Submitted for award of PhD September 2006. - King's College London

Another surge in building activity within sanctuaries can be seen at the end of
the second and beginning of the first century BC in the decades before the outbreak
of the Social War. The so-called Temple B, with a theatre in front of it, was built in
this period at Pietrabbondante. By the end of the second century BC, the Ionic temple
had totally disappeared from the sanctuary and its remains were incorporated into the
podium of Temple B. 208
The theatre occupies the sacred area of the old Ionic temple.
It is plausible that there was another temple behind Temple A, which was
demolished later. The smaller temple in the Schiavi d'Abruzzo sanctuary probably
dates to the turn of the century. Lapenna concludes that its architectural decoration in
terracotta imitates that of Pietrabbondante
temple B (frieze with Doric triglyphs and
metopes with head of an ox)209 The sanctuary had a pavement made of small red
stones. The pottery remains suggest that the temple of Vastogirardi was built in the
late second century BC. Its decoration also shows similarities to that of Temple B at
Pietrabbondante210 The red stones of the floor with white decoration in the small
temple of San Giovanni in Galdo recall the later temple of Schiavi d'Abruzzo and
help to date the temple to the second half of the second century BC. 211 The rubbish
dump behind the temple confirms this date: it contains votive objects, mainly pottery
from the late second to early first century BC. Coins have also been found in the
sacred area. 212 These date from the third and second centuries BC; the latest coin is
from 104 BC. In the case of a small number of other sites where votive material or
part of the podium has been found, it can be only said that they were sacred sites.
These are Roccaspromonte, Carovilli (loc. Monte Ferrante), San Buono (loc. Fonte
San Nicola), Villalfonsina (loc. Morandici) and Vacri (Porcareccia).
208
Capini (1991) 113-4.
209
Lapenna (1997) 81.
210
Morel (1976) 256. D
21! Cianfarani, Franchi dell'Orto, La Regina (1978) 500.
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