There are also traces of a prehistoric necropolis near , with some bones cemented inside a thick crystalline structure. In the Greek period, there were probably a large number of farmhouses in the area of modern Raffadali. The ancient city of Pitiniana is thought to have been nearby. There is evidence for a Roman presence at the site of Terravecchia. According to Picone, the place may have been the site of the ancient settlement of Herbessus, whose location is not certainly known; the remains of structures provide some evidence for this theory. Among the more important discoveries from this period are the , which depicts the Rape of Persephone and was discovered in the sixteenth century in Grotticelle, where there is other evidence for Roman presence. This was initially in the possession of the princes of Montaperto and subsequently donated to the main church of the town, where it remains to this day. There is also a relief depicting the Vestal virgins, showing priestesses carrying out a sacrifice, in the presence of a male figure wearing a toga. At Grotticelle there is a Byzantine necropolis, with many tombs of local Christians. In 839 or 840, Raffadali was occupied by the Arabs, who introduced new crops, such as apricots, pears, pistachio, citrus fruits, and carob, as well as new farming techniques and a system of canals to irrigate the fields. One etymology for the town's name derives it from the Arabic "Rahl-Afdal" (رحال افدال), meaning "excellent village". Two centuries later, the Norman Conquest put an end to Arab rule. Raffadali became part of the territory of the Diocese of Agrigento, which contained 54 communes, required to pay an annual tithe to the church. In this period, Raffadali was incorporated into a territorial and administrative form typical of feudalism. On 7 October 1095, King Roger I granted the territory of Raffadali to Giorlando Montaperto, son of Giovanni Matteo and Ulla Cassaneto, as a reward for having captured the nearby castle at Monte Guastanella from an Arabic garrison led by one Ali. He thus become lord of the castle and of the "raffa", that is, the surrounding territory. A popular etymology for the name of the Raffadali attributes it to the combination of "Raffa" and Ali.