A new Model for the Westside of Selinous

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Ortwin Dally; Dr. Melanie Jonasch; Dr. Dennis Wilken
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology ; Physical Geography
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 561241390

In 2021, the DFG approved funding for a research project in Sicily with the title "A new model for the city of Selinous". The aim of the project was to investigate and describe the overall structure of the westernmost Greek colony, including ist formation and transformation processes. Starting point was the schematic map of the archaic-classical city, covering approximately 110-hectare, which was obtained at the beginning of the century using a combination of archaeological and geophysical methods. As a descriptive model, this map focuses on selected aspects and reduces complex issues in order to depict the original in a comprehensible way. In doing so, it naturally omits important moments in the history of the settlement, such as the transformation into a fortress after the destruction of the city in 409 B.C. or the emergence of a settlement with Punic cultural characteristics at the end of the 4th century B.C. In addition, the idealized layout of the Greek city suggests a deceptive homogeneity with regard to development processes, functional regulations and social realities. The intention of this project is therefore to supplement the map of the archaic-classical city with further models that focus on different aspects and can be combined with one another. This is achieved by mapping a wide range of different pieces of information in a geographical information system (GIS), where they are classified according to chronological, typological, functional, social or other aspects. On that basis, thematic maps can be generated as for example the formation processes of the Greek city, the extent of the early Hellenistic settlement or the positions of Roman activities. The GIS includes both data from the research of past decades and newly acquired information from strategically planned invasive and non-invasive activities. In the first phase of the project, important topographical, stratigraphic and chronological data from different parts of the city have already been obtained, contextualized and processed. In the second phase, the focus will be on quarter in the west of the city, covering an area of approximately 25-hectare, which is relevant in many respects to the project objectives described above. On the one hand, the aim is to close information gaps for the understanding of the overall urban structure, such as the course of the city wall and ist relationship to the river and the inner-city buildings. On the other hand, fundamental data on the formation and use of this area of the city as well as on functional designations and social realities will be collected through excavations. In line with a holistic approach to urban studies, this new information is then combined with existing data and placed in relation to the rest of the urban area.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants