Description of the attraction
Su Nuraxi, also known as Su Nuraxi di Barumini, is the largest Nuragic monument in Sardinia, located near the town of Barumini and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. In the Sardinian dialect, "su nuraksi" simply means "nurag" - a type of megalithic tower that has been prevalent throughout the island since the end of the 2nd millennium BC.
The main element of the complex is a three-story Nuraghe tower, 18.6 meters high, built from basalt blocks between the 17th and 13th centuries BC. In the Bronze Age, four more towers were erected around it, connected by a stone wall with a platform at the very top (which has not survived to this day). All towers overlooked the courtyard with a well.
Scientists do not agree that the nuragi were used only for military purposes: it is believed that these megalithic structures could serve as a fortress, a refuge, a kind of parliament - a place where common decisions were made, and even a temple in which the head of the settlement lived.
Near the central tower of Su Nuraxi in the middle of the 20th century, the archaeologist Giovanni Lilliu found the ruins of a fortified settlement of about 50 houses, which were built from massive boulders using dry masonry and had a conical wooden roof. Initially, these houses were one-room, but later the internal space was divided into sectors. Among the structures found, one of the most significant is a hut, intended for holding meetings of local residents, in which symbols of worship of a certain deity were discovered.
In the 7th century BC. the central tower fell into decay, then, during the era of the rule of the Carthaginians, it was restored, and under the Romans, it was abandoned again. Only in 1950 began large-scale archaeological excavations led by Giovanni Lilliu, which lasted seven years. It was then that household utensils, weapons, dishes and various decorations were discovered. In 1997, UNESCO recognized the importance of Su Nuraksi by listing it as a World Cultural Heritage site. In addition, this site plays a key role in the study of the history of the Sardinian civilization, since the findings made here formed the basis of the chronology of the prehistoric period of Sardinia.
