From the Eastern Mediterranean to the Ogliastra. A Phoenician Amphora from S’Arcu ‘e is Forros (Villagrande Strisaili, Nuoro)

Abstract

The archaeological site of S’Arcu ‘e is Forros (Villagrande Strisaili – NU), located along the routes connecting Ogliastra to the Gennargentu massif, has been the focus of numerous excavation campaigns since the 1980s. During the 2011 season, several fragments of a Levantine amphora (or storage jar) were uncovered, bearing an inscription on the shoulder, between neck and carination. Although the object was studied at the time of its discovery, it has since undergone meticulous restoration, providing an opportunity to re-evaluate both the archaeological and epigraphic data. This analysis offers some insights into the commercial interactions at the dawn of the Iron Age between the still developing Nuragic civilisation and its Levantine counterparts.