Intrasite Artefact Survey at Terravecchia di Cuti (Sicily)

In this paper, we discuss the results of an artefact survey and a sampling collection in the indigenous settlement of Terravecchia di Cuti, in the chora of the Greek colony of Himera (Sicily). The whole area of the town was gridded with squares of 10x10 m to isolate functional areas and identify the most interesting zones for new archaeological samples. The survey was carried out in two fields (9400 m2), counting and recording all findings. Only diagnostic pottery and figured pottery, antefixes, loom weights, millstones and so on were collected. We can observe, analysing in detail our results for both fields, that functional areas could not be isolated, perhaps because the urban and social organisation of the settlement did not provide for clear distinctions. The multi-functionality of everyday objects, also, does not allow us to recognise these areas. Finally, we must consider the effect of decades of ploughing carried out on the site.