Comparing Construction Habits in Megara Hyblaia and Selinous. The projects BICAS and CaF

Megara Hyblaea and Selinous, both founded under Megara Nisaea’s guidance, should, in theory, share strong ties. While Selinous was established by Megara Hyblaea’s settlers, archaeology suggests they could diverge significantly. This paper compares a key aspect: construction techniques, explored by two projects. The CaF Project (2019–2020) analysed concrete and mortar floors (4th–2nd century BC), seeking evidence of local craftsmanship and attempting to refine chronology. The BICAS Project (2023–2025) expanded this focus to construction programmes (7th–1st century BC), using in particular architectural energetics to assess costs and socio-political impacts. In this paper, I will present these projects, showing how their findings reveal both similarities and distinctions between Megara Hyblaea and Selinous.