Antiquarium of Gioiosa Marea
The Antiquarium of Gioiosa Marea is an exhibition space that houses numerous finds from a protohistoric settlement identified on a terrace on the eastern slopes of Monte Meliuso.
The finds were discovered in the 1980s during the archaeological excavations that brought to light, on Mount Meliuso near Gioiosa Guardia, the remains of an ancient human settlement of pre-Hellenic origin. The research conducted has allowed us to bring to light a strip of a Greek settlement which overlaps two more ancient settlements dating back to the final Bronze Age and the Iron Age.
The Antiquarium also contains numerous historical information on the old town of Gioiosa Guardia, an ancient site important for the defense of the coastal populations from the continuous looting by Saracen pirates, abandoned following a devastating earthquake that occurred in 1783.
In the exhibition space you can admire, in the center of the room, containers used for the conservation and stowage of grain. Around these objects there are display cases that keep domestic furnishings and grave goods dating back to the 4th century BC.
