Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Excavations at Paestum 1983

1984; Archaeological Institute of America; Volume: 88; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/504558

1939-828X

John Griffiths Pedley, Mario Torelli,

Archaeology and Historical Studies

Excavation continued in May and June 1983 in the extramural sanctuary in the località Santa Venera at Paestum. Much more pottery, none of it recognizably later than the first quarter of the fifth century B. C., was found in the foundation strata of the Oikos; yet, since a coin of the fourth century B. C. was also found and the construction technique does not find parallels in Paestum before the third century B. C., the evidence is in conflict. Work in the adjacent Rectangular Hall now suggests that this building was originally constructed in the late fifth or early fourth century B. C. In and on a possible floor associated with the pre-Roman building was a large concentration of votive materials—bone, iron, bronze, pottery. The interior of the building was replanned in the late first century B. C. with the space divided into Rooms A, B, C, D and E; bench and niches were installed in Room A, more niches in Room B, and kitchen apparatus in Room E. The excavation of the Piscina in front of the Rectangular Hall was completed, and, linked to it to the N, a cultic basin was found. Equipped with a central mushroom-shaped pillar, this basin and pool bear striking analogies to an architectural complex close to the Temple of Hera II in the principal sanctuary of the city. The piscina and basin were built in the second half of the first century B. C. A fragmentary Latin inscription, a dedication to Venus, was built into the fabric of one of the niches in Room B of the Rectangular Hall. This find opens a new chapter in the history of the cult at the site, since lettering and formula for the patronymic suggest an early date, not far from the foundation of the Roman colony.