A Reinterpratation
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mozia a reinterpratation daria kutsaeva table of content 45 INHABITED AREA 47 Central inhabited area 48 INHABITED AREA A 03 MOZIA INTRODUCTION 49 House of Amphora 12 THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE 50 House of Mosaics 22 THE ISLAND 52 INHABITED AREA B 24 DEFENSIVE AREA 53 INDUSTRIAL AREAS 26 F ORTI F ICATIONS 54 Area K 28 Porta Nord 56 Area T 30 Connection road 58 SUBMERGED ROAD OF MOZIA 33 Porta Sud 53 PROJECT CONCEPT 34 Kothon 37 Casermetta 49 Harbour 39 RELIGIOUS AREA 50 North Gate 40 Sanctuary of Cappiddazzu 49 Kothon 41 Necropolis 50 Piazza 43 Topheth 49 Connections 2 3 MOZIA The archaeological site The “Stagnone di Marsala” is a sort of elliptical lagoon; about 11 km long and the maximum width is 3 km. Characterized by very shallow waters, it is formed by four islands (Scuola, Santa Maria, San Pantaleo and Isola Grande) all detached from the mainland due to a partial submersion of the western cusp of Sicily. Over the centuries this basin has undergone considerable changes of natural and anthropoligical origin. It is not possible to reconstruct a precise picture as the examination of the most ancient cartography is not sufficient to define with certainty the appearance that the landscape had originally. 4 5 History The foundation of the city probably and concentrated themselves in the dates from the eighth century BC, three principal colonies of Soluntum, about a century after the foundation of Panormus (modern Palermo), and Carthage in Tunisia. It was originally Motya. The last of these, from its a colony of the Phoenicians, who were proximity to Carthage and its opportune fond of choosing similar sites, and situation for communication with North probably in the first instance merely Africa, as well as the natural strength a commercial station or emporium, of its position, became one of the chief but gradually rose to be a flourishing strongholds of the Carthaginians, as and important town. The Phoenicians well as one of the most important of transformed the inhospitable island their commercial cities in the island. into one of the most affluent cities of its time, naturally defended by the Motya is first mentioned by Hecataeus of lagoon as well as high defensive walls. Miletus and Thucydides notices it among Ancient windmills and salt pans were the chief colonies of the Phoenicians in used for evaporation, salt grinding Sicily which existed at the time of the and refinement, and to maintain the Athenian expedition, 415 BC. A few years condition of the lagoon and island itself. later (409 BC) when the Carthaginian Recently the mills and salt pans (called army under Hannibal Mago landed at the the Ettore Infersa) have been restored promontory of Lilybaeum, that general by the owners and opened to the public. laid up his fleet for security in the gulf around Motya, while he advanced with In common with the other Phoenician his land forces along the coast to attack settlements in Sicily, it passed under Selinus. After the fall of the latter city, we the government or dependency are told that Hermocrates, the Syracusan of Carthage, whence Diodorus exile, who had established himself on its calls it a Carthaginian colony. ruins with a numerous band of followers, laid waste the territories of Motya and As the Greek colonies in Sicily Panormus; and again during the second increased in numbers and importance expedition of the Carthaginians under the Phoenicians gradually abandoned Hamilcar (407 BC), these two cities their settlements in the immediate became the permanent station of the neighbourhood of the newcomers, Carthaginian fleet. 6 7 Siege of Motya It was the important position to which made themselves masters of the city, they Motya had thus attained that led Dionysius put the whole surviving population, men, I of Syracuse to direct his principal efforts women, and children, to the sword. to its reduction, when in 397 BC he in his After this, the Syracusan despot placed turn invaded the Carthaginian territory it in charge of a garrison under an in Sicily. The citizens on the other hand, officer named Biton, while his brother relying on succour from Carthage, made Leptines of Syracuse made it the station preparations for a vigorous resistance; of his fleet. But the next spring (396 BC) and by cutting off the causeway Himilcon, the Carthaginian general, which united them to the mainland, having landed at Panormus with a very compelled Dionysius to have recourse large force, recovered possession of to the tedious and laborious process of Motya with comparatively little difficulty. constructing a mound or mole of earth Motya, however, was not destined to across the intervening space. Even when recover its former importance; for this was accomplished, and the military Himilcon, being apparently struck with engines of Dionysius (among which the the superior advantages of Lilybaeum, formidable