The Ditch and the House. Construction Energetics in Early 7th-century BC Megara Hyblaia: A Preliminary Study

Background: Megara Hyblaia, a Greek colony founded in the third quarter of the 8th century BC on Sicily’s eastern coast, exemplifies early Western Greek urbanism. By the early 7th century BC, Megara had likely reached its maximum intramural size of approximately 60 hectares. This study focuses on that formative phase to evaluate whether the community possessed the resources to undertake two key construction projects: the first city fortification and residential expansion. Methods: Archaeological evidence shows that residential structures spread across the Southern Plateau and toward the Archaic West Gate by the early 7th century BC. This urban spread correlates with the construction of the city’s earliest defensive structure, an “agger-wall”. The article investigates the feasibility of these projects using two case studies: the agger-wall and the house on plot 113W4. Using data from stratigraphic excavation, 3D modelling, Building Information Modelling (BIM), and architectural energetics, the study estimates construction time and labour requirements. Results The aforementioned methods allowed us to estimate the construction of the agger-wall defence line at 11478 p-d (person-day) and the building of the house on plot 113W4 at 187–196 p-d. These figures then need to be put into perspective with an estimated population of 404–538 individuals in the first quarter of the 7th century BC, of whom roughly half are considered fit for construction work and available for it for five to six months per year. Conclusions: In evaluating the feasibility of early construction projects at Megara Hyblaia, findings suggest that the second-generation population could have built both the fortifications and sufficient housing within a year, without disrupting agriculture or essential tasks. Thus, 7th-century BC inhabitants likely had sufficient workforce for fortifications and housing. This study also highlights the promise and limitations of BIM tools in reconstructing ancient architecture and informing future digital heritage research.