Riscoprire le vecchie scoperte: il sacello presso l’Olympieion di Agrigento

The results of the new stratigraphic investigations in the sacellum located SE of the temple of Zeus Olympios in Agrigento, conducted by a team of the University of Palermo directed by the authors and also involving numerous students of Archeology of the University, together with the integrated study of the documentation archives and old excavations allow a reconstruction of the history, physiognomy and religious practices of a building that has remained difficult to interpret so far, especially in relation to the monumental neighbor.In particular, the construction of the sacellum was confirmed in the mid-sixth century, but a remodeling phase, dating back to the first decades of the fifth century, hitherto unknown, in relation to the great transformations of the sanctuary at that time was defined. The reconstruction of the planimetry, characterized by the presence of a large cavity / "hollow altar" in the central portion of the cell, is combined with the recovery of a considerable quantity of bronze paterettes that distinguish the ritual practice for the entire life of the place of worship, until the end of the 4th century. This is followed by a radical re-functionalization of the area with the erection of a defense wall attested on the great classical temples. There was also a late (Byzantine?) Re-occupation, thanks also to the recovery of some unpublished archival documents, which also affects the ruins of the nearby Olympieion.