A significant Roman archaeological site has been uncovered near the town of Vizzini in the province of Catania, southeastern Sicily. The remains of a Roman house, complete with an intricate mosaic floor, date back to the 2nd to 4th centuries CE and are part of a larger Roman village covering approximately 15 hectares.

A view of the excavations in Sicily. Credit: Johannes Bergemann / Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

For more than two decades, archaeologists from the University of Göttingen have been exploring how ancient Sicilians lived and traded. The team, led by Prof. Dr. Johannes Bergemann of the Archaeological Insтιтute, began its research in the Vizzini area in 2022. After conducting surface inspections, the team employed geophysical surveys in 2023 to detect anomalies in the Earth’s geomagnetic field, which provided detailed images of the underground structures without the need for immediate excavation.

One of the key findings from these surveys was a Roman house measuring 30 by 13 meters. Just below the current surface, the building revealed a large room, nearly 100 square meters in size, with a mosaic floor. Unfortunately, parts of this mosaic were damaged by agricultural plowing over the centuries. “Inside, there is a representative room with a mosaic floor. Unfortunately, parts of the mosaic were destroyed by plowing,” said Prof. Bergemann.

The excavation also revealed other important architectural features, including rounded brick columns coated with stucco and likely painted, resembling those found in Pompeii. The remains of fountains with marble ponds and fragments of Terra Sigillata, a type of luxury Roman ceramic, were also uncovered. These discoveries suggest that between the 2nd and 6th centuries CE, the inhabitants of this region lived in relative luxury.

Remains of the mosaic floor of the Roman house in Sicily. Credit: Johannes Bergemann / Georg-August-Universität Göttingen

The site represents a Roman village that emerged during a period when large rural settlements and villas replaced earlier Greek cities in Sicily. Roman agricultural production facilities, often yielding significant harvests, became a key feature of this settlement system. This system, sustained by long-distance trade routes in the expansive Roman Empire, connected inland areas to coastal storage sites along the southern coast of Sicily. Numerous small storage depots were established for the purpose of trade, as Sicily played a vital role in the Empire’s economy. However, this settlement system was short-lived, lasting only a few centuries.

“The house we discovered near Vizzini is an important testimony to this era,” said Bergemann, emphasizing the significance of the find. The research team has also identified similar buildings nearby, indicating that the entire village was likely an integral part of the Roman Empire’s agricultural and trade networks.

The Göttingen archaeological team presented their findings publicly for the first time at the Vizzini Town Hall on October 16, 2024. A more detailed presentation is scheduled for February 3, 2025, at the University of Göttingen as part of their Archaeological Lecture Series.

More information: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen