I siti. Elles

The archaeological investigation of the site at Ellès began in September 2002 with the cataloguing of the megalithic monuments. 12 new monuments were identified, adding to the 23 structures already known through preceding research. A historical synthesis of the site of Ellès was thereby introduced, extending from the pre-Roman to the Roman period. The Megalithic tombs surround the area where the classical-era settlement was later founded, especially the portion to the SE, towards the uplands which, possibly together with part of the underlying plain, represented the farmland of the pre-Roman community. The archaeological material identified during the field surveys mostly consisted of finds from the Roman period: the lack of specific concentrations of material together with the dispersion and weathering of the finds has made it impossible to identify the presence, in the areas surrounding the megalithic structures, of settlements linked to the necropolis.
The analysis and classification of these monuments permitted the identification of both construction techniques and building patterns.
The lack of excavation data and the varying states of conservation and visibility of the individual monuments, some of which are damaged, others buried, prohibits a comprehensive reading of general characteristics. Consequently it is difficult to identify monument “types”, which led to the adoption of the term “design model”, distinguishable through the variations in several recurring elements: the number of entrances, the number and organisation of corridors, the number and position of rooms, the presence of so-called “false Porticos” and whether the tomb was surrounded by a platform or terrace.
It is interesting to note the heterogeneous distribution of the 11 design models identified, with some areas containing concentrations of some models compared to other parts of the necropolis. These discontinuities could be indicative of chronological differences in the phases of physical expansion of the burial ground or could reflect the complexity of social organisation of the community to which the monuments are related.