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Labeca Laboratory for the Study of the Ancient City

Kasmenai

Sicily (East)

Kasmenai was founded as a secondary apoikia of Syracuse around 640 BC on a plateau of volcanic origin 850 metres above sea level, 12 km west of Akrai (Thucydides, VI, 5, 3). The archaeological data from Monte Casale (identified as the Kasmenai of the written sources) show continuous occupation from the 6th century BC to the 4th century BC, when the city seems to have been abandoned. To protect its hinterland and mark its dominion around the city, Syracuse founded several apoikiai, Kasmenai being one of them. The others are Kamarina, Heloros and Akrai. Kasmenai seems to have been a settlement of military character.

Forms of occupation of the ásty

Urban grid: acropolis, block, agora, plateiai, stenopoi, orientation

Excavations at Monte Casale revealed an urban settlement occupying the whole plateau, an area of approximately 1,370 x 450 metres, or 70 hectares, enclosed within a wall. The city was founded on top of a plateau surrounded by steep escarpments, and therefore without direct access to the hinterland, and followed an orthogonal plan from its foundation in the 7th century BC.

Bibliography (5)
  • Mertens, D.; Città e monumenti dei Greci d’Occidente.
  • Voza, G.; Nel Segno dell’antico: Archeologia nel territorio di Siracusa.
  • Florenzano, M. B. B.; Relatório científico de viagem ao exterior
  • Bollati, R.; Bollati, S.; Siracusa: genesi di una città. Tessuto urbano di Ortigia.
  • Carratelli, G. P. (ed.); The Greek world: art and civilization in Magna Graecia and Sicily.

Forms of occupation of the ásty

Residential areas

Remains of structures identified as houses and interpretative hypotheses. In these plans we can see the road axes that determined the orientation of the ásty. Thirty-eight parallel streets 3.5 m wide running NW/SE have been identified. They mark out very long blocks, 25 m wide. Each block was divided into plots of 25 m², each containing 4 houses of 12.5 m². The acropolis probably lay on a rise on the west side.

Bibliography (3)
  • Voza, G.; Nel Segno dell’antico: Archeologia nel territorio di Siracusa.
  • Bollati, R.; Bollati, S.; Siracusa: genesi di una città. Tessuto urbano di Ortigia.
  • Longo, F.; Jannelli, L.; Cerchiai, L.; The Greek Cities of Magna Graecia and Sicily.