Connectivity and change in the waterproofing technology of ancient sicily

Evidence from Selinunte and Agrigento

Bibliographic Data

ID7475099
AuthorsRory Mclennan (0000-0002-7050-5982, The University of Queensland, corresponding author), Duncan Keenan‐jone (0000-0001-5951-5146, University of Manchester, corresponding author)
Year2026
Volume18
Issue2
Publication date2026-01-28
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueArchaeological and Anthropological Sciences (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1866-9557 • E-ISSN: 1866-9565
PublisherSpringer Nature (PUBLISHER • SG)
DOI10.1007/s12520-025-02364-7
OpenAlexW7125898427
LanguageEN
References cited60

Sicily served as a nexus of connectivity in the ancient Mediterranean, with new ideas and technologies – especially concerning water – emerging from collaboration and competition between multiple communities. An area of ongoing investigation is understanding how mortar technology developed on the island, and what factors influenced its dissemination. To address these questions, the waterproof linings of nine water features from the neighbouring sites of Selinunte (ancient Selinous) and Agrigento (ancient Akragas) were collected. Both sites originated as Greek colonies, but experienced episodes of Punic and Roman hegemony, facilitating the emergence of complex hydraulic networks inspired by multiple socio-technological influences. To investigate the effect of these different communities, 22 mortar specimens that dated from the mid-6th century BCE to the 1st century CE were studied using archaeological and instrumental techniques that included microscopic, digital image and elemental analyses, as well as a novel application of μX-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy (μXFM). Using the multiple data sets produced by these different analyses, this study established a preliminary chronology of waterproof lining technology at Selinunte and Agrigento. It also contextualised evidence of technological change within the broader history of ancient Sicily to demonstrate that growing interconnectivity facilitated the development and transmission of complex hydraulic technologies in the ancient Central Mediterranean

Archaeological evidence · Chronology · Geoarchaeology · History of technology · Interconnectivity · Nexus (standard · Waterproofing · Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Water management and technologies

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