledge of the ancient city, showing an unprecedented archaeological complex, which the new inscription will allow us to interpret. I would like to add that none of this would have been possible without the support of the Scuola Normale and the farsightedness of its director, Luigi Ambrosio, who created the conditions for us to continue our research safely and calmly even at such a complex time. We are particularly pleased to be able to repay his trust with these important results”.

Source: Normale News

Related Articles

1700-year-old Roman shoes and craft district found in France

3 June 2023

3 June 2023

An ancient Roman craft district was discovered by archaeologists working in the southwest of the town of Therouanne near a...

The very unknown ancient city of the Mediterranean; Syedra

3 July 2022

3 July 2022

Known as Turkey’s holiday paradise, the Antalya region is a treasure when it comes to ancient cities. Close to the...

Unique 2700-year-old mosaics unearthed in illegal excavations

17 November 2021

17 November 2021

Two 2700-year-old mosaics, which are thought to belong to a Roman rich man and symbolize magnificence, were found in a...

Archaeologists Unearthed Third Greatest Fire Temple Existing in Ancient Iran’s Sassanid Era

11 July 2022

11 July 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed ruins of what they believe to be the third-greatest fire temple in ancient Iran during the Sassanid...

The famous archaeologist says he will announce the discovery of the mummy of Queen Nefertiti, one of Egyptology’s main riddles, next month

14 September 2022

14 September 2022

On December 9, 2021, Egypt’s archaeological mission, headed by renowned Egyptologist and former Antiquities Minister Zahi Hawass, resumed its search...

Nine Ancient Patolli Games Found in Mexico

10 September 2024

10 September 2024

In recent rescue excavations in Mexico by archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) nine patolli engravings...

The Splendor of the Seven Descending Gods of Tulum Resurfaced

11 February 2024

11 February 2024

The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) says the splendor of the seven Descending Gods of Tulum has resurfaced....

New Research Reveals Previously Unknown Aspects of the Construction, Use, and Ritual Significance of a Neolithic Rondel Found in Poland

12 December 2024

12 December 2024

An archaeological excavation at Nowe Objezierze in north-western Poland has uncovered a rondel dating to around 4800 BC, offering new...

Archaeologists find the earliest evidence Maya sacred calendar in the Guatemalan pyramid

14 April 2022

14 April 2022

Archaeologists identified two plaster fragments depicting a date that the Maya civilization called ‘7 deer’ and was part of the...

Evidence of Necromancy during Roman era in the Te’omim Cave, Jerusalem Hills: Oil Lamps, Spearheads, and Skulls

14 July 2023

14 July 2023

Te’omim Cave in the Jerusalem Hills may once have served as a local oracle where people communed with the dead...

6,500-Year-Old Hunting Kit Discovered in West Texas Cave

5 April 2025

5 April 2025

A remarkable archaeological find in the rugged terrain of West Texas is transforming our understanding of the region’s prehistoric inhabitants....

A 1,500-Year-Old Roman Settlement Discovered in Bulgaria

21 March 2025

21 March 2025

In a remarkable turn of events, a team of archaeologists conducting preliminary excavations ahead of a transit gas pipeline project...

Beyond Roman Exaggerations: Ancient Genomes Reveal an Iron Age Society Centered on Women in Britain

5 February 2025

5 February 2025

A team of researchers led by Dr. Lara Cassidy and Professor Daniel Bradley from Trinity College Dublin has uncovered evidence...

The Bronze Sacred Sanxingdui Tree Number 3 is Being Restored

9 April 2021

9 April 2021

According to the announcement of the Sanxingdui Museum, archaeologists have begun to assemble and restore the No. 3 bronze sacred...

Anatolia’s largest olive oil factory unearthed

14 January 2022

14 January 2022

A Roman-era olive oil factory has been unearthed during excavations in the İskenderun district of Hatay. It has been reported...