Daily life of people in a human community and its main food are extremely linked to bread and its production.

In Monte Sirai, evidence has been found of large terracotta ovens called tannur, tabounas or tabunas (The name tabun is also used for the type of bread made in these containers), in particular in the ‘Casa del lucernario di talco’ (figs. 1-2), where a reconstruction of this type of oven now stands (fig. 3). Similar containers, but which are higher, with a smaller hole and thicker walls are used to produce iron.

Figs. 1-2 - Aerial photo and map (photo Unicity S.p.A.; BARTOLONI 2004, fig. 21)

Fig. 3 - Reconstruction of tannur (photo Unicity S.p.A.)

It is a kind of terracotta jar, still used to bake bread in the more traditional North Africa. In the Phoenician and Punic world, they sometimes have fingermarks pressed around the outer edge.

Disks of flour mixed with water were placed inside from the upper opening of the oven and stuck to the walls. Inside, stones or a grille were placed above the embers, which were introduced and kept hot by insufflation and ventilation through an external opening at the bottom of the oven. The bread, baked on one side, fell onto the inner base and was then collected and turned to stick to the wall again, until baked on both sides.

Figs. 4-6 - Preparation of bread (CAMPANELLA 2008, p. 146; DI GENNARO, DEPALMAS 2011, fig. 2b; terracotta from Punic tomb of Carthage, of a woman and child around a tannur: DEPALMAS 2011, fig. 3)

The presence of millstones in other parts of the Monte Sirai settlement and these ovens indicate the carrying out of a full cycle of transformation of cereals, right up to making bread and eating it.