PRINIAS - 2007

Prinias. The University of Catania and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Catania, teams report on continuing excavation in the Ar area of the town (Patela) (Fig. 1). Three areas were investigated: the monumental building, the rooms immediately to its N, and the area of temple A.
In the first, a structure with 2 small columns and a central pillar was revealed (Fig. 2). This can be dated to the first, LGeo, phase of the building, when the presence of votive offerings in its W room confirms that it was a cult place. In the Ar period the building experienced a secondary use for industrial purposes.
Work in the rooms between the so-called temple B and the monumental building concentrated on room VE, also part of a structure of some importance. Here a foundation deposit was earlier recovered, related to the construction of the nearby building.
In the area of temple A, excavation in the rooms immediately to its W revealed more and earlier building phases of LM/SubM date (Fig. 3). As previously, high-quality painted pottery was found inside. Finds also included fragmentary stone sculptures of a small bull and a seated sphinx.