The urban centre of Tharros was founded in Sinis, a good area for human settlement, with its easy landing place in the Gulf of Oristano, the amount of fish in its waters, game to be hunted, the fertile soil and the wealth of metal in Montiferru, just a few kilometres further north (fig. 1).

Fig. 1 - The area of Sinis and Montiferru in relation to Tharros (from Google Earth. Review C. Tronchetti)

Starting from the glimpse of the 6th century B.C., we see the spreading of the Punic human settlement in this area that reached its peak in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. (fig. 2).

Fig. 2 - Punic settlements in the Sinis region (from DEL VAIS 2015)

This strong territorial expansion is a clear clue that Tharros was also aimed at exploiting the area’s resources, in addition to being a sea trade city.

Settlements prefer flat or low hill areas, while the top of the hills only contain traces of ancient Nuragic structures being reused. This last phenomenon can also be perceived in other situations, of which one clear example is the setting of a small place of worship in front of the Nuragic well temple of Cuccuru S’Arriu (figs. 3-4).

Fig. 3 - The Punic place of worship in front of the Nuragic well temple of Cuccuru S’Arriu ((from DEL VAIS 2015))

Fig. 4 - Part of the votive depository in the Punic sacellum of Cuccuru S’Arriu (from DEL VAIS 2015)

This sacellum, like others found in the countryside, contains a female divinity that protected the fields and harvests, with many similarities with the Greek goddess Demetra.

The Punic settlements are sometimes large, but most of them are small. A hierarchical territorial organisation can be seen, where the larger settlements were coordinating and collecting centres for the agricultural and grazing animal resources in the area, which were then sent to Tharros. Tharros was the place from where imported ceramics and urban production materials arrived.

The Punic territorial organisation for exploitation of the area was excellent, and was maintained for the entire Roman Republic era until the radical transformation of the countryside during the Imperial Era.