ANAS works along the 106 "Jonica" state road reveal archaeological heritage

Italy has a unique archaeological heritage, and work on a new road or railway is often a great opportunity to discover and return a lost heritage to the country.

This is demonstrated in the latest volume "Tra il Torbido e il Condojanni - Indagini archeologiche nella Locride per i lavori ANAS della nuova 106°". The volume is part of the "I percorsi dell'archeologia" (Archaeology Routes) series produced by Archeolog, the non-profit association of the FS Italiane Group made up of ANAS, Quadrilatero Marche Umbria, RFI and Italferr.

The aim of the non-profit organisation is to find the necessary funds to restore and promote the archaeological findings brought to light during the construction of roads and railways.

As Rossella Agostino and Maria Maddalena Sica, editors of the book, point out, "The results of these surveys open a window on the Locrian territory. The discovery of exceptional sites and unique testimonies are unique in the panorama of the archaeological heritage of southern Italy".

The volume illustrates the finds found by ANAS during the works for the new State Road 106 "Jonica" in the Calabrian territory of southern Locride, between the municipalities of Marina di Gioiosa Jonica and Sant'Ilario. Cooperation between the Superintendence and Anas has led to the discovery of finds ranging from the Neolithic period (6th millennium BC) to the late antique/early medieval period (5th-7th century AD).

During the presentation of the book, Anas President Claudio Andrea Gemme commented on the collaboration between infrastructure and archaeology: "In the past, the archaeological surprise was seen by the contracting authorities as a sort of impediment to the rapid continuation of work. Today we have succeeded in reversing this perception, transforming it into a concrete opportunity for sustainable development in its social dimension".