Archaeologists unearth millennia-old lecture hall from 'impressive' ancient high school

The lecture hallway of an "impressive precocious school" from an past Greek colony was precocious uncovered successful Italy – with the find highlighting the similarities betwixt past and modern schooling.

The Free University of Berlin announced the find successful a property merchandise connected April 9. The excavation took spot successful Agrigento, Italy, connected the southwestern seashore of Sicily.

Agrigento was founded successful 580 B.C. arsenic the largest Greek colony successful Sicily. The colony boasted some a precocious schoolhouse and a grammar schoolhouse – yet the lecture hallway of the analyzable was lone unearthed this past March.

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University officials described the hallway arsenic "a tiny covered theatre that could accommodate astir 200 radical connected 8 rising, semicircular rows of seats," said a connection translated from German to English.

It went on, "When the grammar schoolhouse was built successful the 2nd period B.C., nary different presently known grammar schoolhouse successful the past satellite offered specified a lecture hall. It was lone 250 to 300 years aboriginal that the ample precocious schoolhouse successful Pergamon (Turkey) received a theater-like auditorium."

An aerial representation of Agrigento, which features, successful German captions, "rooms for sports and lessons," a lecture hall, a "large space" and a swimming pool. (Thomas Lappi – Monika Trümper, © Free University of Berlin, Institute for Classical Archaeology)

The hallway was chiefly utilized for intelligence activities specified arsenic lessons, arsenic good arsenic acquisition demonstrations and competitions. 

Schools successful antiquity placed an accent connected steadfast minds and steadfast bodies — and teachers ensured that young men were physically and intellectually acceptable for big life.

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"From the 4th period BC, [Greek] cities built ample complexes with moving tracks, bathing facilities and rooms wherever young men could bid and learn," the property merchandise said. 

So far, the schoolhouse successful Agrigento is the lone past operation successful the occidental Mediterranean that offered a ample swimming excavation and 200-meter-long moving tracks, according to officials.

An archaeologist is seen surveying the tract of the Agrigento gymnasium. (S. Kay / Free University of Berlin)

Excavators besides recovered a semi-circular conception of the lecture hall, wherever "teachers and students erstwhile performed successful beforehand of an audience."

"[T]wo ample blocks with a Greek inscription were found, the letters of which were engraved successful the white-plastered brushed limestone and highlighted with reddish paint," the property merchandise noted. 

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Archaeologists besides came crossed an inscription indicating that the gymnasium was financed by a national who dedicated the operation to Greek gods.

"Mention is made of a gymnasiarch, the caput of the gymnasium, and the renewal of the extortion of the apodyterium (changing room), which a generous national financed from his ain resources and dedicated to the gods of the gymnasium, Hermes and Heracles," the connection read.

Inscriptions connected seats successful the gymnasium of Agrigento were recovered successful erstwhile excavations. (M. Trümper / Free University of Berlin)

The inscription is highly unusual, experts say, and helps to "provide insights into the societal beingness of the city."

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"The missive signifier suggests that the inscription was engraved successful the precocious 1st period B.C., erstwhile Agrigento had agelong been nether Roman rule." the connection said. 

Agrigento was founded successful 580 B.C. arsenic the largest Greek colony successful Sicily. (iStock)

"Nevertheless, the Greek language, Greek offices and traditions continued to beryllium maintained, and the Greek precocious schoolhouse continued to beryllium utilized and maintained arsenic a cardinal grooming halfway for young people."

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The tract volition beryllium excavated again successful 2026, according to the Free University of Berlin.

Archaeologists are hoping to "uncover much sports and teaching spaces northbound of the auditorium and find much inscriptions that volition reconstruct beingness successful the past precocious schoolhouse of Agrigento."