3 August 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Oldest Semicircular Classroom in the Greek World Unearthed in Sicily

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough in southern Sicily, an international team of researchers has uncovered an extraordinary ancient classroom that offers profound insights into the educational practices of Ancient Greece. This significant discovery, located in the historic town of Agrigento, was made in March 2025 by a team from Freie Universität Berlin, led by Professor Monika Trümper and Dr. Thomas Lappi, in collaboration with the Politecnico di Bari and the Parco Archeologico Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.

The excavation revealed a roofed semicircular auditorium, an integral part of a vast Greek gymnasium, which served as a multifunctional space for both physical and intellectual training. This ancient classroom, capable of seating approximately 200 individuals, is unique in its design and functionality, marking a significant advancement in the educational architecture of its time. Unlike other known gymnasiums, the Agrigento auditorium, dating back to the second century BCE, showcases a sophisticated approach to education that combined athletic prowess with scholarly pursuits.

The gymnasium, originally established in Akragas—Agrigento‘s ancient name—around 580 BCE, was not merely a venue for physical exercise but a comprehensive institution aimed at cultivating well-rounded citizens. The newly discovered auditorium features eight stepped rows of seating surrounding a central performance area, reminiscent of a theater, emphasizing the importance of public speaking and intellectual discourse in the educational curriculum.

Location of trenches in 2025. Credit: Freie Universität Berlin
Location of trenches in 2025. Credit: Freie Universität Berlin

In addition to the architectural marvel, the excavation team uncovered two inscribed blocks of white limestone in the auditorium’s orchestra area. These inscriptions, meticulously engraved and highlighted with red pigment, reference the gymnasiarchos, the director of the gymnasium, and detail a renovation project funded by a local citizen dedicated to the deities Hermes and Heracles. This epigraphic evidence, dated to the late 1st century BCE, is one of the few surviving records from Agrigento, providing invaluable insights into the social and cultural dynamics of the time.

The significance of this discovery extends beyond its architectural and epigraphic elements. It highlights the enduring legacy of Greek education and culture, even after the city came under Roman rule. The gymnasium continued to serve as a vital educational hub, preserving its Hellenic traditions and practices amidst the political changes of the era.

As the research team prepares for further excavations in 2026, they aim to uncover additional rooms dedicated to teaching and training, as well as more inscriptions that could illuminate the daily lives of the citizens of ancient Agrigento. This ongoing exploration promises to enrich our understanding of the vibrant educational landscape that once thrived in this remarkable Greek colony.

Classroom orchestra with registration blocks, from the south. Credit: Rolf Sporleder / FU Berlin, Institut für Klassische Archäologie
Classroom orchestra with registration blocks, from the south. Credit: Rolf Sporleder / FU Berlin, Institut für Klassische Archäologie

The discoveries in Agrigento not only enhance our knowledge of ancient educational systems but also underscore the city’s historical significance as a center of learning and culture in the western Mediterranean. With its unique architectural features and rich inscriptions, the gymnasium of Agrigento stands as a testament to the sophisticated educational ideals of Ancient Greece, offering a fascinating glimpse into a civilization that valued both mind and body.

Freie Universität Berlin

Cover Image Credit: Aerial view captured by drone showcasing the gymnasium unearthed during excavations in Agrigento, with the auditorium (Hörsaal) prominently positioned at the center. Credit: Thomas Lappi – Monika Trümper / FU Berlin, Institut für Klassische Archäologie.

Related Articles

Iron Age port discovered on Swedish island of Gotska Sandön

21 September 2023

21 September 2023

Archaeologists have discovered an Iron Age port on Gotska Sandön, an island and national park in Sweden’s Gotland district. In...

Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site, believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery, near the Arctic Circle

4 December 2023

4 December 2023

Archaeologists have found a mysterious prehistoric site believed to be a 6,500-year-old Stone Age cemetery just 50 miles (80 kilometers)...

Archaeologists Unearth Monumental Relief Depicting Assyrian King and Major Deities in Ancient Nineveh

15 May 2025

15 May 2025

A team of archaeologists from Heidelberg University has made an extraordinary discovery in the ancient city of Nineveh, near modern-day...

Early Anatolian Genes: Genetic Links Between Girmeler Mound and 17,000-Year-Old Pınarbaşı Skeletons

16 April 2025

16 April 2025

Recent archaeological excavations at Girmeler Mound, located near the ancient Lycian city of Tlos in southwestern Türkiye, have not only...

The greatest Anglo-Saxon treasure trove ever unearthed has been discovered by a metal detectorist

10 November 2021

10 November 2021

A metal detector in West Norfolk, England, unearthed 131 coins and 4 golden artifacts going back 1,400 years. This is...

5,000-Year-Old Mysterious Ritual Pits Unearthed in Germany Reveal Burned Homes, Dog Sacrifices, and Human Skulls

1 August 2025

1 August 2025

Archaeologists uncover over 5,000-year-old ritual pits filled with burned structures, dog remains, and human skulls in Saxony-Anhalt, suggesting complex ceremonies...

Archaeologists opened an untouched Etruscan tomb

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

In Vulci Archaeological Park, central Italy, a 2,600-year-old intact double-chambered Etruscan tomb that was discovered in April and had remained...

The altar of Zeus Temple discovered in western Turkey

1 September 2023

1 September 2023

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Magnesia, located in the western province of Aydın’s Germencik district, have uncovered the...

A Thousand-Year-Old Iron Age-old grave in Finland Is Ascribed to a Prominent Non-Binary Person

10 August 2021

10 August 2021

Archaeologists found a weapon grave in Finland’s Suontaka Vesitorninmäki in 1968. The remains discovered in the burial have been at...

Archaeologists have uncovered oldest Roman forum in Hispania, at the site of a named unknown city

3 September 2023

3 September 2023

Archaeologists have uncovered an ancient Roman forum from more than 2,000 years ago at the site of an unknown city...

A Temple Guardian From The 13th Century Found At Cambodia’s Angkor Wat

17 September 2024

17 September 2024

While clearing rubble from a collapsed gate at the Banteay Prei Temple within Cambodia’s Angkor Wat Archaeological Park, workers stumbled...

Mystery of the 1,700-year-old Mosaic Solved: The Medallion in the Mosaic uncovered to be the Symbol of a Roman Military Unit

10 August 2024

10 August 2024

The mystery of the 1,700-year-old mosaic, which was found during excavations in Amasya province in northern Turkey 11 years ago...

2,700-year-old Unique Rock Tombs Disappear

18 July 2023

18 July 2023

The 2,700-year-old rock tombs, unique in Turkey, in the Taşköprü district of Kastamonu are in danger of extinction due to...

A 2,100-Year-Old Marble Statue of Mother Goddess Cybele Discovered in Ordu’s Ancient Kurul Castle

7 March 2025

7 March 2025

A breathtaking statue of the Mother Goddess Cybele, dating back 2100 years, was found at the historic Kurul Castle in...

2,000-Year-Old Artifacts Found at Swat’s Butkara Site in Pakistan, Including Coins and Kharosthi Inscriptions

14 February 2025

14 February 2025

Excavations at the Butkara Stupa, located near Mingora in Swat, Pakistan, have uncovered significant findings, including two-thousand-year-old coins, pottery, and...