The Archaeological Park of Sybaris covers the excavated remains of three overlapping cities: ancient Sybaris, destroyed in 510 BC; Thurii, the successor city founded by Greek colonists in 444 BC with Pericles' support; and Copia, the later Roman colony. The archaeology is complex because the layers sit one atop another, preserved under river silt and groundwater that simultaneously obscured and conserved them remarkably well.
The site is divided into three excavation areas — Parco del Cavallo, with Roman-era remains including a theatre; Casa Bianca, with Hellenistic walls and a circular tower; and Stombi, which shows the most ancient Sybaris-era structures. The excavations have been going on for decades and are still ongoing. The adjacent Museo Nazionale della Sibaritide (see separate entry) houses the portable finds.