Anta Capital in Limestone

Doric anta capital with a square abacus (the upper element) and an underlying echinus, which connects to the shaft of the pilaster (parasta). Its essential form, lacking a base and characterized by sharp-edged fluting, is typical of the Doric order, the oldest of the Greek architectural orders.

The capital comes from the collapse layers of the large residence known as domus CRr, built in the last three decades of the 1st century BC. The find was recovered together with other stone architectural elements, including the capitals of the house’s portico, and most likely belonged to the architectural decoration of an entrance or a transitional space. It served both a structural and a decorative function, acting as the terminal element of door jambs or wall antae. Its presence testifies to the high architectural quality of the building and to the adoption of classical stylistic models in the decorative language of late Republican residences at Capo Colonna.