Where do Italians Come From? — The Ancient Sicilian Tribes

It is believed that the first people arrived in Sicily by sea as early as 20,000 BC.  Most likely from Western and Central Europe.  There were three tribes, the Elymians, the Sicani and the Siculi, from which Sicily gets it’s name.  The Siculi were the last to arrive on the island, and were related to the Italic peoples of Southern Italy, most likely the Italoi of Calabria, the Oenotrians, Chones, Leutarni, Opicans and Ausones.  Although is is possible that the Sicani were from and Iberian tribe.  It is also possible that the Elymi may have origins outside Italy also.  Complex urban settlements have become evident around 1300 BC.

The Phoenicians began to settle in western Sicily around 1100 BC in present day Palermo and Moyta ( an island near Marsala ).  These later became under control of Carthage.

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There is some evidence supporting that the Elymians originate from from an Eastern Mediterranean Society, influenced by Phonecians and Assyrians.  Around 500 BC, both the Greeks and Carthaginians vied for their loyalty.  

It can be verified that humans inhabited Sicily around 10,000 BC.  There are cave drawings in Addaura from 8000 BC, Copper tools from 3000 BC and the presence of the Sicilian people in 1600 BC.  The most recent studies infer that the Sicians  were natives of Sicily.  The Sicans assimilated much easier with the Greeks than the other groups.

The Sicels were from the Greek island from Sikeloi.  They were an Italic people who arrived on the island between 1200 and 1000 BC.  They occupied the region extending from Cape Peloro to the Peloritan and Nebrodi mountains.  Some theories suggest that they came from Liguria or Latium.  There language shared some characteristics to languages that evolved into Latin.

This short post is taken from Best of Sicily Magazine article on the peoples of Sicily, written by several authors.  Click the link to read more.

Timeline Map

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