The Punic Period

Expected time (h:m):

1:30

Walk for:

5 km

Difficulty:

medium

From 700 to 750 B.C., the old Cagliari was called Karaly. The Punic coastal city was home to the ancient people in the eastern side of the Santa Gilla pond. The Punic people is one of the most fascinating historical elements of the mysterious Cagliari with its trade and the complexity of its social and religious organization, for which the worship of Astarte and the Dead has represented one of the excellences with major artistic implications. The subsequent domination of Carthage, in the V century, has remained engraved on the Tuvixeddu hill, with the eponymous necropolis.

Tuvixeddu Necropolis

The largest Phoenician-Punic necropolis of the Mediterranean extends up to cover the entire hill of the same name. Between the XI and III century B.C., the Phoenicians, settled on the island, began to use the area for burial and cult of the dead, followed, centuries later, by the Romans who built columbarium and arcosolium tombs. Some burials were also used as dwellings. The Tomb of Uraeus, the Tomb of the Wheel and the Tomb of the Fighter, home to numerous decorations depicting palms and masks, appear especially impressive. In fine weather, the clear sky of Cagliari seems to wrap around the site giving a painting aspect of great beauty.

Archaeological Museum

The gaze, lost in the void left by the battles buried by the time, inspires awe. The body, powerful, evokes fierce fighting in the sand, grinding of blades and shields. The Giants, colossus found in the archaeological site of Mont'e Prama in Oristano, are the highlight of the Archaeological Museum, the most important of Sardinia. It is a journey back through the history of Sardinia, from the Prenuragic Ages to the Middle Ages, divided into four floors. The first, the richest of finds, houses a didactic presentation on the ancient cultures in Sardinia, starting from the Neolithic to the Phoenician, Punic and Roman, who all left an indelible mark in local history. The other three are devoted to the illustration of the different territorial sectors, with the exposition of the material found in the most important archaeological sites.

Related links: www.archeocaor.beniculturali.it