Locri Epizefiri (RC). Nuovi dati sui modi dell’abitare in età tardo-antica

The paper deals with the results of the recent excavations conducted by the University of Turin in the central area of the ancient city of Epizephyrian Lokroi in Calabria (southern Italy). Near the Roman bath named after the Casino Macrì, new evidence illuminates both the Greek phases and the imperial and late antique periods. In particular, between the 3rd and the 4th c. AD, the construction of a new building proves the definitive dismantling of the previous urban plan of Greek origin. During the 4th c. AD, the entire area is reshaped and several structures are erected: the aforementioned building is enlarged and faces an open air space. This intense occupation phase, which can be paralleled to the monumental buildings known in the Petrara area, is followed by further transformations between the end of the 5th and the 7th c. AD. The area is now involved in a general change whose results consist in alternating graves and residential units, as it has already been noticed elsewhere at the city, both intra and extra moenia. This phase is characterized by the occurrence of large pits filled with ceramics and debris, while the building activity is limited to small rudimentary constructions. The paper also provides a preliminary overview of the ceramics retrieved at the site, both local and imported.