History of Sardinia strongholds on strategic points in the south and west of Sardinia, often peninsulas or islands near estuaries, easy to defend and natural harbours, such as Tharros, Bithia, Sulci, Nora and Caralis (Cagliari). The majority of the inhabitants in these cities were of indigenous nuragic stock while the Phoenician element was, although culturally predominant, in minority. The Phoenicians came originally from what is now Lebanon and founded a vast trading network in the Mediterranean. Sardinia had a special position because it was central in the Western Mediterranean between Carthage, Spain, the river Rhône and the Etruscan civilization area. The mining area
Sardinia the pre-Roman noun *"s(a)rd-", later romanised as ' (feminine '). It makes its first appearance on the Nora Stone, where the word "Šrdn" testifies to the name's existence when the Phoenician merchants first arrived. According to "Timaeus", one of Plato's dialogues, Sardinia (referred to by most ancient Greek authors as "Sardò", Σαρδὼ) and its people as well might have been named after a legendary woman going by Sardò (), born in Sardis ("Σάρδεις"), capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lydia. There has also been speculation that identifies the ancient Nuragic Sards with the Sherden, one of the Sea Peoples. It