Mysterious Nuraghic civilization from Sardinia

07. 04. 2020
6th international conference of exopolitics, history and spirituality

All over the island of Sardinia are the remains of an ancient, mysterious civilization called nuraghická. Its name was given to the typical megalithic buildings, thousands of which are found throughout the island. In addition, these people also left behind stunning megalithic tombs, elaborate bronze statuettes, and objects showing they were great warriors. What happened to the ancient Bronze and Iron Age people and how their lives relate to the surrounding civilizations? To answer these questions, we need to take a closer look at the nuraghi - the cylindrical stone towers.

Nuraghic towers

Nuraghe Arrubiu

Undoubtedly, the most famous monument left by the Nuragic civilization is the nuraghi or the nuraghi towers, which were adorned with an impressive 7 on the island, which may have been as many as 000. from Sardinia very original and sophisticated with its sophistication. These are constructions of circular ground plan and truncated cone shape, ie with a flat roof, the beginning of which can be dated to the 30th century BC Some experts believe that these flat roofs were used as terraces. However, sometimes they take the form of a conical beehive and their purpose could be different. Only minimally worked stones were arranged in the shape of a cylinder, creating an interior space, which usually consisted of a corridor, a chamber (sometimes up to 000 m in diameter) and a staircase leading to the upper floors. Some of the more sophisticated buildings were also equipped with wells, granaries at ground level, or other areas likely to store food and liquids. Some nuraghi, such as Nuraghe Arrubiu, rise up to 18 m, but many of them are much more modest in height. Also their ground plans vary - from simple towers to complex structures reminiscent of medieval castles.

floor plans of various types of nuragh

Purpose of nuraghas

Many of these buildings are characterized by high demands on their construction and therefore their true purpose is still under discussion. Common functions, such as granaries or dwellings, are both military and purely cult, such as shrines and observatories. The artifacts found in them included, for example, stone tools, vertical looms, fireplaces, cooking utensils, whorls, and animal bones, leading many to believe that nuraghi were primarily dwellings. However, this does not necessarily mean that these were normal times, but because of their complexity, the dwellings of elites or priests are more likely. These towers were built close to each other around a common courtyard with a well, and were usually surrounded by megalithic walls, which, according to experts, probably had bastions to defend the site. The most complex settlements that formed settlements included several huts of varying complexity, many of which had water catchment tanks, cattle pens, and defensive elements such as ramparts and towers or observation posts. These settlements were complemented by pastures, wooded areas and mines, but also cult buildings. Unfortunately, many of these buildings are ruined and without proper archaeological exploration, or have been destroyed over the ages as they served the locals as a cheap source of stone for road and wall construction.

More complex type of nuragh with bastions. Nuraghe Santu dating in Antine, Torralba.

Tombs of giants

Megalithic tombs, commonly called "giant tombs", are mainly located in central Sardinia. These graves served for the last rest of several dozen buried. These spacious burial chambers with a length of up to 20 meters prove that the Nuraghic civilization has given great care to the funeral rituals, which were to enable the dead to move easily into the world of the dead, where they took their place between gods, heroes and mythical ancestors.

An example of the so-called "giant's tomb." It is believed that entering the tomb in the central stele connected the world of the living and the dead.

Although the tomb looks like a giant, only the remains of normally tall people were found there.

Religious ceremonies

It is quite likely that people of Nuraghic culture performed regular rituals dedicated to their ancestors not only as a reminder of their death, but also to gain their support, for example, in healing or magic. It is difficult to determine exactly who was buried in giant exhibition tombs surrounded by sculpted stones, betles and other decorative elements. Older tombs probably served a wider population, and over time the circle of people buried there became more narrow and more specific. Spiritual practices seem to have focused primarily on the realm of the dead, the connection with ancestors and water rituals, as evidenced by a number of explored buildings. The sacrificial pews, the stairways leading to the sacred springs, and the enclosure of the sacred wells clearly show the belief in the magical properties of water and its use. Around such wells are numerous nuraghic shrines consisting of many different buildings in which important meetings of representatives of individual tribes could take place. They also found a considerable number of small bronze sculptures, which were left here apparently as an expression of thanks or supplications directed to the powers with which these places were associated.

Bronze statuette of Nuraghic civilization

Artifacts and remains of Nuraghic civilization

Nuraghian civilization has played an important role in Western Mediterranean trade relations, as evidenced by the advanced processing of bronze. Not only weapons, especially swords and lances, but also lumbering and carpentry tools or sickles were produced. But it was also used for the production of artistic or cult objects such as statues representing men, women, animals, spiritual beings, and miniatures of tools and objects of daily use. Instead of finding such statuettes or miniatures, and their high concentration, they point to the manner of behavior characteristic of a petition for favor or direct intervention by higher forces, that is, the votive sacrifice of an object related to the supplicant and his request. An example is a statue of a woman with a child who has probably asked the gods for his health or healing from illness. There are portrayals of warriors with weapons and shepherds with sheep, and even figurines of women who seemed to have a high position in the cult, most of whom had a nuraghic dagger on their neck.

Uncovering the secrets of nuraghas

There is evidence that the Nuraghic civilization has had numerous contacts with the outside world, but at the same time it has remained in some isolation. Most of the historical sources dealing with this culture date back to the time of Greek colonization and the period of Roman rule. The people of Nuraghic culture probably did not leave behind any written monuments and apparently did not use the script. What has been preserved about them has been passed down for centuries by oral tradition and eventually written by ancient authors who wrapped everything in a semi-mythical guise. Most experts agree that the most crucial period of decline occurred before the occupation of Sardinia by the Carthaginians in the late 6th century BC, but what preceded it is the subject of disputes. Many believe that the decline of this civilization meant turning away from nuraghic traditions and leaning towards, for example, Phoenician, until ultimately the nuraghic culture and its traditions were completely forgotten. Others are of the opinion that there may have been significant social upheavals or invasions, and more and more researchers believe that ecosystem change is behind the decline.

Editor's tip:

Megalithic buildings in Sardinia raise questions about who built them and how. Oral local traditions mention that Sardinia was an island of giants. Let's find together the remnants of the extinct giant civilization. Live on Wednesday, April 8 at 19pm.

 

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