Sardinia

Starting from the late ninth century bce, groups of Phoenician sailors and merchants landed on the island of Sardinia, searching for resources—metals in particular—to trade along the trans-Mediterranean maritime network they had begun to establish. The earliest permanent Phoenician settlement dates back to the first half of the eighth century bce, and by the end of the following century new Phoenician settlements appeared, mainly on the coasts of Sardinia’s southern part. In this chapter, the author explores interactions between Phoenicians and the local Nuragic culture, which was thriving at the time of the newcomers’ arrival, and the spread of Phoenician material culture on the island. The chapter traces the patterns of Phoenician presence as outcomes of diversified forms of contact and interaction with Nuragic communities, varying significantly across the island throughout the Iron Age. The author lays out the basic features of Iron Age Nuragic society, and explores how and to what extent local communities made use of Phoenician material culture between the late ninth and eighth centuries bce. The chapter then moves to define the archaeological features of Phoenician sites, and focuses on interaction and the appearance of mixed communities, particularly at indigenous sites in the seventh and sixth centuries bce. Finally, the specific context of the Phoenician diaspora on Sardinia is set in the wider western Mediterranean contemporary scenario.