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Antiquarium of San Giuseppe Jato

The treasure of Ietas

Antiquarium of San Giuseppe Jato

Overview
Overview
Ietas findings
Ietas findings
The statues, calcareous, are over two meters high and should be from the 5th century BC.
The statues, calcareous, are over two meters high and should be from the 5th century BC.
The mountain were stood Ietas. The Antiquarium is located at the foot of the hill
The mountain were stood Ietas. The Antiquarium is located at the foot of the hill

The antiquarium, a building dating back to the end of the 19th century, exhibits some of the most prestigious and representative finds from the excavations of Mount Jato, were stood the ancient town of Ietas, including four statues, two caryatids and two satyrs, coming from the theater's façade.
The statues, calcareous, are over two meters high and should be from the 5th century BC.
With their arms raised they held a load that is now missing.
The caryatids (statues of support, like columns, female) have the head surrounded by a crown of ivy: they are therefore maenads that accompany Dionysus, the god of the theater.
The male figures are instead satyrs, with the chest encircled by a garland. Also belonging to the cult of Dionysius, they wear a short skirt, the actors' costume. Both these statues served as architectural support, typical here in Sicily.
Perhaps the most striking example is represented by the famous telamons (the corresponding male of the Caryatid) of the temple of Zeus in Agrigento.
At the end of the hall one can see, rebuilt, part of the roof of the theater's scenic building. This is proved by the almost one meter long and very heavy tegoloni, which bear the unequivocal indication: "TEATPOY, applied in a central position. All the public buildings of the Greek city Iaitas, namely the temple of Aphrodite, the scenic building, the porches of the Agora, were covered with tiles, stamped before cooking, in order to discourage the theft of public goods for private purposes.
But there are many other objects that enrich this beautiful archaeological museum.
We report: some findings from a peristyle house, like a sealed glass of earth, a butcher's knife, a beautiful bronze handle decorated with a satyr's head; a series of oil lamps coming from the votive deposit in front of the temple of Aphrodite; engraved and painted indigenous ceramics, Greek ceramics with black and Roman paint (sealed from Arezzo and Africa); glazed medieval ceramics based on lead ...

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