Bithia was founded by the
Phoenicians in the 8th centuryBC as
Bitan (, , "Palace"). It fell under
Carthaginian control until the
Punic Wars, when it became
Roman. Punic culture survived well into the Roman period. It was abandoned in the early 7th century, when the population fled inland to escape Arab raids. In 1963, following heavy storms, some ruins of the city came to light. Still observable are the remains of a Punic temple on the island of
Cardolinu, on which are also found artifacts that seem to indicate the presence of a
tophet. Additional remains of houses and a second temple dedicated to
Bes are located at the foot of the promontory on which stands the Spanish tower called "Chia", the current name of the modern village. ==References==