The enduring impact of ancient colonialism can still be felt in the economic geography of the Mediterranean region. This column combines historical data on ancient colonies with current data on economic outcomes to show that areas once colonised by the Phoenicians, Greeks, and Etruscans have higher population densities and enhanced economic activity to this day – effects due more to the colonisation episode than to geographic attributes. The impact of ancient colonialism can thus be traced back more than two millennia, to the origin of the Mediterranean urban system.