Tharros, Sardinia, Italy

Corinthian columns at Tharros.

Tharros (also spelled Tharras, Greek: Θάρρας, Ptol., Tarrae or Tarras) was an ancient urban substance on the W coast of Sardinia, Italy, too is currently an archaeological site close the hamlet of San Giovanni di Sinis, municipality of Cabras, inward the Province of Oristano. It is located on the southern shores of the Sinis peninsula, that forms the northern cape of the Bay of Oristano, the cape of San Marco. Tharros, mentioned yesteryear Ptolemy too inward the Itineraries, seems to accept been 1 of the close of import places on the island.

Archaeological inquiry done inward the expanse of Tharros has established that inward the 8th century BCE the town was founded yesteryear Phoenicians. On the remains of a one-time nuragic hamlet on overstep of the colina called Su Muru Mannu they founded a tophet, an opened upward air sacred house mutual for several installations of Phoenicians inward the western Mediterranean, too seen equally a starting fourth dimension sign of colonization too urbanization. Excavations accept shown that from the 8th century BCE until the abandonment of Tharros inward the tenth century the house was inhabited, starting fourth dimension yesteryear Phoenicians, thence yesteryear the Punics too thence nether Roman domination. The town was the uppercase of the medieval Guidicato of Arborea, a Roman/Byzantine relict Earth from the ninth century until 1070 when Orzocorre I relocated to Oristano nether pressure level of Saracen raiders. The town was effectively abandoned at this fourth dimension or soon thereafter. The site was used for centuries afterward that equally a quarry for edifice materials for the surrounding villages too towns. Certainly at that spot has e'er been a potent Sardic chemical component division during the whole fourth dimension of its existence. An inscription records the repair of the route from Tharras to Cornus equally slow equally the reign of the emperor Philip. The Antonine Itinerary correctly places it xviii miles from Cornus too 12 from Othoca (modern Santa Giusta close Oristano).

The expanse is instantly an opened upward air museum too all the same excavations are done bringing to lite ever to a greater extent than details of the yesteryear of this town. What is to survive seen is close of the menses of Roman domination or early on Christianity. Amongst the interesting structures is the tophet itself, the toilet installations, the temple foundations too a business office of the expanse amongst houses too artisan workshops.

Most of the artifacts tin survive found inward the Archaeological Museum at Cagliari, inward the Antiquarium Arborense, the Archaeological Museum of the town of Cabras too inward the British Museum, London.