2024 - Living in Late Antique Rural Sicily: Archaeological Investigations at Terravecchia di Caltavuturo
Dr. Nicolò Pini’s archaeological project focuses on the fortified settlement of Terravecchia di Caltavuturo in northern Sicily, a site which provides a unique lens into rural life between the Byzantine and Islamic periods. Occupied until the 15th century and gradually abandoned by the 18th, the site preserves vital traces of continuity and transformation in the Mediterranean’s shifting cultural landscape.
This project, supported by The Barakat Trust, marks the first systematic archaeological investigation of the site, which, despite its historical significance and mentions in Arab sources, has received only limited attention. Dr. Pini’s team will conduct an extensive mapping and survey of the settlement’s still-standing structures, alongside targeted excavations of the castle and village area. These explorations will help reconstruct the site’s occupational history and its role during key periods of transition, including the Arab-Norman era.
The project also aims to contextualize the site within its surrounding landscape, shedding light on how rural Sicilian communities adapted to geopolitical shifts between the Byzantine, Islamic, and later Norman powers. As a first step in a planned multi-year excavation, the results will form the foundation for further research and conservation.
Dr. Nicolò Pini is a postdoctoral researcher based at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France). His expertise in Late Antique and Islamic archaeology positions this project to make a lasting contribution to our understanding of Sicily’s role in Mediterranean history.
