Excavations began in Sant'Antioco, the ancient Sulky, in the area of the Tophet and of the underground necropolis in 1956. The excavations were conducted by the then Superintendent of Antiquities in Cagliari, Gennaro Pesce (fig. 1) and by Inspector Ferruccio Barreca (fig. 2).

Fig. 1 - Gennaro Pesce in an image from 1942 (detail from http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sassari_-_Menhir_di_Monte_d%27Accoddi,_1942.jpg )

Fig. 2 - An image of Ferruccio Barreca at work (from BARTOLONI 2007, p. 5, fig. 1)

The excavations unearthed relics and ancient structures. For the former, attempts were made for an immediate and suitable accommodation, as available spaces were scarce at the Archaeological Museum of Cagliari and a first storage took place in two apartments of a building which had been built in the area before construction work was stopped because of the many discoveries. Thanks to F. Barreca, to whom the current museum is dedicated, a small antiquarium open to the public was set up. Around the mid-80s, these same findings were transferred to the Monte Granatico of the town, which was specifically restored. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the '70s, the new museum was designed and in 1973 the structure was built in an area next to the Tophet, which, after many vicissitudes, opened at the end of 2005 (fig. 3).

Fig. 3 - Outside view of the Municipal Archaeological Museum of Sant'Antioco (from http://www.tharros.info/sites/Sulki/Sulki001a.jpg).

The current museum has four rooms, the first of which introduces us to the various civilisations which lived on the island of Sant'Antioco and is partly devoted to the origins of human settlements from prehistory and early history. From the second to the fourth room, the exhibition concerns discoveries made in the area of the necropolis and the Tophet, embellished by explanatory panels and reconstructive plastic models (fig. 4). The video which reconstructs the wooden sarcophagus of tomb 11 is of great interest.

Fig. 4 - One of the models with the reconstruction of the port of Sulky (photo by M. Murgia).

The Museum may be reached by driving along the State Road 126 to the entrance to the village. Once over the bridge which connects the island of Sulcis with the main Island, one turns to the right and drives along the waterfront, leaving the city centre on the left, up to a sharp bend, near the shipyards. It is obligatory to turn left and to drive along the straight road which leads directly to the square in front of the Museum (fig. 5).

Fig. 5 - The Archaeological Museum seen from above. To the left of the building, the Tophet (from Google Earth).