• About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
Archaeology News
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum
Archaeology News
No Result
View All Result
Home News Archaeology

Votive offering of figurines found in Sicily’s Valley of the Temples

by Dario Radley
August 10, 2023

Archaeologists conducting excavations at the historic Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Sicily, have unveiled a remarkable collection of votive offerings, shedding new light on the rich history of this ancient Greek settlement.

Votive offering of figurines found in Sicily’s Valley of the Temples
Credit: Sicilian Region Institutional Portal

The Valley of the Temples, encompassing a vast area of 3,212 acres, renowned for its awe-inspiring remnants of Ancient Greek civilization.

Historical accounts trace the origins of Agrigentum to around 582-580 BC, when Greek settlers from Gela, along with immigrants from Crete and Rhodes, established this flourishing city.

Notable among its architectural marvels are the Temple of Concordia, the Temple of Juno, the Temple of Heracles, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Temple of Castor and Pollux, the Temple of Hephaestus (Vulcan), and the Temple of Asclepius.

Votive offering of figurines found in Sicily’s Valley of the Temples
Temple of Juno Lacinia in the Valley of the Temples. Credit: Berthold Werner/Wikipedia

The Valley also holds the monumental “Tomb of Theron,” a pyramid-shaped edifice believed to commemorate Romans who perished during the Second Punic War. Recent excavations, however, have brought to light a treasure trove of artifacts that offer a deeper understanding of Agrigentum’s past.

RelatedStories

Ancient Hellenistic sculpture workshop with unfinished statues unearthed at Floga site on Paros island, Greece

Ancient Hellenistic sculpture workshop with unfinished statues unearthed at Floga site on Paros island, Greece

May 20, 2025
Hidden optical secrets of the Parthenon revealed by Oxford archaeologist

Hidden optical secrets of the Parthenon revealed by Oxford archaeologist

May 7, 2025

Over sixty figurines, including terracotta statuettes, protomes, and female busts, have been unearthed alongside fragments of bronze, oil lamps, and small vases. These intricate offerings were discovered in House VII B, an integral part of the residential complex north of the Temple of Juno Lacinia.

In an announcement published by the Sicilian Region Institutional Portal: “The findings allow us to understand the dynamics of the destruction of Agrigentum in 406 BC by the Carthaginians when the inhabitants had to flee in exodus towards the city of Gela.”

The significance of the discovery lies in the strategic placement of these votive offerings. The artifacts were found above layers indicative of destruction within House VII B, implying that the city’s inhabitants placed these objects as offerings subsequent to the Carthaginian attack. This ritualistic act provides a poignant glimpse into the resilience and reverence of the ancient population amidst adversity.

Roberto Sciarratta, Director of the Valley of the Temples Park, emphasized the importance of this revelation: “It is a scientific intervention that we have supported in recent years, and which immediately gave important results. In the excavation area, which gives us a detailed reading of historical events, a large sector of the inhabited area had already been identified, that is houses from the Greek age, whose main phase ends with the conquest and destruction of the city by the Carthaginians.”

The Valley of the Temples stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of Agrigentum. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1997, this archaeological marvel has attracted over 23,400 visitors in a single weekend, attesting to its timeless allure and the resonance of its historical narratives.

“We work tirelessly to restore moments of history to Sicily that belong to it. The finds of the Valley, which is currently experiencing an extraordinary season with over 23,400 visitors only in the last weekend. They have arrived during an excavation campaign started in 2019 and then blocked by Covid and this makes the discovery even more significant. It seems that every site right now has something to tell us,” said Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, the Councilor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity.

The Valley of the Temples, a living testament to the ancient Greek civilization’s architectural prowess and spiritual devotion, continues to captivate and inspire, inviting visitors to connect with a bygone era.

ShareTweetShareShareSend

You May Also Like...

Three prehistoric domus de janas, or "fairy houses," unearthed in Sardinia, Italy
Archaeology

Three prehistoric domus de janas, or “fairy houses,” unearthed in Sardinia, Italy

July 31, 2025
Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors
Archaeology

Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors

July 30, 2025
900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney
Archaeology

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

July 30, 2025
Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa's Duke monument in Ukraine. Credit: Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University
Archaeology

Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa’s Duke monument in Ukraine

July 29, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory
Anthropology

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025
5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat
Archaeology

5,500-year-old flint workshop uncovered near Kiryat Gat

July 28, 2025

Follow us


Instagram
246K

Facebook
112K

Threads
43K

LinkedIn
13K

Twitter
6K

YouTube
1K
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Shipwreck Salvage. Credit: rawpixel.com / Public Domain

2,000-year-old shipwreck discovered off Turkish coast with remarkably preserved stacked ceramics

July 2, 2025
Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

Viking age DNA reveals 9,000-year-old HIV-resistant gene originating near the Black Sea

May 18, 2025
Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

Mad emperor Caligula had surprising medical knowledge, new research reveals from ancient Roman texts

July 13, 2025
600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

600-year-old amethyst jewel found in Polish castle moat reveals secrets of medieval nobility

July 21, 2025
Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore, study finds

Neanderthals operated prehistoric “fat factory” 125,000 years ago on German lakeshore

July 3, 2025
$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

$1 million prize offered to decipher 5,300-year-old Indus Valley script

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Oldest ever genetic data from a human relative found in 2-million-year-old fossilized teeth

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

Exceptionally large Roman shoes discovered at Magna fort near Hadrian’s Wall

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius' eruption

A 21-year-old student successfully deciphered the first word from the Herculaneum scrolls, charred during Mount Vesuvius’ eruption

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

New evidence reveals the source of mercury in the mausoleum of the first Qin emperor

Three prehistoric domus de janas, or "fairy houses," unearthed in Sardinia, Italy

Three prehistoric domus de janas, or “fairy houses,” unearthed in Sardinia, Italy

July 31, 2025
Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors

Ancient finger grooves in glittering Australian cave reveal sacred rituals of First Nations ancestors

July 30, 2025
900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

900-year-old Viking-era carved head unearthed in Orkney

July 30, 2025
Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa's Duke monument in Ukraine. Credit: Southern Ukrainian National Pedagogical University

Archaeologists uncover 14th-century Genoese and Ottoman fortresses beneath Odesa’s Duke monument in Ukraine

July 29, 2025
Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

Neanderthals ate maggots and fermented meat, not just fresh meat, challenging hypercarnivore theory

July 29, 2025

Archaeology News online magazine

Archaeology News is an international online magazine that covers all aspects of archaeology.











Categories

  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • Download
  • Game
  • News
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Paleontology
  • Quiz
  • Tours

Subscribe to our newsletter

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Donation
  • Contact

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
  • Home
  • News
    • Archaeology
    • Anthropology
    • Paleontology
  • Academics
    • Books
    • Conferences
    • Universities
  • Articles
  • VR Tours
  • Quiz & Game
  • Download
  • Encyclopedia
  • Forum

About  .  Contact  .  Donation

© 2024 - Archaeology News Online Magazine. All Rights Reserved