Mount Allison University’s Department of Classics has launched a new archaeological research project at the Vallo Sanctuary in the ancient Greek city of Herakleia in southern Italy. The inaugural field season began in July 2026.

Led by Dr. Ilaria Battiloro, professor in the Department of Classics, part of the Visual and Material Cultural Studies (VMCS) program, the project is investigating one of the city’s principal sacred areas to better understand religious architecture, ritual practices, and the relationship between the Greek colony and surrounding Indigenous communities.

Founded in the late fifth century BCE on the site of the earlier city of Siris, Herakleia became one of the most important Greek cities of Magna Graecia — the Greek-colonized regions of southern Italy — and served as a major political, religious, and economic centre.

The research is co-directed by Dr. Mattia D’Acri of Princeton University in collaboration with Dr. Carmelo Colelli, Director of the Museo Archeologico Nazionale della Siritide and the Archaeological Park of Herakleia.

The project is being completed under a formal agreement between the Italian Ministry of Culture (Directorate-General of Museums), the National Museums of Matera — Regional Directorate of National Museums of Basilicata, and Mount Allison University.

By combining archaeological excavation with the study of architecture, material culture, and sacred space, the research aims to deepen the understanding of one of the most significant religious landscapes of Magna Graecia. The project also creates valuable opportunities for student training, international collaboration, and interdisciplinary research while strengthening Mount Allison’s longstanding partnerships with leading cultural and research institutions in Italy.

As fieldwork continues, researchers expect the project to contribute new insights into Greek colonization, ancient religion, and the cultural interactions that shaped southern Italy in antiquity.

Read more about Mount Allison's Visual and Material Cultural Studies program.