Su Nuraxi is a
nuragic
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 ...
archaeological site in
Barumini
Barumini ( sc, Barùmini) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of South Sardinia in the Italian region of Sardinia, located about north of Cagliari and about northeast of Sanluri.
Barumini borders the following municipalities: Gergei, ...
,
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 ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. ''Su Nuraxi'' simply means "The Nuraghe" in
Campidanese
Campidanese Sardinian ( sc, sardu campidanesu, it, sardo campidanese) is one of the two written standards of the Sardinian language, which is often considered one of the most, if not the most conservative of all the Romance languages. The ort ...
, the southern variant of the
Sardinian language
Sardinian or Sard ( , or ) is a Romance languages, Romance language spoken by the Sardinians on the Western Mediterranean island of Sardinia.
Many Romance linguists consider it the language that is closest to Latin among all its genealogica ...
.
Su Nuraxi is a settlement consisting of a seventeenth century BC
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 ...
, a bastion of four corner towers plus a central one, and a village inhabited from the thirteenth to the sixth century BC, developed around the
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 ...
. They are considered by scholars the most impressive expression of the
Nuragic civilization
The Nuragic civilization, also known as the Nuragic culture, was a civilization or culture on Sardinia (Italy), the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, which lasted from the 18th century BC (Middle Bronze Age) (or from t ...
and were included in the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
list of
World Heritage Sites
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNES ...
in 1997 as ''Su Nuraxi di Barumini''.
Nuraghe
Structure
The oldest part of the Nuraghe consists of a central tower with three superposed chambers (18.6m high). It was built in blocks of basalt between the seventeenth and thirteenth centuries BCE. Later, during the Late Bronze Age, four towers joined by a curtain wall with an upper balcony (no longer extant) were built around the central tower, all communicating with an inner courtyard served by a well. During the Iron Age, the complex was surrounded by a curtain wall with seven lobes (heptalobate).
Function
The real function of the nuraghe is still debated. The discoverer of Su Nuraxi, the archaeologist
Giovanni Lilliu Giovanni Lilliu (born in Barumini, Italy on 13 March 1914 – died in Cagliari, 19 February 2012), was a renowned archeologist, academician, publicist and politician and public figure and an expert of the Nuragic civilization. Largely due to his sci ...
, confirmed the traditional interpretation of fortress-site. Other archaeologists believe that the oldest part of the complex was destined for a religious purpose, refuge, civil or even parliament or registered the village chief, while the towers were added perhaps intended for military purposes and stock.
Village
A village, intended to accommodate the surrounding population, was built around the Nuraghe in the Late Bronze Age. The many phases of life in the village render it impossible to establish the number of huts in one phase, the number of huts varied from forty to two hundreds, so the population ranged from 100 to 1000 inhabitants and the settlement was built on a circular plan with large boulders covered with dry stone walls and conical roofs made of wood and branches. Though the huts were structured in a single unit in more remote periods, there was a later, more prevalent tendency to subdivide housing into individual units. Of the huts found, the most significant appear to have been reserved for meetings of the local leaders. These huts were larger and more complex in structure, and the hut reserved for the inhabitants' meetings contained symbols of the deities worshiped by locals. Other rooms have been identified as workshops, kitchens, and agricultural processing centres. During the 9-8th century BC a sewerage system was built along with a paved square and streets.
During the sixth century BCE, the buildings were destroyed and subsequently restored by
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...
before being occupied by the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. They were eventually completely abandoned.
The nuraghe and the village were strategically connected to the system of other Nuraghes, such as the polylobate nuraghe found beneath the fifteenth-century Palazzo Zapata in the village of Barumini.
Archaeological excavations
The archaeological site was fully excavated between 1950 and 1957 under the direction of
Giovanni Lilliu Giovanni Lilliu (born in Barumini, Italy on 13 March 1914 – died in Cagliari, 19 February 2012), was a renowned archeologist, academician, publicist and politician and public figure and an expert of the Nuragic civilization. Largely due to his sci ...
, a local expert. The excavations allowed archaeologists to retrace the different stages of the construction of the towers and surrounding village, confirming that the entire complex was a vibrant, vital centre up to the first century BCE, during the Roman period.
Excavations brought to light important remains in the form of tools, weapons, pottery, and ornaments.
There is another important nuragic site at nearby Casa Zapata, the important finds of which are on display at the site's museum.
File:Su Nuraxi from the N-NE.jpg, The view from the N-NE, in the background is the mound of Las Plassas
File:Nuraghe Su Nuraxi - Barumini - Sardinia - Italy - 07.jpg
File:Site nuragique de Barumini Su Nuraxi en Sardaigne, Italie -032.JPG
File:Site nuragique de Barumini Su Nuraxi en Sardaigne, Italie -035.JPG
Image:Inside su nurraxi 2.png, ''Su Nuraxi'', seen on the way from the central tower to the east tower.
Image:SU NURAXI - BARUMINI.JPG, ''Su Nuraxi''. Inside the central tower.
Bibliography
*
Sardegna Cultura -- Barumini, Complesso di Su Nuraxi*Giovanni Lilliu and Raimondo Zucca, ''Su Nuraxi di Barumini.'' Sassari, Carlo Delfino, 2001.
References
External links
Barumini Sistema Cultura FoundationNuraghi.org - informational page3D model of Su Nuraxi*
*
{{authority control
Buildings and structures in Sardinia
World Heritage Sites in Italy
Archaeological sites in Sardinia
Former populated places in Italy
Tourist attractions in Sardinia
Nuraghe
National museums of Italy