Scorrione West (Modica, Ragusa, Sicily): Spatial Organization and Visual Appearance in a rural Hypogeal Cemetery (5th Century CE)

The excavation campaigns at Modica—Scorrione W (2020-2022) have brought together a consistent dataset which challenges the traditional picture of the appearance and economic background of rural rock-cut cemeteries during Late Antiquity. It is argued that rock-cut and lighter structures, as well as a number of decorative means, were employed in order to define the spatial hierarchy of the site. Besides its aesthetic implications, the use of stone, light, painting and wood in this kind of site poses a number of questions regarding the economic geography of Sicily and the access of rural communities to metropolitan-based goods and services.