Page - 55 - in The Power of Urban Water - Studies in premodern urbanism

4 Water, Social SpaceandArchitecture atSelinous: theCaseof theUrbanSanctuary 55 here an artificial fill was created at about the same time next to the east edge of the Cottone lagoon, before theurbandevelopment and the constructionof citywalls.18 Abundanceofwater (at the footof theplateau, close to theseaand the river’smouth)must have influenced the first settlers looking for an appropriate place to establish themain urban sanctuary.19 Moreover, a water springwas considered divine evidence andwater was used in sanctuaries for theperformingofseveralpractices, regardlessof thekindofdeityworshipped.20 Especiallyundergroundwaterwasconsidered tobe suitable for ritual activities, because itwas particularly pure.21 Themonumentalisationprocessduring thesecondhalf of 6th centuryBC Around560BC, theurbansanctuaryunderwentamonumentalisationprocess that lastedproba- bly until the last years of the century22 (Fig.4). The temenoswas extended to the east, thanks to the constructionof ahugeartificial terracemadeof earth and retainedbya step-wall. A lower terracewas created at the base of the northeast side of the sanctuary but, due to later building activities, it is not possible to know its shape in thenorth corner.Wedon’t even know if the lower terrace was provided with buildings during this phase. Nevertheless, it is Fig. 4:Selinous, theurbansanctuary during the second half of the6th cen- turyBC. 18 Seismic surveyshavedetectedhere ahardartificial layer locatedover the silted edgeof the lagoonandunder the urban development with buildings and city walls (Rabbel et al. 2014, 145). This artificial layer has not been dated, but the citywalls over it date back to themiddle of the6th centuryBC, yieldinga terminusantequem. 19 Visibility andeasyaccess to theplateaualsoplayeda role in choosing this area (DiVita 1984, 12). 20 Ginouvès 1962, 283–318; Tomlinson 1988, 170. 21 Rudhardt 1971, 97–100. 22 Thiswaspart of building activities involving streets andother areas of the settlement, too (Marconi 2007, 72– 74; Chiarenza 2020).