For You Lot Data - 31 Ancient Greek Forts Discovered Inwards Italy's Calabria

Over the passed year, Lino Licari, has been identifying the remains of a long serial of fortifications (phrouria) of Magna Graecia that presided over the route from the of import colony of Epizephyrian Locris - founded past times the Lokrians of Hellenic Republic at the starting fourth dimension of the 7th century BC, to Medma (today's Rosarno), a subcolony planted on the Tyrrhenian side towards the terminate of the same century, a menstruation inwards which the Lokrians also founded the metropolis of Hipponion (Vibo Valentia).

Greek fortification department inwards Aspromonte National Park
[Credit: © Lino Licari]

Licari has identified 31 forts inwards all and, according to the preliminary examine of the structures as well as the uncovering of ceramic fragments, they appointment dorsum to the initiatory off centuries of the Greek small town (6th-5th BC) founded inwards the eighth century past times settlers from Lokris inwards Central Greece. The forts were established inwards guild to command an independent merchandise route to the Tyrrhenian Sea, equally an option route from the Strait of Messina which was nether the strict command of the powerful cities of Reghion (Reggio Calabria) as well as Zankle (Messina). Economic as well as political reasons pushed the Lokrians to occupy novel territories on the western side of Calabria - an expanse peculiarly fertile for the abundant presence of H2O as well as alluvial soils equally good equally strategic for its geographical seat - as well as to protect the connecting route betwixt the ii coastal sides, at the same fourth dimension creating a defensive belt to protect their cities as well as the territory's resources from possible attacks past times the Chalkidian Reggians.

The route from Locri to Medma thus consisted of an overland transcend that climbed upward the crests of Aspromonte, crossing the passes of Ropola as well as Mercante at an height of 952 metres earlier starting the descent towards the magnificent plateau of Pian delle Vigne, the pump of the ancient Mediterranean plain.

Remains of i of the forts identified past times Lino Licari on Aspromonte.
This is located inwards Zillastro [Credit: © Lino Licari]

The fortifications bring out the importance given past times the Lokrians to this route that Licari, manager of the "Medma Archaeological Group" equally good equally a guide of the Park, is continuing to explore together amongst cartography skilful Andrea Ciulla, nether the supervision of Antonino Siclari responsible for the inquiry projection of the Park as well as inwards constant contact amongst the Superintendence of Reggio Calabria through the archeologist Fabrizio Sudano, manager of the Archaeological Museum of Medma.

Licari is mapping all the sites within the Park's boundary, amongst measurements as well as detailed records of each fort, an functioning that volition live followed past times a careful investigation past times the Superintendence as well as Park officials: "All the sites", explains Licari, "are filed as well as photographed as well as each of them has its ain topographic map that tin flame live used to locate it, indicating places of interest, coordinates as well as ways to boot the bucket there."

Fortification remains on a ridge [Credit: © Lino Licari]

These structures choose a foursquare excogitation amongst walls upward to 2.40 m broad as well as were divided into several floors, fulfilling the percentage of territorial control. Many of the walls are good preserved, which makes it possible to sympathise their construction techniques, type as well as function.

As the next map shows, the armed forces route had a double course: a initiatory off stretch, from eastward to west, marked inwards yellow, follows the commercial as well as armed forces route (dromos) Locri-Medma, along the path that started from the walls of the ancient city, climbed to Zomaro (a mount hamlet within the park, rich inwards beech trees, fir trees, holm oaks, brooms as well as the really rare Woodwardia radicans, giant fern species that survived the Cenozoic), as well as so descends towards Medma: a route dotted amongst modest forts, fountains as well as drinking troughs for horses, which inwards Zomaro crossed a larger armed forces small town where it was also possible to residual at black as well as during the day, refresh travellers as well as modify horses.

Infographic of the articulated Greek defense forcefulness organisation [Credit: © Lino Licari]

"The rails is made from beaten earth", explains Licari, "while at about points on steep slopes at that topographic point were about paved sections made amongst local stones."

H5N1 minute stretch, indicated inwards bluish on the map, crossed the whole Aspromonte inwards a north-south direction, from Monte Limina to Amendolea di Condofuri (the ancient Peripolis), passing through the Piani di Carmelia (at Delianuova): "a really long armed forces route at high height for which," adds Licari, "I exercise the ancient Greek term to telephone scream upward "Anadromos". Some of the fortresses also had a commercial percentage as well as inwards about places proceeded inwards parallel amongst the boundaries of Chalkis Reggina (the points marked inwards red), merely these were land of written report to modify depending on the course of teaching of the wars".

Fortification department inwards the woods of Aspromonte [Credit: © Lino Licari]

Licari has been guided towards the uncovering of this organisation of armed forces outposts past times his proven sense equally a guide inwards the Park as well as past times his extensive written report of historical as well as academic accounts, equally good equally cartographic sources: "I began past times carefully studying about topographical maps, both ancient as well as recent, inwards which it is all the same possible to regain toponyms that convey us dorsum to places frequented past times ancient populations," says Licari.

"But the principal piece of job was the inquiry inwards the land turning every corner of the Aspromonte National Park. I started from Piano della Limina, continuing inwards a southerly management passing from i side to the other, that is from the Ionian side to the Tyrrhenian side, as well as this afterwards noticing the presence of archaeological remains that alternated on both sides: Monte Limina, Zomaro, Piano di Moleti, Zervò, Zillastro, Monte Fistocchio, Piani di Carmelia as well as so on. The presence of archaeological remains inwards strategic points has allowed me to seat both the sites as well as their functions."

Remains of Greek defensive structures [Credit: © Lino Licari]

It is worth noting hither how the Locri-Medma axis, along the eastern asphalt slope, is currently the focus of an earthworks movement past times the University of Kentucky, nether the management of Prof. Paolo Visonà, who over the years has explored iv fortified sites betwixt Zomaro as well as the territory of Antonimina.

It should also live added that the archaeological remains of Aspromonte practise non halt at the Greek period: the 64,153 hectares of the Park inwards fact also boast evidence of prehistoric habitation as well as comprises mainly of fragments of rock tools as well as ceramics to which has lately been added the uncovering of a millstone of the Neolithic which was promptly delivered to the Archaeological Museum of Medma, inwards Rosarno.

A curt stretch of the Via Popilia, betwixt Melia as well as Solano,
2nd century BC [Credit: © Lino Licari]

"During the archaeological investigations to seat as well as tape the forts," says Licari, "we choose also identified as well as surveyed many paths that choose the characteristics of ancient roads, including roads completely covered amongst stones, about of which may choose been commercial as well as armed forces communication routes betwixt the Ionian as well as Tyrrhenian sides. In short, much has emerged as well as much to a greater extent than could all the same emerge from this expanse that has non been piddling explored to date, mainly because of the dense vegetation; an chemical cistron that, piece on the i mitt has e'er hindered research, on the other has favoured the preservation of the remains of structures oftentimes hidden on steep ridges."

After the piece of job has been completed, Lino Licari's dream is that "a path could presently live created that would allow visitors to explore the historical-archaeological-naturalistic aspects of Aspromonte's forests for 3-4 days, as well as for about other 2-3 days inwards the Hellenophone area, where the archaic Greek idiom is all the same inwards exercise as well as where they are accustomed to hosting visitors inwards their quondam Greek homes."

Source: Fame di Sud [June 11, 2018]

This article was originally published past times the Italian website Fame di Sud... read the master article (in Italian) here.


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