catapult on this occasion founded a new city on the promontory made its appearance for the first time) of that name, to which he transferred were brought up to the walls, the Motyans the few remaining inhabitants of Motya. continued a desperate resistance; and after the walls and towers were carried by From this period the latter altogether the overwhelming forces of the enemy, disappears from history; and the little still maintained the defence from street islet on which it was built, has probably to street and from house to house. This ever since, as now, been inhabited only obstinate struggle only increased the by a few fishermen. By the time the previous exasperation of the Sicilian Romans conquered Sicily, during the Greeks against the Carthaginians; and First Punic War (264–241 BC), Motya when at length the troops of Dionysius had been eclipsed by Lilybaeum. 8 9 Archaeological site In the Punic period the Stagnone white accumulations sheltered from was separated from the open sea by the atmospheric agents by means of a peninsula. The Isola Grande was terracotta tiles. In 1984, to defend and connected to the mainland near its preserve the lagoon, which represents northern part, thanks to a narrow one of the most important wetlands in isthmus. The entrance to the lagoon was southern Europe, the so-called Oriented therefore only on the southern side, thus Natural Reserve of the Stagnone was guaranteeing a greater defense for the established. island of Mozia. The present name of the island of Mozia A map designed around 1720 by Baron is San Pantaleo. This name was most Samuel von Schmettau shows the probably assigned to it in the 11th territory of the former peninsula divided century, when the island was donated by into three parts called “Isola Burrone”, the Norman conquerors to the Marsala “Isola Altavilla” and “Isola Longa”. abbey. The name signifies a damp, low In an 1824 map the two southern and muddy place. In the second half of islands were connected by a saltpan. In the sixteenth century, the possession the first detailed topographical map of of the island passed to the Jesuits until, the Stagnone, drawn up in 1863 by the once the latter were expelled from the Military Topographical Institute, the territory, the island was divided into three islands found themselves forming private plots mostly cultivated with part of the same island territory. grape vines. These small owners sold These islands now appear as tongues of the island to Giuseppe Whitaker who, land that emerge a few meters above sea starting in 1906, organised a series level; transformed over time into human of archaeological excavations that settlements or extensive salt pans, the continued on and off until 1929. landscape of which is characterized by Thanks to Whitaker, buried hystorical typical windmill buildings. The latter testimonies made a comeback after supply the energy necessary to transfer centuries of negligence, generating a the marine waters into the evaporation new interest in this place as fascinating tanks destined for the extraction of as it is rich in memories. salt which, once collected, is placed in 10 11 The island The archaeological remains on the island can be distinguished in different categories according to the role they played within the city. In particular, they will be presented and described on the basis of a subdivision into functional zones of the urban fabric: defensive, religious, inhabited and industrial areas. 12 13 Current situation The site of Motya has been clearly the desperate defence of the inhabitants. identified and described by William Henry Smyth. Between the promontory The island of Mozia is owned and operated of Lilybaeum (Capo Boéo) and that of by the Whitaker Foundation (Palermo), Aegithallus (San Teodoro), the coast famous for Marsala wines. Tours are forms a deep bight, in front of which available for the small museum, and the lies a long group of low rocky islets, well-preserved ruins of a crossroads called the Stagnone. Within these, and civilisation: in addition to the cultures considerably nearer to the mainland, mentioned above, Motian artifacts lies the small island formerly called San display Egyptian, Corinthian, Attic, Pantaleo, on which the remains of an Roman, Punic and Hellenic influences. ancient city may still be distinctly traced. The Tophet, a type of cemetery for the Fragments of the walls, with those of two cremated remains of children. Many of the gateways, still exist, and coins as well as ancient residences are open to the public, pieces of ancient brick and pottery – the with guided tours in English and Italian. never failing indications of an ancient site – were found scattered throughout the In March 2006, archaeological digs island. The circuit of the latter does not uncovered rooms of a previously exceed 2.5 km, and it is inhabited only undiscovered house at one of the town’s by a few fishermen; but is not devoid of siege walls.