The Phoenician-Punic city of Tharros has two necropolis areas, one north and one south of the inhabited area (fig.1)

Fig. 1 - Location of the northern necropolis of Tharros. A) the necropolis; B) Su Muru Mannu hill (from Google Earth. Review C. Tronchetti)

The northern necropolis is about one kilometre north of the Su Muru Manu hill and is close to the seashore, in the village of San Giovanni di Sinis. In modern times, a quarry caused a lot of damage, but recent searches have shown an area that is still in a good state of preservation (fig. 2)

Fig. 2 - View of the northern necropolis of Tharros during excavation (from DEL VAIS, FARISELLI 2012)

Phoenician incineration tombs have been found, that can be dated between the end of the 7th and the 6th century B.C., some of which have a precise stone block covering that covered the hole with ashes and items of the deceased (figs. 3-5).

Fig. 3 - Tomb nr. 56 in the Tharros northern necropolis; stone block covering (from DEL VAIS, FARISELLI, 2012)

Fig. 4 - items in tomb 56 (from DEL VAIS, FARISELLI, 2012)

Fig. 5 - he Phoenician cremation tomb nr. 60 bis in the Tharros northern necropolis (from DEL VAIS, FARISELLI, 2012)

The items place in the Phoenician tombs were modest and repetitive, two pitchers, a cup, a kitchen vase and a plate (fig. 6)

Fig. 6 - items in tomb 60 bis: 1) two-lobed pitcher; 2) pitcher with a mushroom shape brim; 3) cup; 4) kitchen vase; 5) plate. Datable between 600 and 575 B.C. (From DEL VAIS, FARISELLI 2012) Review C. Tronchetti)

The Punic tombs, which are the ones most heavily damaged, are coffer tombs and hypogeum chamber tombs, from around the 5th-3rd century B.C.