Giovanni Lilliu

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Giovanni Lilliu (born March 13, 1914 in Barumini , Sardinia , † February 19, 2012 in Cagliari ) was an Italian prehistorian .

Lilliu was best known for his research and publications on the nuraghi , the prehistoric and early historical towers of the Bonnanaro culture (2200–1600 BC) in Sardinia and the subsequent nuragic culture associated with them (1600–238 BC). . The nuraghi specialist became famous in 1955 as the discoverer of one of the most famous Bronze Age Nuragic villages in Sardinia, the Nuraghe Su Nuraxi monument , which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, not far from his birthplace Barumini.

After attending school, Lilliu studied classical philology and then archeology with Ugo Rellini at the Scuola Nazionale di Archeologia in Rome . After completing his studies, he returned to his Sardinian homeland and worked there between 1943 and 1955 in the administration of antiquities ( Soprintendenza alle Antichità della Sardegna ).

After several years of subsequent research, he founded the School of Sardinian Studies at the University of Cagliari in 1955 and was its director for twenty years until 1975. At the same time he took over a professorship for Sardinian antiquity at the University of Cagliari, where he was temporarily dean of the Faculty of Literature and Philosophy. Lilliu was also editor of the journals Studi Sardi and Nuovo Bollettino Archeologico Sardo .

During this time he was best known for his extensive research and publications on the nuraghi, the prehistoric and early historical tower buildings of the Bonnanaro culture (approx. 1800–1500 BC) in Sardinia and the subsequent nuragic culture that was inextricably linked to them ( approx. 1600–238 BC). From 1959 to 1963 Lilliu led four excavation campaigns in Ses Païsses on Mallorca , which provided valuable information and uncovered most of the buildings of a late Bronze Age Talayot ​​culture that are visible today . In 1974 he also led the excavations in Monte Prama with Enrico Atzeni , during which around 30 intact Nuragic stool graves were found.

Through his research and excavations, he wrote numerous articles in specialist journals and specialist books dealing with topics such as Dolmen di Motorra , the Nuraghen Oes , the Santu Antine , Madrone , Asoru , the Protonuraghen Front'e Mola , Brunku Madagui , the giant tombs of Biristeddi , Bidistili , Goronna and Su Monte de s'Ape . In his conservative research, Lilliu assumed that the nuraghe towers of Sardinia, which he had researched in great detail, were primarily defensive structures, and throughout his life he defended himself against modern theses that see nuraghi as places of worship and sanctuary with astronomical significance.

In addition to his teaching and research activities, he was also involved in local politics for the Democrazia Cristiana (DC) for several years and represented it from 1969 to 1974 as a member of the regional council of Sardinia and from 1975 to 1980 as a member of the city ​​council of Cagliari.

For his services, he was appointed a member of the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in 1990 and also awarded the honorary title Sardus Pater by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia in 2007 , with which national and foreign personalities are honored who are outstandingly involved in the culture and society of Sardinia deserved.

Publications

  • I nuraghi. Torri preistoriche della Sardegna. Cagliari 1962.
  • Il dolmen di Motorra (Dorgali, Nuoro). In: Studi Sardi. 20, 1966, ZDB ID 428982-1 , p. 74ff.
  • Sculture della Sardegna nuragica. Cagliari 1966.
  • with Hermanfrid Schubart : Early marginal cultures of the Mediterranean area. Corsica - Sardinia - Balearic Islands - Iberian Peninsula. Art of the World: The Cultures of the Occident. Holle, Baden-Baden 1967. (1979, ISBN 3-87355-192-6 )
  • with Tet Arnold von Borsig, Dora Fischer: Sardinia. Munich 1977, ISBN 3-7774-2820-5 .
  • La civiltà nuragica. Sassari 1982, ISBN 88-7138-132-7 .
  • La civiltà dei Sardi dal paleolitico all'età dei nuraghi. Turin 1988, ISBN 88-397-0521-X .
  • with Raimondo Zucca: Su Nuraxi di Barùmini. Sassari 1988, ISBN 88-7138-109-2 .
  • Nuragic Sardinia. Istituto Geografico De Agostini, Novara 1993, DNB 963210548 .
  • Betili e betilini nelle tombe di giganti della Sardegna. Rome 1995, ISBN 88-218-0499-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Interview with Giovanni Lilliu (sardinien.com, page accessed on March 6, 2012) ( Memento of the original from January 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sardinien.com
  2. ↑ The Nuraghe fortress Su Nuraxi (sardinien.com) ( Memento of the original from December 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.sardinien.com
  3. ^ Giulio Angioni : La vita e le opere di un profeta ottimista. In: La Nuova Sardegna. February 20, 2012.
personal data
SURNAME Lilliu, Giovanni
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian prehistorian
DATE OF BIRTH March 13, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Barumini , Medio Campidano Province , Sardinia
DATE OF DEATH 19th February 2012
Place of death Cagliari , Sardinia