Sicani

The Sicani were an ancient indigenous people of Sicily, traditionally considered among the island’s earliest inhabitants. They occupied western and central parts of Sicily during the early centuries of the Iron Age and into classical antiquity. Greek writers, including Diodorus Siculus and Thucydides, mention the Sicani as one of the principal early peoples of the island, alongside the Sicels and Elymians.

Origin and language of the Sicani remain enigmatic. Some scholars have proposed Iberian or North African connections, while others argue for autochthonous development within Sicily. The Sicani language is poorly attested; no inscriptions survive, and its linguistic affiliations are uncertain. The name “Sican” appears in Greek and Latin sources, forming the basis for the modern ethnonym.

Geography, society, and culture are known chiefly through archaeological remains and ancient texts. Settlements were typically located in rural, fortified sites in western and central districts. Material culture shows local traditions with external influences from nearby Mediterranean cultures, including contact with Phoenician traders and, later, Greek colonists. Burial practices and pottery provide clues to their social organization, though details remain fragmentary.

History and aftermath: with increasing Greek and Phoenician presence along the coasts of western Sicily, the Sicani experienced cultural and demographic changes in the first millennium BCE. Over time their distinct communities were absorbed or displaced by neighboring groups and by colonial powers, and by the late classical period the Sicani had largely lost their separate identity. Their legacy persists mainly in historical references and in toponyms and regional archaeology of western Sicily.

See also: Sicels, Elymians, Sicily.