Diachronic Maritime Activity at Sant’Antioco Island, Sardinia: The Results of an Underwater Survey

A 2023–2024 underwater survey in the island of of Sant’Antioco, Southwest of Sardinia, aimed to reconstruct maritime activities during the Bronze Age—prior to the founding of Sulky/Sulcis—and to address diachronic patterns of maritime activities in Sant’Antioco beyond the confines of the later urban center. The results of the underwater survey of two sites, Maladroxia and Cala Sapone, as well as two control sites, demonstrate the value of this method for reconstructing seascapes diachronically, particularly when integrated with terrestrial archaeological features. The combined use of criteria such as plausible anchorage conditions, historical sources recording anchorage use in later periods, and the presence of nearby coastal Nuragic sites, has enabled the identification of initial indicators of Bronze Age maritime activity, alongside evidence of activity in later periods.