Papers by Stefano Floris
Gerión. Revista de Historia Antigua, 2024
The paper presents and discusses two fragments of wheel-made clay figurines recently recovered du... more The paper presents and discusses two fragments of wheel-made clay figurines recently recovered during the renewed investigations conducted by the Ca' Foscari University of Venice in the Tophet of Bithia, situated on the islet of Su Cardolinu. These two specimens, representing the first instances of wheel-made clay figurines found in Bithia outside of the wellknown batch of "suffering devotees", hold significant implications for the understanding of the history of the Tophet of Su Cardolinu and, more generally, the settlement of Bithia.
Cartagine. Studi e Ricerche (CaSteR), 2023
Within the repertoire of the stone monuments erected in the Punic sanctuaries known as “Tophets”,... more Within the repertoire of the stone monuments erected in the Punic sanctuaries known as “Tophets”, the so-called “stepped altars” represent an absolute unicum since they were found only at Tharros (Sardinia). From a morphological point of view, their affiliation to the category of “thrones” at the time proposed by Sabatino Moscati can be considered an established fact. Still, their role within the ritual of the Tophet of Tharros remains unclear.
This paper discusses the function of these stone monuments through a review of their archaeological context and an in-depth iconographic examination.
Rivista di Studi Fenici, 50 (https://open.rstfen.cnr.it/index.php/rsf/article/view/184), 2022
The paper presents an inscribed Punic stele reused in the church of Sant’Efisio di Pula (Sardinia... more The paper presents an inscribed Punic stele reused in the church of Sant’Efisio di Pula (Sardinia). The typological analysis of the stone monument and the votive formula of the inscription indicate that the stele was primarily dedicated as an ex voto in the tophet of Nora, located near the church. The paper also takes stock of the re-use of Punic stelae from the
tophet of Nora in the church of Sant’Efisio and the adjacent structure, known as the “Casa dell’Alter Nos”.
Progressus, 2019
In the Punic material record of the central Mediterranean, depictions of marine animals recur rat... more In the Punic material record of the central Mediterranean, depictions of marine animals recur rather frequently, particularly in some craft categories such as amulets, vase painting, coroplastics, clay moulds, and votive stelae. The extraordinary attention paid to anatomical details that characterize some documents allowed scholars to recognize the different marine species. Among these are dolphins, molluscs (including octopus, cuttlefish, and clam), crustaceans (such as crab) and a wide variety of fishes (such as sea bream, tuna, etc.). It is likely that the knowledge of this marine fauna derived from direct experience related to the economic exploitation of marine resources. However, it is possible that many representations had a symbolic magic-religious value too, linked in particular to funerary or votive contexts.
Mytra, 2020
The figurative repertoire of Punic painted pottery of Tharros (Cabras – OR) is mainly known by ce... more The figurative repertoire of Punic painted pottery of Tharros (Cabras – OR) is mainly known by ceramic fragments discovered during the excavation campaigns carried out in the Northern slopes of the hill of Su Murru Mannu between the 1970s and the 1990s. Phytomorphic, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic motifs can be recognised notwithstanding the fragmentary state of the sherds. This paper aims at providing an analysis of the human patterns depicted on Tharros Punic pottery.
Byrsa. Scritti sull'antico Oriente mediterraneo, 2020
The tophet of Tharros (Cabras, Sardinia) was brought to light back in 1962 by the then Soprintend... more The tophet of Tharros (Cabras, Sardinia) was brought to light back in 1962 by the then Soprintendente alle Antichità della Sardegna, Prof. Gennaro Pesce, in the framework of the archaeological campaigns that he undertook between 1956 and 1964 in the urban area of the ancient site. This paper retraces the discovery of the sanctuary and its first archaeological excavation by analysing both edited studies and unpublished archive data.
Open Archaeology 5-2019. Special Issue on "Unlocking Sacred Landscapes: Digital Humanities and Ritual Space", edited by G. Papantoniou, A. Sarris, C.E. Morris, A.K. Vionis., 2019
The "Sacra Tharrhica Project" was started by University of Bologna (Coordinators: A.C. Fariselli,... more The "Sacra Tharrhica Project" was started by University of Bologna (Coordinators: A.C. Fariselli, E. Giorgi, R. Secci, M. Silani) in cooperation with University of Cagliari (Coordinator: C. Del Vais) in 2017. The aim is to obtain a 3D virtual reconstruction of all temple structures of the Punic settlement of Tharros on the central-west coast of Sardinia, starting from a systematic architectural and archaeological study of the Punic and Roman phases of the buildings. The project has firstly focused on the "Monumental Temple" or "Doric half-columns Temple". This Punic sacred area was probably monumentalized between the late 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. After the Roman conquest, it was rebuilt between 1st century B.C. and 1st century A.D.
