The Punic Necropolis of Sulky is an immense underground cemetery, unique both in terms of the type of tombs and the vastness of the burial area, extending over some 10 hectares with an estimated 1,000 tombs excavated in the rocky bank. The tombs housed the burials of family groups, laid to rest inside the tombs in accordance with precise ritual codes and suggestive ceremonial arrangements. To access the hypogeum, you will walk along a narrow corridor, known as a 'dromos', formed by a staircase and a landing. Crossing the door to the burial chambers will be a unique experience that throws you into a place of passage, suspended between the land of the living and the world of the dead. Very simple funeral chambers, quadrangular and often with partitions, had niches or false windows on the walls, symbolising the otherworldly passage that the soul of the deceased had to make on its journey. The corpse was washed, perfumed, dressed in a long tunic and placed inside a wooden sarcophagus. The individual was accompanied by precious grave goods consisting of jugs, amphorae (containing wine, oil, water), cups, plates and oil lamps, as well as precious jewellery and amulets. Did you know that some sensational finds have been made in this necropolis? Excavations have unearthed unique sculptures, two carved and painted pillars depicting a male figure, perhaps a deity, with features and clothing strongly linked to Egyptian imagery. In one case, even the walls of the tomb are totally covered in red ochre, with drawings of false windows and a false door, symbolising the contact between two worlds and the passage of the soul to the afterlife.
The Sulky Necropolis
A huge underground cemetery
- Via Castello, 21
- Open 7/7, 9am-7pm
Services
Café, Toilets, Guided tours, Visitor centre, Ticket office
