Sant'Antioco catacombs

The Sant'Antioco catacombs are underground burial chambers beneath the Sant'Antioco Basilica, carved into volcanic rock. Multiple rooms contain wall niches and floor graves that served different groups in the population.

The site started as Punic burial tombs and was later transformed into Christian burial chambers between the 2nd and 7th centuries beneath the basilica. The archaeological layers show this shift from pagan to Christian religious practice in the region.

The burial chambers show social divisions through their design, with decorated niches for wealthy families and simple floor graves for ordinary people. This arrangement reflects the social order that visitors can observe as they walk through.

Access is through guided tours starting at Piazza Parrocchia 22, where professionals explain burial customs and architectural features. The underground rooms require careful stepping and willingness to move through narrow, dim passages.

Several intact skeletons remain in their original positions within the chambers, offering direct evidence of how ancient Romans buried their dead. These human remains are nearly 2000 years old and reveal actual burial practices from that era.