Location
The peninsula of San Giovanni di Sinis, on which the city is located, ends with the San Marco promontory and stretches out towards the sea for about 3 km., closing off to the west the Gulf of Oristano. Occasional hills a few meters above sea level enliven the area including those of Su Murru Mannu, San Giovanni and the so-called platform towards northeast, south of the old tower.
Description
The city hasn't revealed any indication as to the origin of this, the oldest Phoenician name. The Latin name Tharros is indicated on a milestone. The harbour’s favourable position allowed for the flourishing of one of the largest western Phoenician centres, most southern point of assistance on the seaway towards the Gallic and Iberian coastlines.
Its restoration that took place during the Roman Age, although preserving some evidence of the pre-existing Punic establishment, and doesn't allow us to completely identify the Punic city's layout.
The uncovering of a few monuments from the Punic epoch allow us to understand the essentials; the city was erected over the central part of the isthmus thus permitting it to use a double landing, one on the western side and the other on the eastern board.
Topographically significant areas
At the base of the San Giovanni hills, in the so-called area of the Fish excavations of the 50’s, the two following areas were identified:
• one for destinations prevalently for public use oriented towards northwest/southeast.
• the other above, with residential features, was oriented towards east-west.
A kind of square, better yet a triangular area functioning as a hinge between the two areas is centrally located at the bottom of the hill’s slope and is supplied by a large roadway, one of the most magnificent documented to date on the island after that of Nora. The road connects this area of Su Murru Mannu hill where, beginning in the 70's, the city's new excavations began.
The Baths and the Harbour
The city of Tharros had large bathing establishments that are distinguished by the various areas equipped with heating and various other services. One of these baths was the Terme di Convento vecchio located in a vast, terraced area. The use of these baths can be dated back to the II century A.D. due on the presence of a mosaic floor.
On the eastern side of the Sinis peninsula, the under-water prospecting done on several occasions during the 80’s located the remains of harbour equipment close to Porto Vecchio, north of Su Murru Mannu and between this later point and the Convento Vecchio baths.
Necropolis
The areas of the Necropolis are in the districts of:
• San Marco, south of the settlement
• San Giovanni, north of the settlement
There is also the presence of a few burials in the ditch’s embankment of the city’s northern walls.
Masks
The variations that appear in sneering masks are typical. We note the search for the horrendous and the monstrous is diminished and the analysis of physiognomy is accentuated. The use of local craftsmen is obvious particularly in the traits of the mouth, which shows the fence of one’s teeth, and in the superficial use of streaking which indicates the mouth and cheekbones.
Jewellery
One of the primary centres for jewellery production is Tharros. A large number of earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces have been found here and were produced using the following methods:
• granulation
• engraving
• relief
These objects present particular and distinct characteristics with respect to the rest of the Phoenician-Punic production.
