Thapsos

Situated on the Magnisi peninsula near Priolo Gargallo in eastern Sicily, Thapsos is a prehistoric city that was identified by Italian archaeologist Paolo Orsi. The Thapsos culture, one of the most influential prehistoric cultures in Sicily, was linked to the Sicani people. The site is notable for its habitation - the first known city in Sicily - and its rich necropolis. According to historian David Abulafia, a settlement at Thapsos offers evidence of a sophisticated, imported culture, Mycenaean in origin.

The settlers created a grid-like town with streets up to four metres wide, houses built around courtyards, and tombs full of Late Helladic wares from the Greek lands, suggesting a 'veritable foreign colony' at Thapsos. Indeed, the closest analogy to the layout of the houses in Thapsos is found at Enkomi, near Famagusta on Cyprus. Thapsos also yielded many small perfume containers of Mycenaean origin. However, it was not solely an offshoot of Mycenae.

It produced plenty of coarse grey pottery in Sicilian styles, indicating a mixed population. Thucydides wrote that Thapsos was a colony of Megara founded by the same people who founded Trotilon and Megara Hyblaea.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons