Parco del Sulcis
In the area of the Parco del Sulcis in Sardinia , numerous archaeological relics can be found, especially around Santadi (also called Santi) in the province of Cagliari . The oldest evidence of human activity here goes back to the early Neolithic , when Sardinia was involved in the exchange of obsidian from Monte Arci . From the 6th millennium BC BC people used the numerous grottos (caves) and abrises in the Sulcis. This was the case with short interruptions until pre-Roman times.
prehistory
Under the Abri Tatinu-Nuxis, a bowl was found next to (spatula-shaped) idols , on which the oldest anthropomorphic images in the so-called "hourglass style" are visible within the ribbon decoration. From the same Abri and from a grotto on Monte Miana come small female statues that reveal aspects of the religion of the Bono Ighinu culture . The importance of a plateau near Villaperuccio is attested by alignments and pairs of menhirs . Among them is the largest menhir on the island, the almost five meter high Terrazzu . The giant grave Sa Tutt'e Fraigada is a gem. The menhirs Su Para e sa Mongia ( Sardinian : the monk and the nun) are outside the park near Sant'Antioco . Pani Loriga is a necropolis in which Neolithic structures from the Ozieri culture are superimposed on those from the Copper and Bronze Ages. The Copper Age is documented in the Domus de Janas and in the natural caves of Is Zuddas and Pirosu through relics of the Monte Claro culture . This is when the pan-European bell beaker culture comes to the island. In Sulcis it appears in the context of the Bonnanaro culture , which created the conditions for the nuragic culture at the beginning of the 2nd millennium .
The numerous nuraghi , both simple and complex, developed from the 16th century BC onwards. A little later, contacts with the eastern Mediterranean are documented through discovered Mycenaean and Cypriot imports, which can be found in the coastal zones (as in the Nuraghe Antigori near Sarroch ), but also inland. Worth mentioning are the fragments of a copper bar in the shape of an ox skin and a bronze tripod from the Grotta Pirosu, which is a local imitation of Cypriot prototypes from the 11th century BC. Represents. The Grotta Su Benatzu was one of the most important places of worship. Already visited by the pre-Uraghic, it acquired enormous importance in the Nuragic epoch, which is attested by the variety and number of clay and metallic materials discovered. The well temple of Tatinu-Nuxis is also interesting . It was built from polygonal blocks. Its architecture, without a vestibule, is unusual and essentially consists of the staircase that ends underground at an oval water surface. The finds made there date from the end of the Bronze Age and from the "Geometric Epoch".
At the beginning of the first millennium, the Phoenicians (later the Carthaginians) came to the island. The first seasonal landing sites became colonies. The penetration of the Phoenicians inland is documented by various foundations, among which Pani Loriga protrudes, which is located on an elongated tuff hill. It was settled in the second half of the 7th century BC. The wall structures are reminiscent of those of Monte Sirai . In Pani Loriga, a double wall protected the acropolis , which rises above a nuraghi. Pincer gate, casemates and adapted natural barriers formed the typical lines of defense of the Phoenician-Punic culture. Phoenician, Punic, Greek and Etruscan ceramics have been found.
In the Roman era, in the context of mining activities, a deeper penetration into the interior of the country took place. Roman structures come to light in San Pantaleo, a small coin treasure comes from the place. During the Roman Empire, the number of inland settlements grew, but remained small compared to those on the coast.
literature
- E. Atzeni & MG Melis: Villaperuccio tra ipogeismo e megalitismo. Testimonianze archeologiche dalla preistoria all'età romana, 2000
- MG Melis: Aspetti insediativi nel Sulcis tra neolitico ed eneolitico: il territorio di Villaperuccio. In: Studi in onore di Ercole Contu. 2003
Coordinates: 39 ° 7 ' N , 8 ° 50' E