Gela - Ancient Town Fortifications

In 1948 substantial parts of the ancient town fortifications were discovered on this promontory, buried under sand dunes 13m/43ft high, and in 1950-54 they were excavated. The wall with its battlements is one of the largest and best preserved of its kind. It dates back to the fifth century B.C., but was renewed in its present form after the destruction of the town by the Carthaginians in 405 B.C., when Timoleon of Syracuse refounded the town of Gela in 340 B.C. Its significant feature is that it is built using a "dual" technique: the lower part, and therefore the part most vulnerable to attack, consists of precise square slabs of limestone (extending up to a height of 4m/13ft).

For the upper parts, on the other hand,