The Palatine Tables, possibly named after a palace once thought to have stood here, are the remains of a sixth-century BC Doric temple dedicated to Hera. Near the Bradano River, the temple belonged to an out-of-town sanctuary; archaeologists have found part of its enclosing wall and the remains of an older altar.

Historical background

The monument stands in the archaeological area of Metaponto, on the last of the ancient coastal ridges known as the Givoni, near the right bank of the Bradano River. It was built over a Neolithic settlement along a prehistoric route from Siris-Heraclea, about 3 km from ancient Metaponto. Restored in 1961, the temple was first attributed to Athena; a votive dedication on a pottery fragment found during excavations in 1926 later identified Hera. Until the nineteenth century, local people also called the Palatine Tables the Palatine Shelves or Columns, perhaps recalling the paladins' battles against the Saracens. The temple was also called the School of Pythagoras. In the Middle Ages it was known as Mensae Imperatoris, possibly in memory of Emperor Otto II's camp at Metaponto during his campaign against the Saracens in 982.

The temple remains comprise 15 fluted Doric columns around the cella, with its inner sanctuary and entrance porch: ten columns stand on the north side and five on the south. There were originally 32 columns, twelve along each long side and six along each short side. The stylobate measured 34.29 by 13.66 metres; the cella measured 17.79 by 8.68 metres. Built from local limestone known as mazzarro, the temple is now badly weathered. In the fifth century BC it gained a terracotta roof with colourful Ionic-style decoration, lion-head ornaments and water spouts. Excavations in 1926 found fragments of this decoration, figurines, pottery and column pieces nearby; they are displayed at the National Archaeological Museum of Metaponto.

The National Archaeological Museum of Metaponto houses the main finds from the ancient city and its surroundings, as well as objects from nearby Pisticci and the Incoronata archaeological area. Since December 2014 it has been managed by the Basilicata museum authority.

The National Archaeological Museum of the Siritide is located within the archaeological site of ancient Heraclea (Herakleia), near Policoro in the province of Matera. Since December 2014 it has been managed by the Basilicata museum authority.

Opened in 1969, the museum presents finds from Heraclea in chronological order, from the Neolithic to the Roman period. The first section covers Neolithic evidence from the Latronico caves and elsewhere, including red-banded pottery from the sixth to third millennia BC. The Bronze Age section includes grave goods from a burial dated to about 2000 BC at Tursi and Mycenaean pottery from about 1200 BC. Excavations at ancient Siris yielded votive figurines, decorations, reliefs and helmets from the archaic temple and necropolis. The third section focuses on Heraclea, with votive figurines, bronze tablets, Greek and Roman coins, pottery moulds, kraters, cups and vessels. The fourth displays finds from Greek necropolises, including the Policoro Tomb and its large red-figure vases with mythological scenes. The final section is devoted to the Oenotrian and Lucanian peoples along the Agri and Sinni rivers, with grave goods from Anglona, Chiaromonte, Tursi, Armento and Aliano, including a princess's burial and finds from around a thousand tombs of the seventh and sixth centuries BC.