Thapsos, Archaeological site at Priolo Gargallo, Sicily, Italy
Thapsos is an archaeological site on Sicily's Magnisi peninsula where ancient people lived in circular huts, rectangular houses, and distinctive buildings with curved ends. These structures were connected by ancient paths and reveal how settlements were organized during the Bronze Age.
The settlement was continuously occupied for several centuries, roughly from 1500 to 900 BC. Later, Athenians used it as a camp during their military siege of nearby Syracuse.
The objects found here reveal how people from distant places connected and traded with one another. Amber from the north, glass beads, and gold jewelry show that goods traveled across Mediterranean routes.
The best artifacts from this location are displayed at the Paolo Orsi Regional Archaeological Museum in nearby Syracuse, where you can see them properly preserved and explained. The site itself sits on a peninsula by the sea and is accessible, though only foundations and structural outlines remain.
A circular tower stands on the grounds, built by British forces in 1806 to defend Augusta Bay against French naval threats. This watchtower marks a much later chapter in the history of this location.
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