MOTYE

 

Università di Roma «La Sapienza»     Missione archeologica a Mozia     

[Quaderni di archeologia fenicio‐punica/CM 03] 

[The so‐called “Kothon” at Motya] The sacred pool of Baal ‘Addir/Poseidon in the light of recent archaeological investigations by Rome «La Sapienza» University ‐ 2005‐2013 Stratigraphy, architecture, and finds  

[by  Lorenzo Nigro] [with the contribution of  Federica Spagnoli]  

  

ROME 2014 

MO

TY

E

Università di Roma «La Sapienza» Missione archeologica a Mozia

[Quaderni di archeologia fenicio-punica/CM 03]

[The so-called “Kothon” at Motya] The sacred pool of Baal ‘Addir/Poseidon

in the light of recent archaeological investigations

by Rome «La Sapienza» University - 2005-2013

Stratigraphy, architecture, and finds

[by Lorenzo Nigro] [with the contribution of Federica Spagnoli] [with the editorial contribution of Daria Montanari]

ROME 2014

MO

TY

E

Università di Roma «La Sapienza» Missione archeologica a Mozia

[Quaderni di archeologia fenicio-punica/CM 03] www.lasapienzamozia.it

Una collana sottomessa a revisori e a un comitato scientifico dedicata all’Archeologia di Mozia e alla cultura fenicia e punica nel Mediterraneo.

A peer-review series dedicated to the Archaeology of Motya and the Phoenician and Punic culture in the Mediterranean.

QAFP/Colour Monograph è la collana di volumi a colori connessa alla serie “Quaderni di Archeologia fenicio-punica”, dedicata alla pubblicazione dei risultati delle indagini archeologiche e degli studi condotti dalla Missione archeologica a Mozia, la città fenicia e punica della Sicilia Occidentale. Le ricerche a Mozia sono condotte in convenzione con l’Assessorato Regionale dei Beni e dell’Identità Siciliana, secondo la convenzione stipulata con la Soprintendenza di Trapani.

QAFP/Colour Monograph is the colour monograph series related with “Quaderni di Archeologia fenicio-punica”, the series devoted to the publication of results of archaeological investigations and studies carried on by Rome “La Sapienza” Expedition to Motya, the Phoenician and Punic city in Western Sicily. Researches at Motya are carried out under the aegis of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni e dell’Identità Siciliana according to the agreement established with the Superintendency of Trapani.

Lorenzo NIGRO The so-called “Kothon” at Motya. The sacred pool of Baal

‘Addir/Poseidon in the light of recent archaeological investigations by

Rome «La Sapienza» University - 2005-2013. Stratigraphy, architecture

and finds

(= Quaderni di Archeologia fenicio-punica/Colour Monograph 03) Copyright 2014 Missione archeologica a Mozia Università di Roma «La Sapienza» P.le Aldo Moro, 5 - 00185 Roma

Tutti i diritti riservati. È vietata la riproduzione di testi e illustrazioni senza il permesso scritto della Missione archeologica a Mozia

pp. 96; 29,7 x 24 cm; illustrazioni a colori

ISBN 978-88-98154-04-3 ISSN 1824-4017

THE EXCAVATIONS OF THE KOTHON WERE SUPPORTED BY THE HONOR FROST FOUNDATION, LONDON

Special thanks are addressed to Dr. Claude Doumet-Serhal and Dr. Joan Porter McIver. Technical support was also provided by the SIDRA (Società Italiana Dragaggi - a DEME Company), thanks to Dr. Carlo Alberto Marconi.

AKNWOLEDGEMENTS A special thank is addressed to the Officials and Colleagues of the Assessorato Regionale dei Beni e dell’Identità Siciliana, to the Superintendent of Trapani, Arch. Paola Misuraca, and to her forerunners (Arch. Giuseppe Gini, Prof. Sebastiano Tusa), to the Responsible of the Service Beni Archeologici of the same Institution, Dr. Rossella Giglio, who followed and strongly supported the works in the Kothon area. The G. Whitaker Foundation, Palermo, offered its generous hospitality and help to the Expedition on the island: Dr. M. Pamela Toti, Filippo Sammartano, Giuseppe Piacentino, Salvatore Lombardo, and for the Kothon rehabilitation also Diego and Giuseppe Sammartano, Nino Monteleone e Mario Ottoveggio. Archaeological excavations in the Kothon were supervised by Dr. Pierfrancesco Vecchio with the cooperation of Pierfrancesco Izzo.

On the cover: digging up the eastern wall of the Kothon in September 2013; on the top right the Egyptian statue of a baboon (MC.12.20) retrieved nearby the NE corner of the Kothon.

The so-called “Kothon” at Motya [Contents] M

OT

YE

[1]

Contents

0. THE HOLY WATERS OF THE KOTHON [Lorenzo Nigro] p. 2 0.1. An archaeological challenge p. 2

1. THE REDISCOVERY OF THE KOTHON (1906-1970) [Lorenzo Nigro] p. 4 1.1. A century of investigations p. 4 1.2. Meaning of the word “k othon” p. 4 1.3. Previous works at the Kothon: Withaker’s exploration in 1906-1908 p. 5 1.4. The British Expedition of Prof. B.S.J. Isserlin (1955-1970) p. 6

2. THE EXCAVATION OF THE KOTHON (2005-2013) [Lorenzo Nigro] p. 8 2.1. Preliminary works: the excavation of the eastern quay of the basin (2005-2010) p. 8 2.2. The 2012 sounding in the north-eastern corner of the Kothon p. 16 2.3. Drying up the Kothon p. 20

3. THE EXCAVATION OF THE BASIN BOUNDARY WALLS [Lorenzo Nigro] p. 32 3.1. The Kothon corners p. 35 3.2. The northern boundary wall of the basin (M.4545) p. 38 3.3. The eastern boundary wall of the basin (M.850) p. 49 3.4. The southern boundary wall of the basin (M.4575) p. 66 3.5. The western boundary wall of the basin (M.4585) p. 74

4. THE POTTERY FROM THE KOTHON [Federica Spagnoli] p. 75 4.1. Pottery from US.4566 p. 76 4.2. Pottery from US.4564 p. 83 4.3. Pottery from US.4536 p. 85 4.4. Pottery from US.4558 p. 85 4.5. Concluding remarks on the ceramic repertoire from the Kothon p. 89

5. THE KOTHON AND THE MAABED OF AMRIT, SYRIA [Lorenzo Nigro] p. 90

6. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES p. 92