The ancient city had pre-Greek origins; it was constructed by the
Sicans, who took advantage of the dominant position of the mountain over the
Salso river valley. Archaeological evidence allows the phases of habitation to be divided as follows: • 23rd-15th century BC: some villages of the
Castelluccio culture • 13th-10th century BC: village of huts of the northern
Pantalica culture (threephases) • 10th-9th century BC: slight habitation by the
Cassibile culture • 8th-7th century BC: new settlement with rectangular houses and an organised religious area • 6th-4th century BC: settlement of Greek colonists from
Gela.
Greek period The first phase of the Greek settlement came in the 7th century. The centre consisted of rectangular habitations, with more space between them towards the summit of the mountain. In the 6th century BC, the city wall was built, which probably contained the entire inhabited area at that time. In the 5th century the settlement was destroyed, probably by
Ducetius, who is mentioned by
Diodorus Siculus. Reconstruction occurred in the second half of the 5th century; the settlement received a new layout of streets and housing plots on a different orientation, and a new city wall with rectangular towers. This settlement was abandoned in turn in 310 BC, probably by
Agathocles of Syracuse.
Roman period In Roman times, farms and villas were settled in the plain near Piano della Clesia and near the necropolis in the Lannari district. The bust of emperor
Geta was found here dated to 204-5 AD. It was probably produced in Rome and brought to Sicily by aristocratic owners of the villa. It is one of the few official busts of Geta that survive, as after his murder by his brother
Caracalla in 212, his memory was obliterated under
damnatio. The land was probably owned from 350 AD by
Philippianus judging from tile stamps from the villa of Piano della Clesia, as part of a
latifundium farming estate which included the nearby
Villa of Geraci. == Archaeological area ==