Covering Slab from Selinunte Temple

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ARCHITECTURAL TERRACOTTA ELEMENTSThe roofs of the most ancient buildings on the Acropolis, made out of wood and mudbrick were protected by bronze or terracotta cladding.The use of decorated terracotta elements as an exterior cladding, embellished with vividly painted vegetal and geometrical motifs, continued to be common in the Greek word - being also used for stone buildings - until it finally ceased during the 5th century BC.The cladding of architectural elements in Greek temples was constituted by flat roof ties and semi-cylindrical or pentagonal barrel ties; on double-pitched roofs, big barrel tiles (kalypteres hegemones) were placed in order to protect the ndge beam.Disc-shaped decoratve elements (the so-called "acroteria) were situated on top of the roof ridge tiles. At the apex and angles of the pediment the acroteria were constituted by bas-relief figures or vegetal decorative elements, The rainwater was collected by means of a rain gutter (sima) and then, running along the longer flanks of the temple, it flowed off through drain pipos or masks, or else through an opening decorated with vegetal motifs (anthemion); sometimes the edge of the barrel tiles was closed by slabs that were either decorated with bas-relief or painted (antefixes).The cornice (geison)was coated with terracotta tiles and protruded from the building.The decoration was accomplished by several figures placed on the pediment:Gorgons, masks, animals, mythological figures, shields and other symbols of the victory of Order over Chaos.