Pantelleria was probably frequented as early as the Neolithic period (fifth millennium B.C.). The island was very rich in obsidian, one of the earliest materials used for making objects, and this attracted nearby populations here.

The earliest evidence of a stable community, however, dates back only to the 2nd millennium B.C.: this is the Village of Mursia with its adjoining necropolis.
The Village of Mursia, on the northwestern coast of the island, is located in an area that is, in part, naturally protected by the overhang of the sea. A mighty wall was erected to complete the defense. The remains of circular huts equipped with millstones and basins for collecting water remain in the village.

The same people who built the huts and fortifications also created a necropolis. Funerary monuments called Sesi were built here.
The structures resemble others created in similar Mediterranean environments.
They are circular constructions, full on the inside, with hollows on the sides that were used for burial rites.

From the 9th century B.C. the Phoenicians arrived on Pantelleria. To them we owe the Acropolis of San Marco and the Temple of the Lake of Venus.

The Acropolis of St. Mark has recently undergone excavation campaigns. You can see traces of fortifications, large water cisterns and numerous architectural elements: this is where ancient Cossyra stood.

The cistern system is particularly interested: it was this that enabled the island’s inhabitants to collect rainwater, thus solving drought-related problems. In the area were also three portraits from the Roman era perfectly preserved. The first two, found inside the same cistern, depict Julius Caesar and a female figure of noble rank. The third, found in a different cistern, is a portrait of Emperor Titus.

On the eastern shores of Lake Venus of are the remains of a Temple from the Punic period. The structure, including a portico, is leaning against the rock face. It probably consisted of several buildings that directly overlooked the lake. Foundations of later Hellenistic-Roman reconstructions are also visible. A lot of ceramic material was found in the area: this suggests the use of the temple for quite a long time.

On the eastern side of Scauri Bay a large number of ceramic fragments from different periods, traces of warehouses and a kiln have been found. The presence of a villa dating from the 4th – 5th centuries AD has also been identified: a structure with living purposes to which large cisterns are attached. To these also belong some valuable architectural elements and mosaic fragments.