Italy

Timpone della Motta

Greek sanctuary and acropolis, Iron Age–Archaic Calabria

Location

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Historical Context

About

The Timpone della Motta is a hill 2 km to the southwest of Francavilla Marittima in Calabria, Italy that was inhabited since the Middle Bronze Age. In the Iron Age the hill was the site of an Oenotrian settlement. The Oenotrians were influenced by the culture of the Greek colonists from nearby Sybaris, who eventually took over the site in the second half of the seventh century and transformed it into their acropolis and an important sanctuary, which was notable as the site of the first known ancient Greek temples of Magna Graecia on the Italian Peninsula. The hill was abandoned when the Bruttians conquered the region in the fourth century BC.

Paleolithic
Mesolithic
Neolithic
Chalcolithic
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Classical Period
Post-Classical Period
Early Modern Period
Industrial Period
Contemporary Period
Temporal Epochs

Historical Timeline

Journey through time and discover key events in this site's history

Wooden temples erected

Last quarter of the 8th century BCE

Foundation of Sybaris

c. 720 BCE

Sybarite takeover

Second half of the 7th century BCE

Major building program

6th century BCE

Attic imports after Sybaris fall

510 BCE

Abandonment after Bruttian conquest

4th century BCE

Middle Bronze Age dwelling

Middle Bronze Age

Oenotrian settlement

9th–8th centuries BCE

First necropolis excavation

1963

Illegal looting period

1970s–1980s

Rescue excavation on acropolis

1986–1987

Groningen Institute fieldwork

1991–2008

Modern excavations resumed

from 2009

Classification

Archaeological Features

Unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

category

Storage Structures

Containers
category

Defensive Structures

Defensive Walls
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Public and Civic Structures

Plazas
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Burial and Funerary Structures

Cemeteries
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Industrial and Craft Structures

Workshops
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Religious and Ritual Structures

TemplesChurches
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Artistic and Decorative Features

InscriptionsBronze ex-votos
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Agricultural and Land Use Features

Terraces
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Domestic and Habitation Structures

Houses
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Environmental and Natural Features

Soil Layers
Knowledge Base

Frequently Asked Questions

Reference

Details

Country

Italy

Coordinates

39.81° N, 16.37° E