Citation:
Abstract:
The sanctuary located on the hill of Bitalemi, in Gela, is among the best-known sites of Demetriac worship in Greek Sicily, also thanks to an accurate identification of the goddess worshipped here (Demetra Thesmophoros), as mentioned in some graffiti; the value and the peculiarity of the findings, only published in a preliminary way, contributed to the fame of the sacred area.
The volume presents the long-awaited systematic publication of the excavations conducted by Piero Orlandini in the campaigns of 1963, 1964 and 1967. The study of the structures and the materials just concerns the first phase of attendance of the sanctuary (the so-called stratum 5), which began in the second half of the 7th century BC and was sealed by a casting of clay around 550 BC. The volume focuses on the site’s historical-religious aspect in the light of the exceptional circumstances in which the votive offerings were found: almost all of them were primary deposits, protected by a layer of sand which allowed them to be preserved in good conditions.
The finds are therefore concisely presented, including almost 3000 deposits found in situ and the fragmentary objects, which are catalogued in a separate list. The catalogue is followed by a rapid class-by-class commentary, which provides a useful framework of the ritual objects brought to light; these mostly consist in imported or locally made pottery, but metallic objects, terracotta figurines and loom weights are also presented. After suggesting some hypothesis on the sanctuary’s activity in this first attendance period and on the number of offerings, an extensive discussion on the ritual practice is proposed, relying on the archaeological data and the worship practice. Some interesting information on the reconstruction of Thesmophoric feasts can be gained from the comparison of the findings and their deposition with the epigraphic evidence.
The complete publication of the excavation journal from the 1960s can be found in the appendix, according to the excavator’s indications.
The volume is authored by Marina Albertocchi, with the collaboration of Maddalena Pizzo.