The Archaeological Park of Herakleia (Policoro, Matera province) continues to unveil previously unpublished chapters in the history of Magna Graecia. Along the southern slope of Baron’s Hill, a series of clues that emerged during scientific investigations led to theidentification of a vast semicircular structure that, according to the most recent interpretations, would correspond to the theater of the ancient city. A discovery that opens new perspectives on the urban and cultural knowledge of one of the most important centers of Greek Lucania.
The first signs of the presence of a large architecture had emerged during surface analysis and aerophotogrammetric surveys, which had shown anomalies in the ground. These clues were confirmed by a geophysical survey campaign conducted by the University of Basilicata team, which revealed a complex system of large, concentric magnetic lines. The shape and topographical context immediately directed scholars toward the hypothesis of a public building intended for performances, a theater, placed in a scenic position on the slope overlooking the ancient city.
The area involved is located in the heart of Herakleia, on a natural slope of the hill that housed the upper part of the city. The location is not coincidental: directly opposite stood the shrine of Dionysus, the deity of intoxication, wine and the performing arts, to whom theatrical performances were consecrated in ancient Greece. The symbolic link between Dionysian worship and theatrical space further strengthens the interpretation proposed by archaeologists, who see in this discovery a key piece in understanding the religious and social life of the colony.
The research project was made possible thanks to resources earmarked for archaeological research by the National Museums of Matera - Basilicata Regional Museums Directorate, with the support of the General Directorate of Museums of the Ministry of Culture. These funds made it possible to start a structured program of investigations, which will culminate in an archaeological excavation campaign planned for early November. The interventions will be carried out directly by the Ministry of Culture, under the scientific direction of Dr. Carmelo Colelli, and aim to confirm in the field what has already emerged from geophysical prospecting.
“The excavations, carried out directly by the Ministry of Culture and directed in the field by Dr. Carmelo Colelli, will start at the beginning of November,” says the Regional Director National Museums, Filippo Demma, “and the results will be of great importance not only for the identification of the Theater whose presence seems to transpire from the prospections, but also and above all to know the urban organization of the colony founded in 433 BC and seat of the Italiot League. A research project that enriches with content and knowledge one of the most important places of culture in the entire region, which, thanks to the attention of the Ministry and the General Directorate of Museums, is about to experience an important new season.”
“The new survey campaign in Policoro, funded by the Directorate General for Museums,” says Director General Massimo Osanna, “represents a further step in the Ministry of Culture’s strategy to strengthen the research and knowledge mission of our museums and archaeological parks. Indeed, investing in research means investing in conservation, enhancement and the ability of cultural places to constantly renew their narrative. The Herakleia project fits into this horizon: a site that is regenerated through new excavations, interventions that integrate archaeology and landscape, and a management model based on dialogue between institutions, universities and the local community.”
The project is part of the long-term ministerial strategy to consolidate the national museum system as an integrated network of knowledge and innovation. The Directorate General for Museums, through targeted funding and collaboration with universities and research centers, is promoting a model in which scientific research becomes a structural part of the management of cultural sites. In this vision, research is not just a tool for investigation, but an engine for sustainability, education and participation.
Herakleia, in this sense, represents an ideal laboratory. The combination of archaeology, technology and spatial enhancement makes it possible to read the landscape as an evolving archive, where each discovery enriches the collective understanding of ancient history and its relationship to the present. Excavations scheduled for November promise to return new data on the urban fabric, the relationships between public buildings and sacred spaces, and the political and cultural life of the Greek and Roman city.
The theater, the quintessential symbol of community life, seems to be emerging again from Polychorus’ subsoil as a sign of continuity between past and present. Its identification not only expands the scientific knowledge of Herakleia, but also renews the possibility of recounting Magna Graecia through places that speak again, thanks to research and care.
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| Large semicircular structure discovered in Herakleia: ancient city theater surfaces |
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