The Siris Project, led by Dr Annarita Doronzio, aims to comprehensively research the ancient Greek settlement of Siris-Herakleia on the southern coast of Italy. It is located on the Gulf of Taranto near the modern town of Policoro. Siris-Herakleia proves to be a particularly suitable case study for the reconstruction of the foundation and development of a Greek colony, both on the basis of the literary tradition and individual archaeological findings. The early phase of settlement is the focus of the project, the first campaign of which took place from 21 July to 18 August 2025.
Aerial view of the Park & Museum,
Parco archeologico di Herakleia
Spring Sanctuary, E. Tolksdorff
One area that is the focus of the first excavation campaign is the spring sanctuary of Siris-Herakleia in the Valle Mediana, which is known in literature as the sanctuary of Demeter and whose architectural remains date mainly from the Classical/Hellenistic period. However, votive offerings and isolated architectural remains prove that the sanctuary was active as far back as the Archaic period. One of the goals of this year's campaign is to examine the character of the sanctuary in the Archaic period in greater detail.
Archaic Mudbrick wall, E. Tolksdorff
Another focus of this year's excavations is the archaic fortifications of Siris, the remains of which have been preserved in several places in the urban area. In particular, the excavation activities are continuing in an area of the fortifications on the southern slope of the northern city hill that has already been uncovered, in order to gain a better understanding of the course and nature of the early city walls.
Position of the two planned cuts with representation of the archaeological findings on the LiDAR of the RSDI Basilicata, M. Voit
Preliminary results of the 2025 excavation campaign
Area Spring Sanctuary East (SSE)
Location of the cuts in the area of the source sanctuary
In 2025, two trenches were dug in the area of the eastern spring sanctuary (SSE 01 & 02) to clarify details about the extent, dating, and stratigraphy of the so-called East Temenos. The so-called East Temenos is a building in the eastern part of the sanctuary, consisting of fieldstone walls to the north, east, and west, which has been dated to the late Archaic period (530 BC post quem) based on excavations in the 1970s and 1980s.
Complete profile of SSE01
Although the continuation of the eastern wall of the so-called East Temenos could not be found in SSE 01 as expected, a complete profile of the geological layers down to the bedrock was uncovered for the first time in this area. This complete picture of the geological strata in the area south of the East Temenos not only helps to better understand the geological situation in the sanctuary, but also reveals for the first time a natural boundary of the sanctuary in this area towards the south.
SSE02 upon reaching the first layers of the votive deposit.
SSE 02 was established in the northeast corner of the eastern temenos in order to record the stratigraphy and possible earlier phases of the area. The work proved particularly difficult, as most of the archaeological layers were located below the waterline of the still active spring. Nevertheless, the discovery of a predecessor wall, a votive deposit with several well-preserved vessels, and a high-quality terracotta statuette of a goddess provided important insights into the use of the site in archaic times. At the same time, the finds raise new questions that will be clarified in future campaigns.
Terracotta statuette of a goddess from the votive deposit in SSE 02
Areal Collina South (CS)
Location of the section on the southern collina.
The main objective of the CS trench was to identify and, if possible, date the remains of an Archaic city wall. A section of this wall had already been uncovered by Dinu Adamesteanu in 1978, although it was never fully published. The trench of the 2025 campaign was positioned a few meters (ca. 7 m) to the south of Adamesteanu’s excavation area.
Profile through the archaic mud brick wall.
During the 2025 excavation, a horizontal layer composed of river stones was discovered. Above this layer, several finds were recovered that could be interpreted as unbaked mudbricks. The general orientation and elevation of this deposit correspond to those of the structure identified by Adamesteanu. Whether the wall itself was actually reached during this season’s campaign cannot yet be confirmed. It is, however, highly probable that the ongoing analysis of the excavation results, together with future fieldwork conducted within the framework of the SIRIS Project, will help to clarify this issue.
In addition, a pottery fragment datable to the end of the 8th century BCE was found during this year’s campaign. This represents the earliest find so far discovered on the Acropolis of Siris in connection with the wall. However, the chronology of the layer in which this fragment was discovered remains uncertain, pending the ongoing study of the associated material.
Participants and guests of the campaign from July 21, 2025, to August 18, 2025:
