Tracce di urbanizzazione nella vallata mediana della città di Eraclea

The urban area of the ancient city of Eraclea, in the territory of the modern city of Policoro (Basilicata), is morphologically divided into three sections: the upper city, the median valley and the lower city, distinguished by very evident morphological characteristics. The urban layout of the city of Eraclea is known only in the upper and the lower parts of the city where in addition to the archaeological excavations (in the upper city) data has been added from the archaeological photointerpretation of Schmiedt and R. Chevallier and, recently, of G. Ce- raudo (lower city). The median valley has always been considered a rural area destined for the religious activi- ty. Recent geophysical surveys, carried out to the west of the sacred area called the Vallo, have highlighted the urban layout of the valley with orthogonal road axes in relation to the orientation of the lower city. This repre- sents an unprecedented piece of information that sheds new light on an unknown area never before considered urbanised, and which on the contrary affirms the presence of grid and road axes and thus demonstrates evi- dent phenomena of urbanisation.