Punta Castelluccio
Denomination
Cave with Pleistocene deposit.
Description
Neolithic settlement; protohistoric settlement and necropolis (X-IX BC); Greek pottery discovery area; remains of wall structures and clay fragments from the late imperial age; discovery area of the Byzantine age.
Underwater finds of material dating from the Hellenistic to Late Antiquity periods.
At the end of the eastern slope of the promontory, holes for the poles of huts of a Neolithic settlement and a rock shelter were found, the earthy filling of which yielded ceramic fragments from the Cassibile facies (10th-9th century BC). Some cave tombs attributable to the Bronze Age have been identified along the last stretch of the stream and along the cliff a few meters from the coastline. The entire area has yielded Greek ceramics (from the archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods), remains of wall structures and clay fragments from the Roman-Imperial period and ceramics from the Byzantine period.
Underwater discoveries in the bay at the mouth of the S.Calogero have demonstrated the use of both the southern and northern landings. They were recovered on the seabed of the latter
amphorae from the late ancient period of African and Aegean production, while near the southern landing point the recovery of a Doric column drum from the Hellenistic-Roman period was reported. Byzantine ceramics and lead anchor stumps found near the coastline make it very probable that the bay was used as a landing area in late ancient times.
Environmental context
Spur-shaped promontory that dominates the mouth of the San Calogero stream to the north, bordered on three sides by steep crags; the flat top connects with the plateau behind. The S. Calogero stream flows east of the Punta Castelluccio promontory where, with the alluvial material transported by its course, it has created a beach of approximately 150 m. The ancient bay, once deeper in, is now partially invaded by alluvial materials brought in by the river
Bibliographic sources
Amico V., Topographical Dictionary of Sicily, 1858, svCalogero S.; Bernabò Brea L.,1968, The twilight of King Hyblon, “PP”, CXX, pp.167-186; id.;1971, Xuthia and Hybla, and the
formation of the cultural facies of Cassibile, Acts XIII RSIIPP, Syracuse-Malta 22-26 October 1968, Florence, pp. 11-28; id., Punta Castelluzzo, in AA.VV., Archeology in south-eastern Sicily, Siracusa 1973, pp.55-56; Mentesana M., Dissertations historical-archaeological, “Historical newsletter of Augusta”, 2, 1972, pp. 20-23; Basile B., The coastal arc
Syracusan, in Lena G. – Basile B. – Di Stefano G., Landings, ports, coastal settlements and coastlines of south-eastern Sicily from Prehistory to Late Antiquity, “ArchStorSir”, s.
III,II,1988, p.22 and pp. 61-62; Basile B., Underwater reconnaissance along the coast of Syracuse in the last five years, communication to the V Review of Underwater Archaeology, Giardini Naxos, 1990; Tusa S., Sicily in prehistory, Palermo 1992, p.603; Russo I.-Gianino P., Historical-archaeological problems of Trotilon and the Pantakyas stream, “Historical News of Augusta” 1995, pp.23-24; Russo I.-Gianino P.- Lanteri R., Augusta and neighboring territories, I, Prehistory, From the Upper Paleolithic to pre-colonisation, “ArchStorSir”, suppl. n.5, 1996, p.61-62. Lanteri R., Augusta and its territory. Elements for an archaeological map, 1997, p.13-14; 1999 Guidelines, Archaeological Sites Map, n. 204.
Area of archaeological interest, art. 142 letter m) Legislative Decree 42/04
(Source text of survey form n.40 Landscape Plan of the Province of Syracuse - Archaeological Heritage)
Archaeological Heritage Sheets Landscape Plan of Syracuse
Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero
Informational contributions : Web, Sicily Region
Photo: Card shown above
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