C. Del Vais – M. Guirguis – A. Stiglitz (edd.), Il tempo dei Fenici. Incontri in Sardegna dall’VIII al III sec. a.C., Nuoro, pp. 330-333, 2019
C. Del Vais – M. Guirguis – A. Stiglitz (edd.), Il tempo dei Fenici. Incontri in Sardegna dall’VIII al III sec. a.C., Nuoro, pp. 288-291 , 2019
Incontri di filologia classica, 17 (2017-2018), 2019
Le indagini condotte tra gli anni Settanta e Novanta sulla Collina di Su Murru Mannu nel sito di ... more Le indagini condotte tra gli anni Settanta e Novanta sulla Collina di Su Murru Mannu nel sito di Tharros (Cabras – OR) portarono al rinvenimento di numerose attestazioni di pittura vascolare punica, caratterizzata da un ampio repertorio di motivi figurati, tra cui numerose rappresentazioni di animali. Nonostante lo stato frammentario dei documenti, la grande attenzione posta dai vasai decoratori nella resa dei dettagli anatomici dei soggetti consente l’identificazione delle specie raffigurate. Il presente studio propone un “bestiario” di Tharros punica con l’obiettivo di fornire un inventario aggiornato delle attestazioni dei motivi zoomorfi sinora editi e discutere del significato delle immagini in rapporto al loro supporto. L’analisi iconografica dei soggetti e alcuni indizi forniti dal contesto archeologico di rinvenimento dei frammenti sembrerebbero infatti suggerire che i motivi figurati della pittura vascolare punica di Tharros ricoprirono un ruolo più importante rispetto alla mera funzione decorativa.
During the excavation campaigns carried out between the 1970s and 1990s in the Northern slopes of the hill of Su Murru Mannu in Tharros (Cabras – OR) a substantial amount of pottery sherds presenting a painted decoration more complex than usual was discovered. These findings came from the area of Punic tofet and, specifically, from the adjacent craft area. Among the repertoire of Punic painted pottery from the Northern district of Tharros zoomorphic themes certainly had a relevant role. Despite the fragmentary state of the specimens, the extraordinary attention to anatomical detail allows the identification of the different species depicted. This “bestiary” of Punic Tharros aims at providing an updated inventory of zoomorphic themes and discussing their significance in respect of their ceramic supports. The iconographical analysis, along with some consideration about their archaeological context, suggests the hypothesis that figurative paintings on Tharros Punic pottery had a more important role than a merely decorative function.
Cartagine fuori da Cartagine: mobilità nordafricana nel Mediterraneo centro-occidentale fra VIII e II sec. a.C. (= Byrsa. Scritti sull'antico Oriente mediterraneo, 33-34), Lugano 2018, 2018
The painted Punic pottery from Tharros is original in the great emphasis on the figurative motifs... more The painted Punic pottery from Tharros is original in the great emphasis on the figurative motifs compared to the more traditional linear patterns. The analysis of some of the phytomorphic and zoomorphic themes carried out in this study emphasizes the autonomy of the Tharros ceramic figurative painting. Moving into the traditional imagery of Carthage, this figurative painting shares its repertoire with the ceramic production of the North African metropolis, as well as with Carthaginian bronzes, glyptic and votive stelae.
Despite the development of studies in rural landscapes of the Punic world, documentary evidence c... more Despite the development of studies in rural landscapes of the Punic world, documentary evidence concerning the agricultural tools is still quite scarce. Nevertheless hoes, axes, sickles, billhooks, saws, shears, ploughs and threshing machines are known. This paper aims at providing a preliminary inventory of agricultural implements in the Punic world according to archaeological and iconographic sources combined with Roman agricultural and literary texts and ethnological data
The urban area of Tharros (Cabras, Sardinia), and the temples included in it, were investigated b... more The urban area of Tharros (Cabras, Sardinia), and the temples included in it, were investigated between the 1950s and the 1960s. Due to the dismantling, renovation and reuse of the Punic structures by the Romans, it is hard to achieve a satisfactory knowledge of the sacred areas of the ancient town. This is even more difficult considering the incompleteness of the currently available documentation on the excavations. Regarding some of these buildings, even their cultic function can be questioned. The diffculties in interpretation stem from the loss of information about the relationships between the structures and the materials retrieved therein. Furthermore, the findings have been only partially published in catalogues that saw the light decades after the actual excavations. This paper aims at reconsidering the archaeological evidence relating to the structures known as “Temple with Semitic type plan” and “Temple of Demeter”, in order to propose a better understanding of their original destination, also through a better definition of their building phases.
