RICERCHE 2016 A CASTRONOVO DI SICILIA. SICILY IN TRANSITION (PROGETTO ERC ADVANCED GRANT 2016- 693600)

The town of Castronovo di Sicilia (PA) and its environs are the subject of current archaeological investigations funded by the European Research Council and carried out with the collaboration of the Soprintendenza and the Comune of Castronovo. These investigations form part of a larger ERC project entitled ‘Sicily in Transition’ (sictransit), which is studying the nature of regime change over the island as whole. Four sites are being examined by survey and excavation: at Monte Kassar a Byzantine fortress of the 8/9th century, habitations have been found beside the extant defensive wall, and the headquarters building (the ‘casermetta’), was fully excavated and shown to have had two phases of construction, the earliest featuring a substantial tower. At the Colle San Vitale, the upstanding medieval ruins have been suject to a new survey. The present old town of Castronovo has also been surveyed and an underground water supply and irrigation system has been identified and mapped beneath it. Lastly, at Casale San Pietro situated on the plain below the town and beside the River Platani, an extensive Byzantine occupation of the 6-7th century has been partially located by geophysical survey, surface collection and trial excavation.