Kerkuane

About

Kerkuane was founded around the 7th century BC, and was likely abandoned during the First Punic War 400 years later. Because the site had already been abandoned, the Romans didn’t replace it with a settlement of their own. As such, Kerkuane is the only surviving example of an unadulterated Punic city, and has provided invaluable insights to archaeologists and historians. The city’s port, ramparts, residential districts, shops, workshops, streets, squares, temples and necropolis are all located exactly where they were in the 3rd century BC, and exhibit a sophisticated urban plan. The city shows that the Phoenicians put considerable emphasis on hydraulics and hygiene, with nearly every house containing a well, a washbasin, and a bath. In the small museum, you can learn more about the history of the site, see a model of what it would have looked like, and examine a slew of more delicate artefacts that were unearthed here.