The so-called “Temple with Doric half-columns” represents the most important and best known monum... more The so-called “Temple with Doric half-columns” represents the most important and best known monumental evidence in Punic Tharros. The sacred area also continued its activity during the Romanization of the site, when it was subjected to a radical reorganization. So far some questions related with the destination of worship and the organization of the temple in Roman age are still unsolved. The paper proposes a diachronic reading of the monument, in which a particular attention is paid to the transition between the Punic and Roman era. The study offers a new hypothesis of reconstruction of the structural restoration known by the temple in this period and also focuses on certain aspects of worship that seem to refer to Melqart and Astarte.
Conference Presentations by Stefano Floris
pietra al mare. Significati simbolici e aspetti culturali delle àncore nel Mediterraneo attravers... more pietra al mare. Significati simbolici e aspetti culturali delle àncore nel Mediterraneo attraverso l'analisi di una lastra litica da Nora.
Ferruccio Barreca tra tutela e ricerca a 100 anni dalla nascita (Cagliari, Cittadella dei Musei, Aula Coroneo, 1-2 dicembre 2023), 2023
Venerdì 1 dicembre ore 9:30 Saluti Apertura dei lavori Prof. Ignazio Putzu (Direttore del Diparti... more Venerdì 1 dicembre ore 9:30 Saluti Apertura dei lavori Prof. Ignazio Putzu (Direttore del Dipartimento di Lettere, Lingue e Beni Culturali e Prorettore alla didattica) Dott. Ing. Monica Stochino (Soprintendente ABAP per la città metropolitana di Cagliari e le province di Oristano e Sud Sardegna) ore 10:30 Intervento introduttivo a cura del Comitato scientifico-organizzativo Sezione: Archeologia urbana e ricerche territoriali
Seminario interdisciplinare organizzato dai dottorandi in Scienze dell’Antichità dell’Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Dottorato Interateneo in convenzione con l’Università degli Studi di Trieste e l’Università degli Studi di Udine, 2018
X Congreso Internacional de Estudios Fenicios y Púnicos", Palacio de Congresos de Ibiza, 2022
Méthodologle appliquée à la fouille des urnes et premiers résultats de l'étude des ossements huma... more Méthodologle appliquée à la fouille des urnes et premiers résultats de l'étude des ossements humains et fauniques de l'aire sacrée de Dougga. 11 h40-12h05 : Maria Giulia Amadasi Guzzo : Un formulaire votif à Ain Nechma/Guelma. 12h05-12h30 : Ahmed Ferjaoui (INP) : Le voeu dans les sanctuaires de Ba'/ Hamon à la lumière des formules voffves.
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Papers by Stefano Floris
This paper discusses the function of these stone monuments through a review of their archaeological context and an in-depth iconographic examination.
tophet of Nora in the church of Sant’Efisio and the adjacent structure, known as the “Casa dell’Alter Nos”.
During the excavation campaigns carried out between the 1970s and 1990s in the Northern slopes of the hill of Su Murru Mannu in Tharros (Cabras – OR) a substantial amount of pottery sherds presenting a painted decoration more complex than usual was discovered. These findings came from the area of Punic tofet and, specifically, from the adjacent craft area. Among the repertoire of Punic painted pottery from the Northern district of Tharros zoomorphic themes certainly had a relevant role. Despite the fragmentary state of the specimens, the extraordinary attention to anatomical detail allows the identification of the different species depicted. This “bestiary” of Punic Tharros aims at providing an updated inventory of zoomorphic themes and discussing their significance in respect of their ceramic supports. The iconographical analysis, along with some consideration about their archaeological context, suggests the hypothesis that figurative paintings on Tharros Punic pottery had a more important role than a merely decorative function.
Conference Presentations by Stefano Floris
This paper discusses the function of these stone monuments through a review of their archaeological context and an in-depth iconographic examination.
tophet of Nora in the church of Sant’Efisio and the adjacent structure, known as the “Casa dell’Alter Nos”.
During the excavation campaigns carried out between the 1970s and 1990s in the Northern slopes of the hill of Su Murru Mannu in Tharros (Cabras – OR) a substantial amount of pottery sherds presenting a painted decoration more complex than usual was discovered. These findings came from the area of Punic tofet and, specifically, from the adjacent craft area. Among the repertoire of Punic painted pottery from the Northern district of Tharros zoomorphic themes certainly had a relevant role. Despite the fragmentary state of the specimens, the extraordinary attention to anatomical detail allows the identification of the different species depicted. This “bestiary” of Punic Tharros aims at providing an updated inventory of zoomorphic themes and discussing their significance in respect of their ceramic supports. The iconographical analysis, along with some consideration about their archaeological context, suggests the hypothesis that figurative paintings on Tharros Punic pottery had a more important role than a merely decorative function.