Roman Bridge

the wealth of the Pond In witness of the existence of the city of Othoca (ancient name of the modern Santa Giusta) we have the archeologial remains of a bridge of Roman times placed at South of the country town. This one, anciently, bridged a turre karalis, road which started from Turris Libisonis (Porto Torres) till arrive to Karalis, today’s Cagliari. One of the two main road, which joined from North to South of Sardinia, and that they were essential for the trading of goods. Roughly, even if with marked variations, today the ancient road would correspond to the today’s SS131 called “Carlo Felice” which leads to Cagliari. The other road which was a commerce artery was called a tibulas Sulcis, that is very very long road which started from Tibula, going on to Santa Teresa Gallura going along the western coast till arrive to Sulcis and in the end to the Island of Sant’Antioco. Anciently, the bridges which bridge the citadel to the rest of the island were two: the first, which is named after su pontixeddu, that is the small bridge, because it had only one arch, now no longer existing and which was close to the Santa Severa’s Church; the second one, known as ponte maggiore, originally with five arches, built to go beyond the Rio Palmas Rio Palmas – today’s Riu merd’e Cani – of which now at the South exit of the country town remains only the main arch and a minor one, which function as proof for that road. Several amphorae of Phoenician-Punic and Roman ages drop the hint that such were the materials traded at the time, in addition to the very precious Monte Arci’s obsidian. More likely with the near Aristanis (Oristano) denominated in fact city of ceramic. Archeological finds tracing back to the discovery of Othoca started thanks to the expert antiquarian of Oristano Giovanni Busachi, whom made an agreement with the Municipality of Santa Giusta to execute at his own expense the excavations in the municipal territory, on condition that every object which was found was divided up between the Municipality and him. The excavations began in the part behind the Santa Severa’s Church, named Is Forrixeddus (the small ovens) till to reach to the Roman Bridge remains today still standing, where Busachi considered very well what to do: actually, in all that area, anciently, extended a large gravesite. Is Forrixeddus were so called, because, being still in pre-Christian era, the cremation rite was the most popular. He found dozens and dozens of tombs of magnificent craftmanship, from which He got beautiful jewels, but not only: He discovered amphorae of Phoenician-Punic and Roman ages, scarabs, bronze and silver artefacts, and hundreds of ceramics. He died mysteriously in 1875 in the river Tirso’s holm. The excavations went on in 1892 with theLawyer Efisio Pischedda, whom was allowed to do further excavations and enlarge his wide private collection, today well-preserved and viewable at Oristano in the Museo Arborense. The excavations took up again in 1910 and all over the last century finds were not different from what was already found by Busachi. Only one Greek craftsmanship amphora differes, retrieved in the Canal of Pesaria (near the actual industrial Port), which joins the Pond to the Sea, and two Hellenic heads retrieved in 2009 by the archeologists Carla del Vais and Ignazio Sanna. © All rights reserved. No parts of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrivial system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical or photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author.