Phoenician tombs are found in Sicily

Archaeologists report the discovery of 40 Phoenician sarcophagi in what was once a sacred burial ground in Sicily, near Marsala.

The tombs were found by construction workers excavating the foundations of a house, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Archaeologists said the empty sarcophagi were made of simple stone slabs and resembled those found at other Phoenician sites. They were of varying dimensions, some apparently used to bury children.

Also found were several vases of different sizes and shapes that most likely were used during propitiatory rites just before the burial took place, the experts told ANSA.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International

Related stories:

Scientist says Hittites began bioterrorism
Italian researcher Siro Trevisanato says he believes the ancient Hittite empire was the first to use biological warfare.
Excavation planned for Phoenician city
A Phoenician settlement on the Italian island of Sardinia may soon yield some of its secrets to archaeologists.
Ancient Phoenician city not destroyed
The ancient Phoenician city Motya, believed destroyed by ancient Greeks, has been found to have been inhabited long after that supposed event.
Phoenician temple found in Sicily
Archeologists say they have found the remains of a "unique" ancient Phoenician temple in Sicily.
Geoscience rediscovers Phoenicia's buried harbors
The exact locations of Tyre and Sidon's ancient harbors, Phoenicia's two most important city-states, have attracted scholarly interest and debate for many centuries. New research reveals that the ancient basins lie buried beneath the medieval and modern city centers.
Alphabet stone found near Jerusalem
Archaeologists digging at a site near Jerusalem report finding a stone containing the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in the wall of an ancient building.

News discussion:

General Science news