Nuraghe Palmavera
The large Nuraghe complex Palmavera is located near Alghero in the province of Sassari in Sardinia . It was made between the 15th and 8th centuries BC. Built or used by the carriers of the nuragic culture . Excavations were carried out in 1904 by Antonio Taramelli (1868–1939), G. Maetzke (1962–1963) and A. Moravetti (1976–1977, 1979, 1986–1989). Nuraghi are prehistoric and early historical towers of the Bonnanaro culture (2200–1600 BC) and the subsequent nuraghi culture (around 1600–400 BC) in Sardinia, which is inextricably linked with it.
The complex, which is roughly comparable to the large complexes Losa , Santu Antine and Su Nuraxi , consists of a central building (Tholosnuraghe) around eight meters high with two not very deep but wide niches, which are rarely arranged asymmetrically to the entrance. An outer shell (nine meters in diameter), an irregularly elliptical bastion, and a second thick-walled tholos were later added. This tholos is exposed on the outside, about two thirds of its circumference. The shell, bastion and second tholos encompass an approximately rectangular inner courtyard. The partition walls are divided by corridors that lead to the outside and double-sided niches.
The central building and its courtyard
The central building is at the center of a 879 m² courtyard enclosed by a square wall. Three small round towers and the unusually large so-called “assembly hut” (Capanna delle Riunioni) are integrated into the corners of the wall. The pentagonal courtyard, divided into three sectors by walls, has entrances in the south-east and south-west. Remnants of a few wall sections along the bastion in the southwest and northeast indicate further subdivisions of the inner space or fixtures. In order to build the wall structure, previously existing huts were destroyed, traces of which were found in front of the southern entrance to the bastion, next to the small wall towers and inside the “meeting hut”. The pentagonal wall was not built as a defensive structure, but to separate the central building from the settlement.
The hut village
The foundations of the numerous round huts in the village lie around the wall pentagon on three sides in particular. The 7250 m² village, which is kept within a fence, certainly extended further to the west and south. A giant grave located in the southeast of the village was later completely destroyed. The excavations uncovered around 50 different rooms that were used as work, storage and living rooms or stables. On the basis of the expansion of the village, the thesis has been put forward that the settlement Palmavera consisted of 150-200 huts, which, apart from a block with square ones in the southeastern part of the wall, had predominantly round ground plans. The huts show no particular architectural disposition. The stoves are on the wall or in the center of the room. The floor is sometimes characterized by a light-colored screed, more often by a foundation made of small stones. The roof of the round huts was formed by posts and branches, as is still done today with the Pinnetas of the Sardinian shepherds. Some of the smaller huts had cantilever vaults . The rectangular houses one can saddle or pent roof will be accepted.
The big round hut
The so-called “meeting hut” (Capanna delle Riunioni), in the south-western part of the wall, is by far the largest room in the entire complex, not only in comparison with the huts but also with the tholoi. The excavation of this hut revealed numerous cultural elements that confirmed its social role, which had previously been assumed due to the large size of the structure.
The excavations revealed a large oval niche, a surrounding bench, a small angular space delimited by plates, a central round base with a conical “holy stone” or “holy tower”, a “censer” and a cylindrical stool made of sandstone . Earthenware, some with a geometric design, amber beads, bronze bracelets and other items were also found. Among the abundant material found, pottery predominates in the standard forms of nuragic production. Concerning the vase decoration, the discovery of a bone stamp ( pintadera ) which was used to make concentric circles was of interest. There are also other objects made of clay : horseshoe-shaped ovens; Oil lamps in the shape of a spoon or a boat, as well as lenticular or disc-shaped and biconic weaving weights .
The not particularly abundant metalwork made of lead, bronze or copper includes weapons (fragments of swords, daggers), tools (axes, awls, thorns, chisels ), decorative objects (bracelets, fibulas, needles, rings). A fishhook documents that in Palmavera marine resources were important in addition to agricultural products, hunting and livestock.
Dating and usage
Although the excavations cover less than a third of the complex, three construction phases have already been identified.
- Phase I (15th - 10th century BC) is characterized by the construction of the central monument and the first huts.
- Phase II (9th century BC). The old tower was rebuilt and reinforced. The bastion of the second tholos and the meeting hut were built. The huts of this phase were built from sandstone and are characterized by their size.
- Phase III (9th - 8th centuries BC). During this phase the bastion was rebuilt and a number of the huts restored. The lack of material from the historical phase, both in the “meeting hut” and in the other huts, seems to confirm Taramelli's thesis that the Punic and Roman artefacts found in the nuraghe stem from a sporadic phase of subsequent use of the monument, which has actually been abandoned for a long time was.
The signposted complex is enclosed and can only be visited for a limited time against admission.
Nearby are the Domus de Janas by Anghelu Ruju and Scala Piccada.
See also
literature
- Alberto Moravetti and C. Tozzi: Sardegna. Guide archeoliche preistoria e protostoria in Italia 2. Ediz. Trilingue, 1995
Web links
- Description and pictures (English and Italian)
Coordinates: 40 ° 35 ′ 42 " N , 8 ° 14 ′ 34" E