Audiotour 4. Archaeological Itinerary: "Indigenous settlements"

Central Sicily’s territory, which comprises the areas of Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna has been inhabited since ancient times thanks to the fertility of the land: it is no coincidence that Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility herself, chose Sicily as her dwelling place.  

Before the arrival of Greek settlers from the Aegean Sea, these lands were inhabited by indigenous people called Sikans; they left many traces of their presence in the archaeological areas of Vassallaggi near San Cataldo, and Dessueri:  a site datable between 1800 and 1400 BC situated between the towns of Mazzarino and Butera. More settlements have been found in the areas of Gibil Gabib and Sabucina near Caltanissetta and in Marianopoli, and lastly, in an indigenous settlement near Gela, a city founded by Greek settlers from the isles of Rhodes and Crete between 689  and 688 BC, more than 2700 years ago. The Greeks also founded Akragas now called Agrigento.  

Come discover the Sikans’ history with us!

Translated from the original Italian by Agnese Tomasella, MLitt in Museum Studies and Museum consultant for Rete Museale Culturale e Ambientale  del Centro Sicilia (The Central Sicily Museums, Culture and Nature Network)

This audio guide is part of the project Sicilia Beni Culturali for izi.TRAVEL coordinated by Elisa Bonacini, University of Catania