20 students from the Winckelmann Institute at Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin and their project manager Dr Annarita Doronzio are researching the influences of Greek colonists in the Siris-Herakleia archaeological park on the south coast of Italy as part of a four-week excavation campaign in July and August. "We have already succeeded in recovering several exceptionally well-preserved ancient ceramic vessels that are scientifically significant, partly because their contents appear to have been preserved," says archaeologist Doronzio. The contents of the vessels, which are now in the restoration depot of the Museo Nazionale della Siritide, will soon be analysed.
Ancient poet raved about the city
The "Siris Project" is researching the ancient Greek settlement of Siris-Herakleia, focussing on the early phase of settlement. The two ancient cities on the Gulf of Taranto near the modern city of Policoro were among the Greek colonies founded between the 8th and 5th centuries BC. "Siris-Herakleia proves to be a particularly suitable case study for the reconstruction of the foundation and development of a Greek colony on the basis of individual archaeological findings and the literary tradition," explains the scientist. "Verses by the first known Greek poet, Archilochos, show that the city was already flourishing around 650 BC." Archilochos writes: "No place is as beautiful, as desirable and as welcome as the one around the Siris River."
The inhabitants of both cities worshipped a goddess in a spring sanctuary in the Valle Mediana of Siris-Herakleia, who was associated with the fertility of the earth. This is described in the literature as a Demeter sanctuary. The architectural remains there date mainly from the Classical/Hellenistic period. However, votive offerings and architectural remains prove that the area was used until the 7th century BC.
Find of decorated fine pottery
The aim of this year's excavation campaign is to investigate the character of the sanctuary during this early phase, known as the Archaic period, in more detail. The newly recovered finds come from a so-called votive deposit from this sanctuary and can be dated to the early phase of the city in the 6th century BC due to the particularly well-preserved finds, which were undisturbed by later interventions. These are mainly well-preserved, decorated fine ceramics, which were probably deposited in the sanctuary as part of ritual acts. In addition to the vessels, an extremely high-quality terracotta statuette of a goddess was also recovered, which can also be stylistically assigned to the early phase of the colony. Due to the many water sources in the area, the recovery of the finds was carried out under difficult conditions, as the soil is very muddy. In the coming months, a more detailed analysis of the finds will certainly provide further insights into the sanctuary and help to understand the religious practices of the city's early inhabitants.
Importance of early city fortifications
Another important focus of the current excavation campaign is on researching the archaic fortifications of Siris, the remains of which can be found in several places in the present-day city area. The massive structures on the southern slope of the northern city hill are a particular focus. These are located in the immediate vicinity of the section of the city wall that was uncovered between 1976 and 1980. The excavation activities planned there are to be prioritised in order to gain new insights into the exact course and structural nature of the early city fortifications. The aim is to draw a clearer picture of the urban development of Siris in archaic times and to better understand the strategic importance of these fortifications in their historical context.
The "Siris Project" is funded by the Humboldt-Universit?t-Gesellschaft and the International Office of the HU, Erasmus +. It offers students the opportunity to participate in an archaeological excavation from the very beginning, to learn modern excavation and documentation methods and to collaborate with local research institutions.
Contact
Dr Annarita Doronzio
Department of Archaeology
Winckelmann Institute, Humboldt-Universit?t zu Berlin