Il progetto di ricerca sul Kerameikos arcaico-classico nell’ area a ovest di Porta V ad Agrigento

The contribution presents the research project carried out in Agrigento, in the artisanal area west of Porta V. The investigation focuses on an extensive pottery production area, currently the oldest kerameikos of the polis (6th-5th centuries BCE), located just outside the city walls, in the strategical and multifunctional sector of the proasteion. The kilns, exceptional both in terms of size and technical features, along with the vast production found in multiple waste deposits, reflect the needs of one of the most important Greek Western colonies during its great development. Thanks to these investigations, for the first time, the production site of Western Greek transport amphorae has been identified. Other significant products include pottery for the cults of nearby sanctuaries on the Hill of the Temples and architectural terracottas for prestigious buildings of the polis of the late-archaic period. The investigated context allows for a detailed examination of various aspects of Archaic and Classical craft production and addresses key research questions currently relevant in the field, such as the organization of workshops, the skills and the mobility of artisans, the relationships between the production from other centers of the Greek world, including the mother colony Gela.