Page - 53 - in The Power of Urban Water - Studies in premodern urbanism

4 Water, Social SpaceandArchitecture atSelinous: theCaseof theUrbanSanctuary 53 frommanyareasof thecity.Moreover, it is interestingtonote thatonly twospringswere located inmainpublicareas (GaggeraandAcropolis), and theywere relatedwithsacredspaces inboth cases. TheGaggera spring likely played an important role in the development of the temene and sacredbuildings located in thisarea.Nevertheless, it isnotyet clearhowthepeopleofSelinous controlledandused itswaterduring theArchaicandClassicalperiods.Moreover, theexistence of amonumental fountain is still debated.11 Thespringonthewest slopeof theManuzzahillwasquite far fromtheagoraandnopublic fountain has been retrieved there so far.12 The same holds true for the spring on the eastern hill: no evidencehints that itswaterwasused for the temples located to the southof it. The second case of a relation betweenwater spring andpublic spaces concerns the urban sanctuary that roseup in thesoutheastareaof theacropolis13uponanarearich inwater,where also apublic fountainwasbuilt later. Theurbansanctuary from thebeginning to the first half of the6th centuryBC This areawasdedicated to cult activities from the foundation of the colony.14 After a periodof open air cult activities and buildingsmade of perishablematerials, the first templesmade in stone (Temples R and S, andmaybe the forerunner of Temple C) were built in the southeast areaof theacropolisduring the firstdecadesof the6thcenturyBC.At thesametime, thesanctu- arywas extendedeastwardby the constructionof twoconsecutive terraces15 (Fig. 2). A detailed reconstruction of the sanctuary is not possible at this stage, but its shapewas likely influencedbythe landscape,despite theconstructionof the terraces. If the reconstruction of the northeast side is correct, the temenos followed the edge of the plateau. In light of the fountain built later, we canpostulate the presence of awater spring on the slope of the rocky plateau, under the northeast side of the sanctuary.16 Moreover, the drain channel along the southwall of the lower terrace is another clue testifying to thepresenceofwater along theeast edge of the acropolis plateau (Fig.3). The channel, carved into the blocks at the base of the wall, cameout from the inside of the lower terrace and endedat its southeast corner, over the guard stone located at the crossing between the east-west road and a north-south road.17 The construction of the two terraces upon an area rich in underground water is the outcome of building activity of the first generations of Selinous inhabitants, who gradually turned land- scape tourbanscape. Further evidenceof thisprocess canbe recognizeda little furthernorth– 11 The channel coming from the spring andpassing through the temenehas been related to the latest phases of Selinus (Late antiquity) by C. Greco andV. Tardo. The same authors considered the so-called TempleMamonu- mental fountain.Regarding thedifferent interpretationsof these structures see:Greco–Tardo 2012, 198–202;Gre- co–Tardo 2015, 110–113. 12 Nopublic fountain in the agora is knownat present. DieterMertensmentioned semi-public fountains embed- dedwithin the agora’sArchaic façade. These couldbeusedboth from the internal shops and the external square. Mertensdidnot provide further details on the installations and their exact location (Mertens 2006, 214). 13 Crouch 1993, 284 fig. 20, 5 interprets as a small fountain the niche in the house facade at the north corner between streets Sd-E andSAon theAcropolis.M. Fourmont follows this reconstructionbut specifies that it is not clear if the fountainwas fedbyacisternor awater line (Fourmont 2019, fig. 5).Nevertheless, there isnoevidence concerning thewaterdelivery systemandbasin.Moreover, theniche is lessdeep than the reconstructionmadeby D.P. Crouch. Finally, the entirewall seems tohavebeen rearranged,probablyduring thePunic-Hellenistic phase. 14 Marconi 2018, 180. 15 DiVita 1984, 11–23.On the first stageof TempleR:Marconi 2018, 180 fig.5. 16 DiVita 1984, 39;Mertens 2003, 91;Mertens 2006, 187; Bouffier 2009, 71; Furcas 2019, 79. 17 DiVita 1984, 21–23 figs. 2. 3. 11–13.