Kerameikos, Κεραμεικός, Athens, Greece One of the most atmospheric spots in Athens, with the natural landscape and the smattering of stones, is the ancient site of Kerameikos. The fact that it is nestled in a largely residential area, with its big apartment blocks, actually helps to make it even more of an oasis for those of us in search of…
The Theatre and Odeon of Lugdunum, Lyon, France France is blessed with many fine Roman archaeological sites. So many cities in the south of the country have ancient origins and by just walking around the streets you can see evidence of the Roman period in dramatic remains like amphitheatres, or more mundane sights such as reused stones in houses. On…
The Nora Archaeological Site, Area Archeologica di Nora, Pula, Sardinia Finding out that there was a Roman site to visit near the Sardinian city of Cagliari was quite exciting. Finding out that it was next to the sea made it even better – having visited a number of sites along the Turkish coast, I figured that I’d be in for…
The Archaeological Museum of St Laurent, Musée archéologique Saint-Laurent, Grenoble, France Across the Isère river, in the quaint streets of the St Laurent quarter of Grenoble, is a fascinating little museum which serves as a heartening example of what can happen if you dig down under the buildings of cities with ancient origins. The museum is proud of the fact…
Archaeological Area, Area archeologica, Cagliari, Sardinia The St Eulalia complex in the medieval district of Marina in Cagliari, is a curiosity. There is a church round the back and there is a treasury upstairs from the archaeology site. The whole complex is referred to as MUTSEU. The archaeological area of St Eulalia doesn’t just date from one period – it spans…
In my usual way I was looking forward to seeing the Roman remains of Cagliari. It was an important provincial capital and on paper it looked like there was a fair amount to see. My first disappointment was finding that the Cave of the Viper, a Roman tomb, was closed. I checked the internet and found that the amphitheatre was…
Necropolis of Tuvixeddu, Necropoli di Tuvixeddu, Cagliari, Sardinia Cagliari is a town full of unusual details: one of the most unusual is probably the Punic necropolis of Tuvixeddu that basically serves as a dog-walkers’ park. Other creatures you may see are toads, mosquitoes and die-hard history buffs. In Sardinian, the word Tuvixeddu means the hill of the little holes, which…