A protonuraghe is a style of

megalithic A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

building dating from the first half of the

2nd millennium BC The 2nd millennium BC spanned the years 2000 BC to 1001 BC. In the Ancient Near East, it marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age. The Ancient Near Eastern cultures are well within the historical era: The first half of the mil ...

that precedes the classical

nuraghe The nuraghe (, ; plural: Logudorese Sardinian , Campidanese Sardinian , Italian ), or also nurhag in English, is the main type of ancient megalithic edifice found in Sardinia, developed during the Nuragic Age between 1900 and 730 B.C. To ...

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

. Of the approximately 7,000 nuraghes, only 300 belong to this type.Paolo Melis
''Civiltà nuragica''
Delfino editore, Sassari, 2003, .

Description

Also called "pseudonuraghes" or "corridor nuraghes", the protonuraghes were built between 1700 and 1500 BC, during the transition period between the

Bonnanaro culture The Bonnanaro culture is a protohistoric culture that flourished in Sardinia during the 2nd millennium BC (1800–1600 BC), considered to be the first stage of the Nuragic civilization. It takes its name from the comune of Bonnanaro in the provin ...

(A2 phase, '' Sant'Iroxi '') and the Sub-Bonnannaro culture (facies of ''Sa turricula''). They differ significantly from the classical nuraghes for their stockier look and their generally irregular plan and because they are not provided with the large circular room, typical of the classical nuraghes, but one or more corridors, or in any case smaller environments. The height usually does not exceed 10 m, although the area occupied by these buildings was significantly higher in average than that occupied in general by the nuraghes. The more functional environment of these buildings was the terrace that probably housed the huts that served as living environments. Little known until a few years ago, they have been the focus of studies and disputes among scholars who have begun to consider them fundamental for understanding the birth of the Nuragic culture. The name itself is not yet unanimous: the term "corridor nuraghe" is disputed by Giovanni Ugas, who would prefer to use only the term "proto" with temporal connotation, according to the earlier construction of this type of nuraghe.Giovanni Ugas, ''L'alba dei Nuraghi'', Cagliari, Fabula, 2005, .

References

Bibliography

*Paolo Melis, Civiltà nuragica, Carlo Delfino editore, Sassari, 2003, {{ISBN, 88-7138-276-5.

External links

I protonuraghi
Archaeology of Sardinia Types of monuments and memorials Buildings and structures in Sardinia Megalithic monuments in Italy Nuraghe