Panormos tra Phoinikes ed Elymoi: la documentazione archeologica

Abstract

Panormos, due to its location and strategic importance, had to play an important role
in western Sicily where, from the mid/end of the 7th century BC, Sikans, Elymians,
Phoenicians and Greeks interacted dynamically.
The most recent archaeological investigations carried out in the three main Phoenician-
Punic settlements have provided new data to delineate the complex network of
relations between the Phoenician foundations and the ‘indigenous’ centres of the
hinterland.
This paper specifically discusses the relationships between the inhabitants of Panormos
and those peoples who occupied the hinterland beyond the hills that bordered the
plain surrounding the city to the west and also had control of the natural routes
constituted by the river valleys.
A relationship that, however, appears rather nebulous and allows only some reflections
on the basis of the presence of “indigenous” pottery among the grave goods, even if
the evidence is so negligible as to make it difficult to delineate the possible modes of
relationship between the two ethne.

Keywords: Panormos, Phoenicians, Elymians, relationship, indigenous pottery