I neoria di Naxos in Sicilia
In: Archeologia Classica: 59, 2009
Permalink: http://digital.casalini.it/4231021
Systematic excavations at Naxos ending in 2006 have revealed the remains of a small dockyard - four covered slipways or neoria - at the first Greek colony in Sicily. The main phase dates from the fifth century BC, from 461/460, and ended with the city destruction in 403 BC. The site was reused for burial in the fourth century BC. The building respects the orthogonal city plan
and lies alongside the probable area of the agora, close to one of the main east-west streets (platea C) as it approaches the port on the bay of Cape Schisò.
Indications have now appeared of an earlier structure on the southern part of the site, bearing on its roof remarkable Silenus and Gorgon antefixes of the 490s. These and other terracotta remains add greatly to our knowledge of architectural revetments from Naxos and can tentatively
be associated with an early phase of the dockyard.
A striking feature of the slipways is the presence of ramps of sand, not found elsewhere (the nearest parallels are ramps of earth), while finds of red and blue pigment provide evidence of work on the ships when housed in the neoria.
Analysis of the sequence of ramps and enclosing walls suggests a sequence of at least two phases. There are considerable remains of Roman occupation from the third to seventh/eighth centuries AD.