Resumption of on-site research by the Italian Archaeological Mission in Cyrene (MAIC) of the “L. Vanvitelli” University: new scientific evidence and post-Hurricane Daniel redevelopment strategies

The paper deals with the activities conducted by the Italian Archaeological Mission in Cyrene (MAIC) of the “L. Vanvitelli” University during the years 2022-2023/24. The fieldwork in 2022 was followed by activities in 2023, starting with the scientific organisation of the International Conference celebrating the 110th anniversary of Italian-Libyan archaeological collaboration, which was held in Tripoli on 29-30 August 2023. The discussion continues with the on-site interventions carried out in Cyrene immediately after the conference, including the completion of work on the relocation and securing of ceramic, fictile, and sculptural material stored in the now dilapidated “Casa Parisi” warehouse, dating from Italian excavations conducted from 1957 onwards, as well as the relocation of the pediment statues from the Temple of Apollo. These operations proved crucial, as on the night of 10-11 September 2023, Hurricane Daniel struck the north eastern region of Libya, causing severe damage in Cyrene. In the polis, a UNESCO site since 1982, the violent cyclone mainly hit the Quarter of the Sanctuary of Apollo, with serious and diverse damage in its three areas: “Arch of Marcus Aurelius – Valley Floor Street/Colonnade Street”, “Sanctuary of Apollo”, and “Theatre-Amphitheater”. This contribution illustrates the immediate actions implemented by MAIC following the event. In close cooperation with the Department of Antiquities (DoA) of Libya and the local DoA of Cyrene, the “Vanvitelli” Mission documented and extensively studied the hurricane’s damage through two subsequent field campaigns (October 2023 and February 2024). The detailed Reports, promptly sent by MAIC to the relevant Libyan and Italian institutions, highlighted the serious risks now facing the archaeological heritage of the Cyrenean Quarter, as well as the ongoing degradation processes in its three sectors, affected by the hurricane to varying degrees. In addition, the emergency interventions carried out by MAIC in cooperation with the DoA in Cyrene to safeguard and secure architectural structures at risk of immediate collapse, as well as efforts to recover the significant archaeological materials displaced by the water avalanche, are discussed. Furthermore, the paper analyses the new monuments that came to light in the large “moat” excavated by the hurricane in the area of the “Arch of Marcus Aurelius – Valley Floor Street/Colonnade Street” (including a rock-cut street, tombs, and a large water drainage channel), and in the trench excavated between the Greek Propylaea and Roman Propylaea in the area of the “Sanctuary of Apollo” (including marble statue bases with Greek inscriptions). The scientific results emerging from this study and the preliminary dating of the new archaeological evidence serve as the foundation for future stratigraphic investigations. Finally, a brief summary of the project drawn up by MAIC for the consolidation and redevelopment of the Quarter of the Sanctuary of Apollo, the religious heart of the polis, completes the contribution.