The Tempa Cortaglia Survey Project

243 THE TEMPA CORTAGLIA SURVEY PROJECT 1 In Eastern Lucania, at the periphery of the zone of Greek expansion, initiated in the 6th c. BC, into the Lucanian hinterland, are a number of small sites, fortified in the 4th c. BC, which reflect early cress-cultural contacts and increasing Hellenization in the 5th and 4th c. BC, when the Greek cities on the coast dominated the area between the Sinni and Basentello rivers. 2 These sites are also important for the Iight which they may shed on the Romanization of the area and on the 3rd c. BC settlement pattern in S Italy. 1The Tempa Cortagl ia Survey Project was generously funded by a grant (410-83-0176) from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada: it is a pleasure to acknowledge their support. We are deeply indebted to Dr. A. Bottini, Superintendent of Antiquities for the Province of Basilicata for his co-operation and interest in our project. It is also a pleasure to thank my colleagues at the University of Alberta, Prof. R. J. Buck for interesting us in Tempa Cortaglia and for continued discussions on the project, and Prof. M. Gualtieri for his assistance in the initial planning stages and for his participation on the survey team. Special acknowledgement is due to Sig. Attilio Tramonti, Archaeologist in the Office of the Superintendent of Antiquities, for time generously spent with us at Tempa Cortagl ia, Croccia Cog nato , Garaguso and 01 iveto Lucano, and to the student members of the survey team, Alison M. Keith of the University of Michigan, and Robin Talman, University of California, Berkeley. 2Discussion and bibl iography for the area is found in F. G. LoPorto, "Civilta Indigena e Penetrazione Greca Nella Lucania, II MonAnt 48 (1973), and more recently M.L. Gualandi, C. Palazzi, and ~Iitti, liLa Lucania orientele" in Societa Romana e Produzione Schiavistica (vol.1) L'ltalia: InsediamentTeFOrme- Economiche (Sari 198T)T~r5-179 . - - - - - 244 H. FRACCHIA Archaeologically, the 3rd c. BC in all of Italy is a shadowy period, but it is particularly obscure in Magna Graecia. 3 After the fall of Taranto to the Romans in 270 BC it has generally been accepted that both the Lucanian hinterland and coastal regions, each densely settled in the preceding period, suffered a severe population decline. The area of eastern Lucania (Fig.1), delineated by the Sinni river on the west, the Basentello on the east, the Ofanto on the north, and the gulf of Taranto on the south, before the arrival of the Romans supported at least 64 settlements, fortified areas or cult places. 4 After the arrival of the Romans, such locations diminished to twenty. 5 Before the mid-third c. BC the area of the upper Cavone/Salandrella river valley sustained six fortified sites and one necropolis: after the mid-third c. BC, the area is without traces of settlements. 6 At the source of the Cavone/Salandrella river, Tempa Cortaglia, about 45 km SE of Potenza and 4 km E of Accettura, is a typical example of such a site. 7 The heavily wooded hill of Tempa Cortaglia consists of two peaks which, with the valley below, form an 3For general remarks see T. Potter, The Changing Landscape of South Etruria (London 1979) 95-96, 101-2. For lucanla In particular. L. Quilici, Siris-Heraclea Forma Italiae, regio III, vol. 1 (Rome 1967) 226-9; J.C. Carter (ed.), The Territory of Meta~onto 1981-82 (Austin 1983); A. Tramonti, "Nota per la carta archeo oglca dl San Mauro Forte," Studi in Onore di Dinu Adamesteanu, (Galatina 1983) 87-95; J. P. Morel, Ii Foui lies a Cozzo Presepe, pres de Metaponte" Mel Rome 82 (1970/1) 115-116; H. Fracchia, M. Gualtieri, F. de Polignac, "II territorio di Roccagloriosa in Lucania" MelRome 95 (1983/1) 345-80; M. Gualtieri, IIExcavations at Roccaglorio~2-311 EMC n. s. 3 (1984) 187-202, esp. 198-9; Gualandi ~. (above, n.2) 156-8. 4Gualandi et al. (above, n.2) 156-8, esp. Plate 4-5. 5Gualandi et al. (above, n.2) 158-160, Plate 5. 6Gualandi ~. (above, n.2) Plate 5. 71GM Carta d'ltalia 1:25,000...